Hot Shot Trucking Requirements: What You Need to Start in 2026

Quick Answer

Hot shot trucking is hauling freight with a heavy-duty pickup pulling a flatbed or gooseneck trailer. To start under your own authority in 2026, you need a business entity and EIN, a USDOT number and MC authority from FMCSA's Motus system ($300 per authority), a BOC-3, $750,000 in liability insurance, UCR, a medical card, and usually an ELD. IRP, IFTA, and Form 2290 depend on weight.

Key Takeaways

• A pickup and trailer used in interstate commerce become a commercial motor vehicle at 10,001 lbs, so most FMCSA rules apply even when you don't need a CDL.
• Since May 19, 2026, new carriers apply for a USDOT number and operating authority in Motus (motus.dot.gov) instead of the old URS and FMCSA Portal.
• FMCSA charges $300 for each type of operating authority, and the fee isn't refunded if your application is rejected or withdrawn.
• For-hire interstate carriers of general freight in vehicles of 10,001 lbs or more need at least $750,000 in public liability coverage.
• IRP and IFTA kick in only when the combination's weight exceeds 26,000 lbs or the truck has three or more axles. Form 2290 starts at 55,000 lbs taxable gross weight.
• Drug and alcohol testing and the Clearinghouse apply only to drivers who need a CDL.

What is hot shot trucking?

Hot shot trucking is moving freight with a heavy-duty pickup, usually a one-ton or larger (Ram 3500, Ford F-350 through F-550, Silverado 3500HD), pulling a flatbed trailer. It's industry slang, not a legal category. Federal rules never use the term.

Hot shot carriers typically haul loads that don't need a full Class 8 truck and 53-foot trailer:

• Construction and farm equipment, tractors, and skid steers
• Vehicles and machinery
• Building materials, pipe, and oilfield parts
• Less-than-truckload (LTL) and expedited freight a shipper needs delivered now

Because the rig is smaller, you can take partial loads a semi wouldn't and reach jobsites a tractor-trailer can't.

What equipment do you need for hot shot trucking?

Your truck and trailer ratings decide which rules apply, so choose with the regulations in mind. The common trailer setups:

• Gooseneck flatbed. Couples to a ball in the truck bed. It carries more weight and handles better than a bumper pull, and it's the most common hot shot setup.
• Bumper-pull (tag) flatbed. Hitches at the rear receiver. Cheaper and shorter, but limited in capacity.
• Dovetail or ramp trailers. A gooseneck or bumper pull with a sloped tail and ramps for loading equipment and vehicles.

You'll also need securement gear rated for your loads: chains, binders, straps, and edge protection.

Here's the short version of the weight rules. Once your truck and trailer total 10,001 lbs or more (by rating or actual weight, whichever is higher) in interstate commerce, the rig is a commercial motor vehicle and you'll generally need logs on an ELD. A Class A CDL is required only when the combination reaches 26,001 lbs and the trailer is rated over 10,000 lbs. Our hotshot trucking ELD rules guide walks through the GCWR math, CDL thresholds, and short-haul exceptions with worked examples.

What are the hot shot trucking requirements?

This table assumes for-hire, interstate freight under your own authority. Costs show only verified government fees; everything else depends on your state, vendor, or truck.

How do you get a USDOT number and MC authority in 2026?

Work through these in order.

1. Form your business and get an EIN. If you're forming an LLC or corporation, the IRS says to register it with your state first. The EIN is free from the IRS, and you'll need one if you ever file Form 2290, because the IRS won't accept a Social Security number on that return.
2. Register for a USDOT number in Motus. Interstate carriers must file Form MCS-150 before they begin operations (49 CFR 390.19T). FMCSA's Motus system opened to all users on May 19, 2026. You sign in with Login.gov and complete identity verification.
3. Apply for operating authority. For-hire carriers hauling regulated freight for others across state lines need authority on top of the USDOT number. The fee is $300 for each type of authority under 49 CFR 360.3T, and it isn't refunded.
4. File a BOC-3. You must designate a process agent for every state you're authorized to operate in and every state you travel through (49 CFR 366.4T). Most carriers hire a blanket company that covers all states on one form.
5. Have your insurer file proof of coverage. Your insurer files Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X. Both that filing and your BOC-3 are due within 20 days after FMCSA publishes notice of your application (49 CFR 365.109T).
6. Register for UCR for the current year before you haul interstate loads.

