This is the kind of dumb stuff wannabes like me desperately need to know as we investigate joining the trucking world. Thank you. I watch many, many trucking channels and you are the first to cover this in depth.
"Love this great video, this is the way it's supposed to be done. I've been driving a Class A truck for under various companies (W2 & 1099) and noticed that DOT often pulls over a lot of hotshot trucks. I've asked a few DOT officers over the years why they do this so much. My guess would be that they're easy inspections, but they've said it's because the carrier is either straight as an arrow or crooked as hell. We're starting our FIRST hotshot job next week and will make sure it can generate good income in my local area/OTR. We might consider buying a hotshot truck or a Class A depending on the demand and income results. I've always kept a binder like this and kept it up to date; it really makes us stand out from the rest of the trucks. Many drivers will just lose the binder or not keep it up to date. In my experience also 100% if the DOT officer see this binder his own demeanor changes in a good way. I would saying being organized would only help your inspections I have had Level 1 go to Level 3 because my truck was new and easy. "Hey man, great videos! I am just now coming across your channel ,great stuff I been checking out your whole channel. I am going to reach out of IG for some advice in my upcoming adventures, if you got some time. Lets get and update video where you are now in your business and life.
Thanks for breaking it all down! This has been a huge help!!! There isn’t a lot of info on exactly what we need to get into the business and this helps a ton!
Jrob7850 !!! Yessir! I noticed that too, one of the reasons I decided to make a channel lol. I’m happy to help man, trying to get the general info out there one video at a time 👍
Good Video, you forgot the paper log book sheets enough for 7 - 8 days worth also, in case your ELD goes down. So just keep a little paper log book handy and put in the binder. Unless you are using paper logs already and not ELD.
Man its so much stuff u gotta do and have smh , i had my truck and trailer a year now and still haven't gotten it on the road yet trying to get everything i need up and right now im seeing your video and seeing i don't have some of the things i need to have with like Portion tags there goes some more money lol but by the grace of God ill get everything together, but thanks for making this video it really helps out people like me trying to get started and don't know alot God bless you and your thanks.....
Have just subbed as I enjoy your videos greatly. So many people post conflicting information. I have no doubt and trust what you say. Thank you for the great content
Awesome video man, this was some great advice to someone like me who's just starting with their own authority, i never would've thought about a few of these! Thanks again
That’s for sure. Dealing with DOT is just part of the business. But make your meeting as Pleasant as possible. I have have many dealings with DOT over the years. Each time I never had a bad experience. As long as I had my stuff together. But I have gotten tickets. But each time I was in the wrong. I’m a ex police officer. So I know your attitude will make it much better.
Arthur Weir that’s just it right there. When you’re wrong you’re wrong. You know it. They know it. Most of my friends are LEOs. Attitude can mean the difference between a violation or OOS. 👍
Med card not necessary any more , is link directly to State DOT , if not valid , you licence automatically suspended .Authority in on cloud as well but good to have hard copy .One think you forgot is buckled of logbook in case LED stop working. Great video.
You don’t need long form physical or inspections in the truck. Short form physical and inspection stickers are all you need over the road. That’s what a driver is to provide and is what is required. Long form paperwork is the “carrier” side.
the authority is good to have. Driver license, ELD , trip inspection current, Cab card represents your permission to enter other states (interstating). its really about taxes. each state gets a little bit of your registration fee dependin on the miles you run in each state. IRP International Registration Program. International Fuel Tax Agreement IFTA settles out when you buy too much fuel in one state or province for the number of miles, and don't buy enough in another state. That gets settled out, usually by the girls in the office once a month. For every truck for every gallon of fuel that crosses state lines.
If you're still looking at the comments of these videos, I've got a question to ask. I'm nearing the start of my hotshot journey and I'm looking for some insight. Do I need to apply to my own LLC and have employment papers to show that I work for my own company? Seems kind of pointless, but I've seen a video where they say that DOT needs to be able to prove that you work for the carrier, along with a whole driver qualification file. THanks!
