Wow, Alex I fill for u. After reading through the comments I don't know how you handle such negativity without just completely ignoring it. Stay safe out there and just ignore the negativity and keep doing what you're doing.
I have some great advice for you coming from an owner operater. (Your handle) use a Loop wire lock pin. Easier to take the handle off and on. buy a half inch drill bit and make the hole bigger where you attach the handle to. Then buy the strongest lock you can find. When you drop your trailer put the king pin lock on, then but that thick lock where the handle goes. Also very important buy some apple air tags, for IPhone or the ones for android or a really good GPS tracker and paint it black and hide it underneath the trailer somewhere. Most people lower the landing gear all the way down. Well someone could just lift that up with a jack. If you raise it as high as it will go its a lot harder for them to lower it, especially if you have that thick lock on the landing gear arm. Another piece of advice If possible place a trail cam in a tree at the entrance and by your trailer. That way you see their face when they leave and you see the vehicle. Well hope that helps! Drive safe brother!
Hey thanks for the advice. I’ll consider doing that with the handle but it will just make it easier for someone to detach my handle while it’s on the trailer. I do use a kingpin lock when I drop my trailer. Usually I raise it higher just so no one can hook up to it. I also leave an AirTag hidden on my trailer 😁👍🏻
The pin lock can be bypassed by dropping your stem and putting in another one. A lock on the stem bolts is a must if you wanna use a hitch lock. Btw chains aren't needed with a 5th wheel. Also if you were running a gooseneck ball you can't have the chain and break away hooked to the same point.
Well someone has to be driving with a gooseneck stem or whatever it’s called looking for a trailer to steal in the same spot that I’m in for it to happen. They must really want the trailer. Also I’ve asked dot on the chains and they said since we are for hire, we have to have the chains. Non DOT regulated tv puller don’t. Strange. I actually want the chains for the piece of mind if anything happens and the trailer breaks loose.
America's transport cost must be very expensive i see all the trucks carry normally only a 1/4 of there capacity. Get a good warehouse and make bigger loads to different places,customers get better rates or the contractor that do the transport. In South Africa you won't get a truck that move empty,if we don't get return loads then you have to wait for it
Like ur set up!!! I'm trying to get my cdl so I can load heavier would have to redue set up! Have 2500 ram if u b have a.y pointer would be appreciated thanks bro
I was wondering if you were going to tarp lol good job though. I think I would be tarping everything just for extra security. My anxiety would be more at ease lol you vids are ASMR ❤
Thank you! I actually hate harping. Takes up so much time to tarp and untarp. Once you start doing this job you’ll feel more comfortable and you will not want your tarp everything. Trust me.
Question, kinda dumb but I’m just starting non cdl. When picking up loads what are some recommendations on knowing how to load it on the trailer. As far as weight distribution and where to put it
Partial brokers suck. How are you going to get an appointment for a partial load. You need FCFS to make it in this market. Gives you time to pick up other loads
Great video! I’m in the process of getting my CDL and want to get into hotshotting. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! How much did your truck and trailer cost?
I can’t answer that because it’ll depend on the truck, type of trailer you have, type of load on the trailer and what part of the country you are driving in.
I’m thinking about going solo been in the trucking industry for years but not as a hot shot before it will be my first time doing hot shot tell me more because I got the pick up and a CDL Driver thanks
@@Mr.AlexKogan I had my own truck before everything I know is about big trucks pulling a reefer I have never pulled a flatbed before and being honest I want out the big truck, been looking at hot shot for a while, and had been looking at a lot of videos about it, and I just decided to reach out to ya because you seem more real
@@masonlee94 Thank you! I’m happy to answer any questions you may have. Hotshot is pretty much the same as a semi just in a different truck and trailer. Same dot rules apply.
I have t even been on my own authority a year yet. But why does my net matter? Everyone’s net will be different based on their expenses. I make videos to show what type of loads I’m able to get. You guys can base your nets accordingly to your expenses, not my expenses.
@Mr.AlexKogan it is very simple. People try to brag about and make videos about how much the gross. Gross pay means nothing. What you net over the year is all that matters. You will learn that after you have been in the freight game for a while. You can gross x amount of dollars one week and still not break even over the course of the year or the 3 year life of a power unit and the 5 year life of a trailer. Gross review means nothing.
@@boondockingamerica I have been doing this for 3 years. My own authority for one year at the end of this month. Gross does mean a lot. The higher the gross, the higher the net. I have no reason to brag about my gross. That’s not why I make videos. If someone wants to brag it’ll be someone doing crypto trading not tricking. There’s absolutely nothing to brag about in this business. I’ve shown my rate cons in one of my previous videos so no one thinks I’m making up these prices. Like I mentioned everyone’s net will be different based on their expenses. I’m not going into my expense details. That’s not why I make my videos. All I can say is 60% minimum is my net from my gross.
This is cdl hotshot, no? And with a dispatcher and all costs (fuel, insurance etc)...what do you suppose you will bring home after expenses of that $8900?