Some states also require a USDOT number for intrastate-only carriers, including Texas, California, Florida, and Georgia. Check your state if you never cross state lines.

How much insurance does a hot shot truck need?

Under 49 CFR 387.9, for-hire carriers hauling nonhazardous property in interstate commerce in vehicles rated 10,001 lbs or more need at least $750,000 in public liability coverage. Hazardous materials raise the minimum to $1,000,000 or $5,000,000, depending on the material.

Federal cargo insurance minimums apply only to household goods carriers. For general freight, cargo coverage is a business requirement: most brokers and shippers won't tender loads without it, and they set the amount in their carrier packets.

See our guide to insurance for new authority for first-year carriers.

Do hot shot trucks need IFTA, IRP, and Form 2290?

Not always. New carriers often get these wrong in both directions.

IRP and IFTA. Both use nearly the same test. A power unit that runs in two or more jurisdictions is covered if it has two axles and a gross or registered weight over 26,000 lbs, has three or more axles regardless of weight, or is used in a combination weighing more than 26,000 lbs. A two-axle pickup whose combination stays at 26,000 lbs or less doesn't need IFTA, and IRP is optional. Your base state administers both (iftach.org lists IFTA jurisdictions), so ask its IRP and fuel tax office how it weighs your combination.

Form 2290. The heavy highway vehicle use tax applies to vehicles with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 lbs or more (IRS Form 2290). Taxable gross weight counts the truck, any trailer customarily towed, and the heaviest load you carry. Most hot shot combinations fall below that, but check your numbers.

Which requirements apply only to CDL drivers?

The drug and alcohol testing rules in part 382 apply to drivers subject to the CDL requirements of part 383 (49 CFR 382.103). If your rig doesn't require a CDL, federal testing doesn't apply, though a broker or shipper may still ask for it.

If you do need a CDL, as an owner-operator who employs only yourself you must join a random testing pool of two or more drivers, usually through a consortium. You also need to register in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. Our Clearinghouse guide explains queries and owner-operator setup.

The medical card is different. Every interstate CMV driver needs one under 49 CFR 391.41, CDL or not.

What happens after you get your authority?

Your compliance work continues once you start hauling:

• New entrant monitoring. New carriers are monitored for 18 months, and FMCSA conducts a safety audit once you've operated long enough to have records, generally at least 3 months (49 CFR 385.307). See the new entrant safety audit guide.
• MCS-150 biennial update. You must update your registration every 24 months on a schedule set by your USDOT number's last two digits. As of October 2026, FMCSA has suspended USDOT inactivation for updates due on or after June 1, 2026 during the Motus transition. Details are in our MCS-150 biennial update guide.
• UCR renewal. UCR is annual. The 0–2 vehicle fee rises from $46 for 2026 to $55 for 2027.
• IFTA returns each quarter, if you hold an IFTA license.

If you need an ELD for a pickup, Lucid ELD support can walk you through setup and logging.

Educational content, not legal advice. Confirm requirements against current FMCSA regulations and your state's rules.

FAQ

Do you need a CDL for hot shot trucking?

Only if the combination is rated or weighs 26,001 lbs or more and the trailer is rated or weighs more than 10,000 lbs. Many hot shot rigs stay under one of those limits, but you still need a USDOT number, medical card, and usually an ELD.

How much does it cost to get hot shot authority?

FMCSA's fee is $300 for each type of operating authority, and it isn't refundable. Insurance, the BOC-3 filing, state registration, and equipment costs vary by provider and state.

Is hot shot trucking the same as LTL?

Not exactly. Hot shot describes the equipment, a pickup and flatbed. Many hot shot loads are LTL or expedited partial loads, but a hot shot carrier can also haul a full load for one customer.

Do I need IFTA for hot shot trucking?

Only if your power unit has three or more axles, or your truck or combination's gross or registered weight exceeds 26,000 lbs. Confirm how your base state classifies your rig.

Can I start hot shot trucking without my own authority?

Yes. You can lease onto a carrier and haul under its USDOT number, authority, and insurance. You still need your own medical card and any license your rig requires.