You’ll only need to apply and hire yourself if you plan on cutting a salary and filing a w2 at the end of the year. If you’re just a single member LLC it’s not required. You’ll still need your driver qualification paperwork but you’ll be on the insurance, on the drug consortium and the carrier responsible for safety on your vehicle registration will be your company, since you are your company it’s a wash. If you were a corp or s-corp you would definitely have to hire yourself but as a sole proprietor or single member LLC it’s not necessary.
So I have a class but my buddy and I are trying to get in on this hotshot thing and team drive for the time sensitive loads. But I'm confused do we run paper logs or ELD? I'm assuming it's similar to semi truck otr
You’ll need the rental agreement for the truck and for the trailer you’ll need the registration. Both will need to be in the company name or if you have a business that isn’t listed on the truck or trailer then you’ll need to lease that trailer and truck to your business name and carry that lease with you also. Registration for both vehicles is a must.
I used to drive over the road 20 yrs ago before elb,so my question is as long as your 150 air miles and no future do I have to use elb? 90% of where I will be going will be under 150 miles. I probably won’t break that but a hand full of times a month. My understanding you have 8 days in 30 day you can go over 150 miles and don’t have to run elb. I appreciate any help,thanks.
I’d definitely look into that more but yes if you’re relatively “local” like that you will just fill out a daily log basically like a time sheet to clock in and out with. If you’ll also stay in the same state it will make your life much easier since you can register intrastate instead of interstate. You can avoid a lot of hassle as far as IRP and IFTA goes if you just stay intrastate.
I like the start-up video, super helpful. Something I've been researching and having a hard time finding any information on would be: How would a new guy whom is required to maintain ELD and IFTA info manage a vehicle and records if his Hotshot truck was also his daily driver? I have read about personal conveyance time etc, however my dually would also be used for hauling RV, for hunting, family trips and what not. How would an individual properly manage records if this was the case and he could not afford a truck dedicated solely to work as well as personal vehicle? Thanks for any input👌
When you file IFTA there is a category for “tax exempt” gallons. That is where you would input those amounts. Of course, this will require you to keep track of mileage and fuel purchases separate from work but it’s not too bad once you get used to it. 👍 as far as the ELD goes, just log it as personal conveyance.
when you get a little bit rich, separate transport from personal ride. every time you take that work truck for personal, there could be someone asking a lot of questions.
Nice video Mizer. All the information every beginner needs to hit the road. Could you please tell me which DOCUMENTS I need to obtain my commercial plate. I have CDL and I also have a RAM 3500 6.7 diesel Dually with the Trailer EZ 4. I just need the plates. I'm confused if I need the 2290 Green Tax. Thanks and congratulations for yours videos
Good info brother. How about make a video telling how many hours that you are allowed to run a day and do y’all have to take breaks or lunch breaks and if you do have to take them do they have to be at a certain amount of time from start time for the day. How long after end of day do you have to wait before you can start a new day. Things like that brother. You may have done one but I myself have not found one on. TH-cam
Yessir that’d be a basic hours of service video. I could definitely break that down. It didn’t even hit me till I just read this that the people jumping into non-CDL won’t be going through a driving school or anything. I’ll work on that, thank you for the suggestion! 🙌👍
I am a new Hot Shot company driver starting this Sunday for sporadic work. CDL, but never was a trucker before. Do I need to stop at ALL weigh stations when open? I'm reluctant to go out because of the horror DOT Inspection stories, thank you.
The DOT database collects your CDL data and records the currency of your driver's medical for display to the officer roadside. Not so critical anymore to carry the card. But keep your medical current.
If I’m doing hotshot will the truck inspection that I get before I renew my registration, or do I need to get the truck and trailer registered together?
Most states have permanent trailer plates. If not you’ll need an annual registration for it but it look just like a typical car registration. It isn’t like a cab card at all. There’s no weights listed on the trailer registration. 👍
If you have a hazmat load, not only do you need the endorsement on your drivers license, you also need proof from your carrier that you completed the appropriate HazMat training.
