Do you need a CDL for hot shot trucking?

Only at 26,001 pounds combined with a trailer rated over 10,000 pounds, under 49 CFR 383.91 — or when hauling placarded hazardous materials. Below that, no CDL, though FMCSA rules apply from 10,001 pounds.

Do hot shot truckers need an MC number?

Yes, if they haul other people's freight for hire across state lines: FMCSA requires interstate operating authority in addition to a USDOT number, unless only exempt commodities are carried.

How much can a hot shot truck haul?

DAT's glossary says hot shot freight is normally limited to 36,000 pounds gross. In practice the limit is the truck's and trailer's ratings, and the licence the driver holds.

Term

Hot shot trucking

Hot shot trucking is expedited freight hauled by smaller rigs, often a heavy pickup pulling a flatbed trailer. DAT's glossary says it is normally limited to 36,000 pounds gross. At 10,001 pounds or more a rig is a US commercial motor vehicle; at 26,001 pounds combined, towing over 10,000 pounds, the driver needs a Class A CDL.

Also called hotshot trucking, hot shot load, hot shot freight, hotshot driver, expedited flatbedApplies in USUpdated 14 October 2026

The weight lines

Line	What it triggers	Rule
10,001 lb GVWR or GCWR	A commercial motor vehicle under FMCSA rules, and a USDOT number in interstate commerce	49 CFR 390.5; FMCSA
26,001 lb GCWR, towing more than 10,000 lb	A Group A commercial driver's licence	49 CFR 383.91
Under 26,001 lb GCWR	No CDL, even with a trailer over 10,000 lb — unless the load is hazardous material needing placards	FMCSA guidance, March 2019

The trucks sit in FHWA's medium-duty classes: class 3 covers flatbed trucks, box trucks and extended-bed cargo vans of 10,001 to 14,000 lb GVWR, and class 5 runs from 16,001 to 19,500 lb. DAT says the truck can be as small as a one-ton pickup hauling a flatbed trailer. A hot shot carrier hauling other people's freight for hire across state lines needs operating authority — an MC number — in addition to its USDOT number, unless it carries only exempt commodities.

Worked example: two rigs

14,000 lb truck + 10,000 lb trailer = 24,000 lb GCWR → a commercial vehicle with a USDOT number, no CDL · the same truck + 14,000 lb trailer = 28,000 lb GCWR, trailer over 10,000 lb → a Class A CDL

The ratings are illustrative; the thresholds are 49 CFR 390.5 and 383.91.

In Europe

Europe draws its licence lines lower: a category B licence covers vehicles up to 3,500 kg, and category C1 runs from 3,500 to 7,500 kg, under Directive 2006/126/EC as first adopted.

The mistake people make

Assuming a pickup is exempt because it is a pickup. Weight decides: once the truck and trailer ratings reach 10,001 pounds, FMCSA rules apply, and the trailer's own rating decides whether the combination needs a CDL. Placarded hazardous materials bring a CDL requirement even below 26,001 pounds.

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