HotShot Trucker and Freight Hauler
Load Board News Letter
and Updates
August 2020 NewsLetter...
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What is HotShot Hauling and why the industry needs ReadyShipUSA.com?
Company Owner at ReadyShipUSA llc
By Jenn @ReadyShipUSA
I’ve read that the HotShot industry started in the oil fields, where individual truckers would stand by to deliver parts to the oil rigs, helping the oil companies avoid lost time and expense. Now all types of industries and individuals depend on special and expedited delivery of everything from electrical equipment to livestock.
HotShot trucking typically refers to freight hauling by a freelance driver or specialized company. The rigs these owner/operators and small fleet companies use are smaller, typically class 3-5 pickups connected to a trailer, allowing for very different capabilities than a semi-truck. HotShot trucking jobs involve hauling individualized, often specialty cargo that falls outside of what traditional companies find profitable to haul.
Hotshot drivers often choose a niche, like agriculture, livestock, or motorcycles and are more likely to deal with unusual cargo, like carnival rides or vintage cars.
Although HotShot Truckers often do haul regular loads; Hotshots can charge more due to the special handling required by the shipper. These Hotshot/Owner-Operators or freelance drivers have the flexibility to take on partial load deliveries of a much smaller size. Because hotshot trucks are normally smaller, they can perform jobs that big rigs can’t. Hotshot trucks can more easily navigate urban spaces and fit into smaller construction sites; they are able to drive back roads, and can drop off at more unusual locations.
For HotShots and small fleet owners an online load board is a useful and necessary tool, and for newbies to the industry, online load boards are a great way to start a business in HotShot Hauling.
ReadyShipUSA is an online load board built by a Hotshot Trucker from way back; Tom put this site together with HotShots in mind. His goal was to create a load board that solves all of the issues he encountered with those other online load boards; like uShip, DAT, 123Loadboard, FindFreight, and Central Dispatch, etc. etc. etc.
Online load boards are a great way to fill your trucks quickly. Load boards are essentially online platforms that provide a venue for shippers and transporters to find each other and negotiate a deal that works for both. As is the case with all service type businesses, there is always a huge difference in the quality and usefulness of each load board. ReadyShipUSA set out to “level the playing field” for truckers, and provide shippers with an easy and efficient way to list shipments in “real-time” without the high cost and extra fees.
Shippers list FREE on the load board and Freight Haulers pay less than $1/day for unlimited access. ReadyShipUSA IS NOT a bidding site, all quotes to shippers are private and all business is strictly between the shipper and transporter!!
There are no extra fees, no booking fees, no broker fees, no auction fees, and no payment percentage fees…NO EXTRA FEES! ReadyShipUSA really is a load board with no BS, no hidden agendas…our main purpose is to bring shippers and transporters together to do business, make money, and get our sh#@ where it needs to be…It really is that easy!
Transporters create an account and/or complete your profile to find your next full or LTL load, and Shippers create an account and list your shipment today for FREE! We look forward to having you and welcome you aboard…Happy Trucking!!
TYPES OF FRAUD...
1.) Fake Repair Shop
Now it goes without saying that a hotshot trucker puts a lot of miles on their truck. That is just inevitable. Well, in this scenario, a scammer poses as a repair shop employee who will be servicing your vehicle, and you would not think twice about it. All you care about is having your vehicle serviced so you can get your vehicle back on the road, and so you can start making some more money.
The scammer provides a vehicle number, license plate number, and a driver’s name. They then proceed to demand immediate payment or they will keep the truck. There have also been cases where the scammer gets the trucker’s contact information, and then the scammer generates a fake invoice to send to the trucker. Sketchy stuff.
2.) Fake Towing to Commit Fraud
Similar to the repair shop scam, many scammers demand payment for a tow that never took place. This is more common for hotshot companies that have multiple drivers. This way they can fly under the radar, so to speak. The scammers might tell dispatch that they never received payment, and they will keep the truck until payment is exchanged.
3.) Load Board Scams
Some scammers check load boards to prey on truckers like vultures looking at their next meal. The scammers steal a legitimate trucking company’s identity, and then they use that information to book loads. They obtain the payment information using false claims. They typically hold the load hostage. Some scammers take it a step further and they go all Tony Soprano on you by dumping the load in a remote location in order to collect the money as ransom. This leaves your company and your customer in a tough spot. You might not know where the load is and the customer is expecting you to deliver it.
4.) Drivers in Need
Sometimes scammers will loiter at truck stops to gain entail about different trucking companies. Then the scammer will target a company with multiple drivers, and they will pose as one of their drivers themselves. In this type of fraud. the scammer calls the company’s dispatch service to request money for fuel or a repair advance. Everybody wants to help out a fellow trucker, and especially if it is one of their own.
5.) Fake Government Officials
These scammers pretend to be a police officer or a Department of Transportation official and then demand some form of payment for your violation. You think it is real, and you start freaking out. Your stomach is in knots, blood pressure through the roof, and you start thinking of all the things that could go wrong. Depending on the infraction, it could dictate your driving and licenses.
HOW TO AVOID FRAUD...
1. Do not ever accept payment information or give payment information without verifying the customer’s identity and the billing address.
2. Have a voice authorization before transcation.
3. Get a document signed by the customer.
4. Always be aware of your surroundings.
5. Avoid sharing any specific information about your hotshot business.
6. Request a printed invoice with a detailed listing of the customer’s information. The invoice should provide a valid address and phone number.
7. Always verifty the name of business, address, and phone number. You can do this by calling them yourself or search on the Internet.
8. If you are a dispatcher, request a validation using information that is not visible on the truck like the DOT number, employee ID, or the driver’s name.
9. Keep a close eye on address and phone number changes for companies you have on file, or regularly do business with. You should also do this with new businesses requesting to work with you. This is how scamming situations fall through the cracks.
10. Validate the incoming phone number and caller information against a public listing or that particular driver’s profile. You can also view the truck’s GPS coordinates or the driver’s trip route.
11. Try to not issue payment information to a third party.
12. Be skepticle when someone tries to pressure you into rushing a payment. Scammers usually demand payment immediately, and they are also pushy.
***If something sounds a little suspicious to you, it probably is. Trust your gut and always use ca
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