Where do i go to get the apportioned plates and ifta in Florida?? First time getting those. I travel to michigan and back to Florida. So i go thru several states. Also any idea how much it will cost so i can prepare. Thanks
I’m not sure what apportioned plates cost in Florida, you’ll have to go through the state. There should be information on their motor carrier section of the website. To speed things up though I’d make a trip to Tallahassee. I doubt you’d want to wait on the mail unless you’re not in a rush.
Depends on the state you’re in and the data you base it in. The cab cars is just the apportioned truck registration. To get apportioned, the type of truck, gross weight rating all okay a part in price. Mine was a little over $900 last year.
True that. Got pulled over and the binder was exactly what the DOT officer wanted and officer complimented me on how organized it was.
You are so right. Get extra copies if need . MAKE, you got to have EXTRA COPY have that MED-card.
Great advice for new hotshot driver
You always have very detailed information in your videos.
Thanks
Much success to you
This is the kind of dumb stuff wannabes like me desperately need to know as we investigate joining the trucking world. Thank you. I watch many, many trucking channels and you are the first to cover this in depth.
Thank you, I try to be as thorough and transparent as possible. 👍👍
Excellent advice!! I’ve been carrying a binder like yours for 20 years. Makes a very positive impression with DOT. Great videos man.... 👍👍
"Love this great video, this is the way it's supposed to be done. I've been driving a Class A truck for under various companies (W2 & 1099) and noticed that DOT often pulls over a lot of hotshot trucks. I've asked a few DOT officers over the years why they do this so much. My guess would be that they're easy inspections, but they've said it's because the carrier is either straight as an arrow or crooked as hell. We're starting our FIRST hotshot job next week and will make sure it can generate good income in my local area/OTR. We might consider buying a hotshot truck or a Class A depending on the demand and income results. I've always kept a binder like this and kept it up to date; it really makes us stand out from the rest of the trucks. Many drivers will just lose the binder or not keep it up to date. In my experience also 100% if the DOT officer see this binder his own demeanor changes in a good way. I would saying being organized would only help your inspections I have had Level 1 go to Level 3 because my truck was new and easy. "Hey man, great videos! I am just now coming across your channel ,great stuff I been checking out your whole channel. I am going to reach out of IG for some advice in my upcoming adventures, if you got some time. Lets get and update video where you are now in your business and life.
Thanks for breaking it all down! This has been a huge help!!! There isn’t a lot of info on exactly what we need to get into the business and this helps a ton!
Jrob7850 !!! Yessir! I noticed that too, one of the reasons I decided to make a channel lol. I’m happy to help man, trying to get the general info out there one video at a time 👍
I took notes. Thank you.
Thank you very much. This has been super helpful. The lady that handled this left us.
Good video and love the beat at the end!
Huge Information here, really appreciate you taking the time to outline the contents of that binder!! Cheers man and safe driving
I'm also setting up my business, ty for the detail information you provided.
THANKS FOR BREAKING IT DOWN... 😎💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿
Good Video, you forgot the paper log book sheets enough for 7 - 8 days worth also, in case your ELD goes down. So just keep a little paper log book handy and put in the binder. Unless you are using paper logs already and not ELD.
This was great. I’m still setting up my business so this will definitely help me get on the right footing.
Did I see lease agreement for my man TOW PIGLET ??? nice 👍
On point! 🎉Good Job !!!
Great video!!!!! And YES, you need to have a copy of your Authority Letter.
this is a very handy video esp for someone like myself who is just starting out
Man its so much stuff u gotta do and have smh , i had my truck and trailer a year now and still haven't gotten it on the road yet trying to get everything i need up and right now im seeing your video and seeing i don't have some of the things i need to have with like Portion tags there goes some more money lol but by the grace of God ill get everything together, but thanks for making this video it really helps out people like me trying to get started and don't know alot God bless you and your thanks.....
