Hotshot rate calculator

Enter the run's loaded and empty miles, your cost per mile and the margin you want. You get your break-even, the rate to aim for and the loaded rate per mile.

By Gustavo · Updated October 2026

TARGET RATE

$813

HOTSHOT RATENO. CALC

Break-even: $650
Target RPM (loaded): $2.03

Quote at least$813

Your floor on this run is $650 and your target is $813. We never book below your floor and counter toward the target.

Start hotshot dispatch

How it is calculated

Miles you drive = loaded miles + deadhead miles.
Break-even = miles you drive x your cost per mile (x 1.08 for a heavy load).
Target rate = break-even x (1 + margin).
Loaded RPM to quote = target / loaded miles.

The loaded RPM is the number to compare with posted rates, because brokers and boards quote on loaded miles. The deadhead is already priced in.

Worked example

HOTSHOT RATENO. 0059

EXAMPLE

400 loaded + 120 empty: 520 mi
x $1.25 cost per mile: $650
+ 25% margin: $813
Loaded RPM to quote: $2.03

Target$813

A posted rate of $700 covers the break-even but leaves little. A post at $850 beats the target. Cut the deadhead to 40 miles and the same target drops to about $688, which shows why reload planning is worth as much as negotiating.

Hotshot rates per mile: what moves them

Weight and deck. Heavy or long freight that needs a 40 ft gooseneck pays more than a light partial.
Urgency. Expedited parts and breakdown freight pay for speed.
Region and season. Oilfield, construction and harvest areas change through the year.
Direction. Freight into a busy market often pays more than freight out of it.
Non-CDL limits. Fewer posts fit a 26,000 lb rig, so pickings are thinner but competition is lighter on some loads.

Good and bad results

A target RPM well above what your lanes pay means your costs or margin need a look. A target well below posted rates means you have room to push. Use the counter-offer calculator to set your ask and walk-away line before calling, and the hotshot rate negotiation scripts for what to say.

Building a hotshot rate sheet of your own

Keep a simple log of every load you take and every one you pass: lane, miles, weight, posted rate and final rate. After a month you'll have your own rate sheet, better than any generic one, because it's built from your truck, your costs and your lanes. Use it to spot which lanes pay and which ones only look busy.

Get your cost per mile right first

This calculator is only as good as the cost per mile you put in. Work it out from a real month of fuel, payment, insurance, repairs and tires. Most hotshot owners who say rates are too low find, once they run the numbers, that a few bad loads a week are the problem, not every load.

Targets we work to

We start with your cost per mile and target, counter every hotshot load toward it and pass on posts below your floor. You approve every load, and the broker sends the rate confirmation straight to you. See hotshot dispatch.

Questions about this calculator

Q01What is the average hotshot pay per mile?

It moves with season, region, load weight and urgency, so any single number goes stale fast. Our guide to the average hot shot rate per mile tracks dated, sourced figures. For your own runs, start from your cost per mile and work up.

Q02Why are hotshot rates so low sometimes?

More hotshot trucks entered the market in recent years, and many posts are light partials that brokers price low. Rates also drop in slow seasons. Expedited, heavy and hard-to-cover loads pay better. Knowing your break-even lets you pass on the rest.

Q03Is there a hot shot rate sheet for Texas?

There's no official rate sheet. Rates are set load by load between broker and carrier. Oilfield and construction demand often lifts Texas rates in busy periods. Use this calculator with your own costs instead of a sheet.

Q04Why does the heavy-load option add cost?

A load near your payload limit burns more fuel and wears tires and brakes faster. The tool adds 8% to your cost on those runs as an assumption. Change your cost per mile if you know your real number.

Q05Should I quote by the mile or by the load?

Brokers usually post a flat rate for the load. Work out your target for the whole run, deadhead included, then compare it with the posted rate.