No problem man. You’re right though there is a lot to it. 👍
I also have a negative alcohol & Drugs tests and copy of my current drivers license, results. drive safe
Have just subbed as I enjoy your videos greatly. So many people post conflicting information. I have no doubt and trust what you say. Thank you for the great content
Priceless information! Beautiful!
THANK YOU!!! I have learned so much from you and I am excited to get my hubby up and running!
I find this fascinating for some reason.
Great video bro. Thanks for the upload
Thanks for the info. Made my compliance binder today
appreciate that loadmizer!! Im getting my book setup now off your content!!
Well said,kudos to you brother
Awesome video man, this was some great advice to someone like me who's just starting with their own authority, i never would've thought about a few of these! Thanks again
Spot on, once again.
Great..thanks again..💪💯😎
That’s for sure. Dealing with DOT is just part of the business. But make your meeting as Pleasant as possible. I have have many dealings with DOT over the years. Each time I never had a bad experience. As long as I had my stuff together. But I have gotten tickets. But each time I was in the wrong. I’m a ex police officer. So I know your attitude will make it much better.
Arthur Weir that’s just it right there. When you’re wrong you’re wrong. You know it. They know it. Most of my friends are LEOs. Attitude can mean the difference between a violation or OOS. 👍
Great info to keep us new guys out of trouble. Thanks!!
Can you do a video on a BOL step by step
I could do that 👍
Awesome video
Well done video. Thanks for the info.
Thanks for this dude, where do I go get a dot inspection for my truck ?
Thank you for sharing
Your videos are extremely informative and helpful. Thanks again and I look forward to watching more of them. Thanks again
Very good info. Thanks for taking the time to explain it all.
No problem man, thanks for watching 👍👍
Med card not necessary any more , is link directly to State DOT , if not valid , you licence automatically suspended .Authority in on cloud as well but good to have hard copy .One think you forgot is buckled of logbook in case LED stop working. Great video.
Great Info!!
As always Good information
Great information as always
Great video bro
Thanks for the knowledge I appreciate it!!! Super helpful
Awesome help man
Hey Sir!! Are you still running? Ken! Oh!✌🏿
You pass, good job.
Another good one!
Good video Sir Very helpful
Another essential video!! Thank you sir!!
Hi does it have to be a binder? Or can I give them a tablet with the photos?
Keep a long form physical also.
Current inspection longform trac and trailer.
Some of us are not on eld. Old tractor. Paper logs still.
You don’t need long form physical or inspections in the truck. Short form physical and inspection stickers are all you need over the road. That’s what a driver is to provide and is what is required. Long form paperwork is the “carrier” side.
Thanks, well done!
Fantastic content Sir thank you
Nice video. Will subscribe. Thanks
Good Information Driver
the authority is good to have. Driver license, ELD , trip inspection current, Cab card represents your permission to enter other states (interstating). its really about taxes. each state gets a little bit of your registration fee dependin on the miles you run in each state. IRP International Registration Program.
International Fuel Tax Agreement IFTA settles out when you buy too much fuel in one state or province for the number of miles, and don't buy enough in another state. That gets settled out, usually by the girls in the office once a month. For every truck for every gallon of fuel that crosses state lines.
IFTA is filed quarterly. There are no gals in the office when you own your company...unless you hire one lol
If you're still looking at the comments of these videos, I've got a question to ask. I'm nearing the start of my hotshot journey and I'm looking for some insight. Do I need to apply to my own LLC and have employment papers to show that I work for my own company? Seems kind of pointless, but I've seen a video where they say that DOT needs to be able to prove that you work for the carrier, along with a whole driver qualification file. THanks!
You’ll only need to apply and hire yourself if you plan on cutting a salary and filing a w2 at the end of the year. If you’re just a single member LLC it’s not required. You’ll still need your driver qualification paperwork but you’ll be on the insurance, on the drug consortium and the carrier responsible for safety on your vehicle registration will be your company, since you are your company it’s a wash. If you were a corp or s-corp you would definitely have to hire yourself but as a sole proprietor or single member LLC it’s not necessary.
Thank you for sharing from your experience….very helpful!
Is a cab card for big trucks or do we need one for our hotshot dually?
You’ll need one if you’re apportioned. So if you’re running over 26k with apportioned plates you’ll get a cab card instead of a registration.
@@LoadMizer thank u so much. I learn a lot from ur videos
Thank you for sharing. Very informative. Stay safe out there brother.
Thanks man!
Load Mizer you’re welcome
So I have a class but my buddy and I are trying to get in on this hotshot thing and team drive for the time sensitive loads. But I'm confused do we run paper logs or ELD? I'm assuming it's similar to semi truck otr
Thanks again good video
Awesome another great video, working on stuff now
In Texas DOT wants to see BOL
Mizer I have a question I have a rental truck and trailer what papers I need to have in my hands let me know thanks 🙏
You’ll need the rental agreement for the truck and for the trailer you’ll need the registration. Both will need to be in the company name or if you have a business that isn’t listed on the truck or trailer then you’ll need to lease that trailer and truck to your business name and carry that lease with you also. Registration for both vehicles is a must.
thank you very much for the info !
What kind of dash cam would you recommend?
I used to drive over the road 20 yrs ago before elb,so my question is as long as your 150 air miles and no future do I have to use elb? 90% of where I will be going will be under 150 miles. I probably won’t break that but a hand full of times a month. My understanding you have 8 days in 30 day you can go over 150 miles and don’t have to run elb. I appreciate any help,thanks.
I’d definitely look into that more but yes if you’re relatively “local” like that you will just fill out a daily log basically like a time sheet to clock in and out with. If you’ll also stay in the same state it will make your life much easier since you can register intrastate instead of interstate. You can avoid a lot of hassle as far as IRP and IFTA goes if you just stay intrastate.
great video thanks!
Great info, thanks.
A lease a truck from enterprise it not come with comercial plates, I will have problem ?
Thank you very much great help
Just saw you coming out of flying j in Kentucky! Drive safe.
Ah man was that you at the light in the Silverado? I figured you were saying hey to a local 🤣 you’re my first official fan sighting!! 👍👍
Yep that was me. I recognized your truck from your videos. Someone stole my gooseneck last week so I was slumming in my old truck and trailer.
CC 3 oh man that’s terrible. Hopefully it gets tracked down I damaged man. Man, I feel for you on that one. 😞
Wow you amazing bro .thanks. God bless
Thanks man I appreciate that!
Copious amounts of knowledge here we all need to have! I need to lease on with you!
I like the start-up video, super helpful. Something I've been researching and having a hard time finding any information on would be:
How would a new guy whom is required to maintain ELD and IFTA info manage a vehicle and records if his Hotshot truck was also his daily driver? I have read about personal conveyance time etc, however my dually would also be used for hauling RV, for hunting, family trips and what not. How would an individual properly manage records if this was the case and he could not afford a truck dedicated solely to work as well as personal vehicle?
Thanks for any input👌
When you file IFTA there is a category for “tax exempt” gallons. That is where you would input those amounts. Of course, this will require you to keep track of mileage and fuel purchases separate from work but it’s not too bad once you get used to it. 👍 as far as the ELD goes, just log it as personal conveyance.
when you get a little bit rich, separate transport from personal ride. every time you take that work truck for personal, there could be someone asking a lot of questions.
You hand him a binder of all paper work for the vehicle awesome! he hands you a book of summones.
Lol
What if your truck is registered in Florida but your driver stays in Massachusetts and runs loads in the Northeast?
Would still need everything mentioned plus a HUT decal and registration for New York
@@LoadMizer mainly MA,CT,RI,ME,NH,VT
Nice video Mizer. All the information every beginner needs to hit the road. Could you please tell me which DOCUMENTS I need to obtain my commercial plate. I have CDL and I also have a RAM 3500 6.7 diesel Dually with the Trailer EZ 4. I just need the plates. I'm confused if I need the 2290 Green Tax. Thanks and congratulations for yours videos
All the papers have to be the originals or can I carry copies of the originals in the binder???
Copies. Keep your originals at home 👍
Also spare fuses, triangles, and fire extinguisher
This is paperwork you must have.
Do you need Commercial Insurance if you are running a non-cdl set up with a company being an LLC? Or can you run under regular insurance?
I was totally not aware a non Cdl needed a medical card is this true for all states I’m out of Ohio
Yes sir.
you rock man!
Thanks man! 👍
Good info brother. How about make a video telling how many hours that you are allowed to run a day and do y’all have to take breaks or lunch breaks and if you do have to take them do they have to be at a certain amount of time from start time for the day. How long after end of day do you have to wait before you can start a new day. Things like that brother. You may have done one but I myself have not found one on. TH-cam
Yessir that’d be a basic hours of service video. I could definitely break that down. It didn’t even hit me till I just read this that the people jumping into non-CDL won’t be going through a driving school or anything. I’ll work on that, thank you for the suggestion! 🙌👍
Load Mizer good deal brother
I second this motion!
I am a new Hot Shot company driver starting this Sunday for sporadic work. CDL, but never was a trucker before. Do I need to stop at ALL weigh stations when open? I'm reluctant to go out because of the horror DOT Inspection stories, thank you.
The DOT database collects your CDL data and records the currency of your driver's medical for display to the officer roadside. Not so critical anymore to carry the card. But keep your medical current.
HEY BROTHER HOW ARE YOU IS THST TRUE TO GET THE PLATES IN THE STATE OF KY WE NEED TO GO FRANKFORT TO GET IT??
You can do it all online and just have them mail it to you but if you want them same day, you can go to Frankfort.
@@LoadMizer peefect thank Brother i try to get my plate on tuesday in from florence ky ✌✌✌
What is the best truck to start out with new or older
Depends on how mechanically inclined you are. I’d recommend a newer truck to minimize downtime and repair costs.
If I’m doing hotshot will the truck inspection that I get before I renew my registration, or do I need to get the truck and trailer registered together?
Dang, i wish he hadnt of skipped right past the trailer registration. Is it like a tractor cab card?
Most states have permanent trailer plates. If not you’ll need an annual registration for it but it look just like a typical car registration. It isn’t like a cab card at all. There’s no weights listed on the trailer registration. 👍
@@LoadMizer thx for the info. So I'm assuming that registration receipt that came in the mail with my token (permanent) plates is all that I need.
If you have a hazmat load, not only do you need the endorsement on your drivers license, you also need proof from your carrier that you completed the appropriate HazMat training.
What about trailer registration?
Where do i go to get the apportioned plates and ifta in Florida?? First time getting those. I travel to michigan and back to Florida. So i go thru several states. Also any idea how much it will cost so i can prepare. Thanks
I’m not sure what apportioned plates cost in Florida, you’ll have to go through the state. There should be information on their motor carrier section of the website. To speed things up though I’d make a trip to Tallahassee. I doubt you’d want to wait on the mail unless you’re not in a rush.
@@LoadMizer yup that’s what i thought i am about 2 hours to Tallahassee. By the way how much were yours ?? Thanks
Great Content! How much does the cab card cost typically? Thank you
Depends on the state you’re in and the data you base it in. The cab cars is just the apportioned truck registration. To get apportioned, the type of truck, gross weight rating all okay a part in price. Mine was a little over $900 last year.
@@LoadMizer thanks man! Really appreciate that clarification. Stay safe, keep rockin it!!
Always great advice. Thanks. Do you have a need for a printer in your truck if you're hauling cars?
Not nearly as often as freight. It still comes in handy from time to time though.
@@LoadMizer thanks!!