On good months you make 10-15k...but if it is not a good month...are you able to pay your expenses? Seems like everyone has gotten out of HS in the last year or two. Has to be hard to make a decent living...or so it would seem.@@Mr.AlexKogan
@@jl909-nr5vx even on a bad month I’m still able to pay all my bills. I can’t speak for the ones that hit out of hotshot business but there are plenty hotshot drivers still hustling.
@@martingomez2611 As long as you are using a factoring company then it’s the next day. If you don’t have a factoring company and you wait for the broker to pay then it’ll take 30 days.
Main thing is eating the right stuff and knowing how many calories you need in a day to maintain your weight or lose weight. I used to workout even before I started trucking. I also hit the gym on my 34 hour resets. If I have no loads then I’ll also hit the gym that day too.
@@Mr.AlexKoganthanks for the reply, but I guess you meant 2600 lb not 26000😊. Am currently working on my DOT etc..since my LLC was created 3yrs ago, currently an Uber driver in NYC with couple of points on my license basically preventing me from CDL😢
@@Mr.AlexKogan I did CDL hotshot for sometime....yeah I had weeks were I made 5,000.00 and even 8,000.00 put then your fuel bill comes, then insurance comes, then you blow a tire, and sooner or later your warrenty expires and you break down....it sounds nice but eventually the bills are due...
@@ShawnCalay-hi6gy No sir. You aren’t even close to guessing the take home amount. You don’t pay insurance and bills every week. You pay them once a month. I don’t know what you were doing wrong but sounds like you were doing something wrong since you said you did CDL. Meaning you’re not in this business anymore. I take home at least 60% of my gross after bills.
@@Mr.AlexKogan yes you pay bills every month I'm fully aware at the age of 45 on how that works....you take your grand total revenue of the month and start subtracting your bills from that ....this is misleading and I'm sure if your saying you are making 8,000.00 a week your not factoring in overhead with expenses....and yes I'm still in business I have 2 Peterbilt 379s and 2 w9s as well as 1 mack anthem box truck and 2 promasters working for Publix....
@@Mr.AlexKogan if you had a dedicated account maybe it's possible but me and a thousand other guys tried it and I'm not saying it's impossible but you gotta show proof .....alot people here don't believe you...
@@Mr.AlexKogan you’re only hurting yourself and other drivers when doing this. This is how the market gets flooded with to many drivers wanting to do the same thing you’re doing.
@@Countrycashflowthat ship has sailed, the reason the market is the market right now is because knuckleheads flooded in during the good rush in 2021-2022. Now it's in correction mode so I don't think there's any worries about knuckleheads showing up now, they're already here and slowly purging out. These cycles happen all the time, though this time was definitely magnified, the ones that have been around a while and have been successful making long term decisions are doing just fine since they have regular customers and relationships. Relying strictly on the boards, which the new ppl have no option but to, will soon be the death of them. Capacity needs to leave the market. The only frustrating part for the seasoned carriers is dealing with the rate decreases regular customers want because they also notice the market trend and can't ignore the ridiculously low rates being constantly thrown at them. We have a dedicated customer that we've been moving a daily CA-WA run for the past 4yrs which is a very desirable lane and we were forced to drop our rate by 33% because of all the competition regardless of the fact that our service can not be matched. It's always service service service until it's only just about money 🤦🏽♂️ There's still freight out there but seasoned carriers have it all and none of it hits the boards
@@michaelbleckler4379 What do you mean not always about the money? You come out to drive for fun or to make money? I come out to make money. I bet every other normal person will agree with me. I’m in no way offended you saying I’m not a trucker. It’s your opinion. I don’t classify myself as a trucker either. I’m out here to make money and could care less of anyone thinks I’m a trucker or a hotshotter. Makes absolutely no diff as long as I’m making money ✌🏻
Yeah. There’s a reason. So they don’t vibrate from wind. If you don’t put a twist you’ll get vibration in the straps while driving and it can loosen them.
Hey Alex, glad i stumbled upon your channel! I'm running 26-footer and thinking about getting myself into car hauling and possibly hotshotting (I got a pick up truck with the flat bad currently hauling vehicles). Do you mind sharing what loadboard does your dispatch use and whats your maximum weight capacity? Thanks in advance.
Hey welcome to the channel. I honestly don’t remember what load board they use. I think it’s Truck Stop. As for my maximum weight I can put in the trailer, I am estimating 15,000lb which I never try to do but considering all the tarps, chains, straps and ratchets and all the other stuff stored in the trailer, 15,000 is max.
Take these things into consideration > Subtract truck/trailer payments, truck/trailer insurance, health Insurance, meals, lodging, fuel, taxes, expected & unexpected maintenance fund (wash,tires,shockes,brakes,etc), tools(Computer, iPad, Cell Phone, straps, tarps, chains, etc), DOT fees, DMV fees, Tolls, Accounting fees (Payroll Taxes). Then create a rainy day fund for when your out of work. That $8,900 doesn't seem like alot after you subtract the essentials. Hard work, Self Control and Professionalism pays off in the long run. That will make you successful.
Well this is only a week of income. We aren’t subtracting all those expenses from one week but rather from a month of income. You don’t pay your insurance and truck trailer payment every week. We do it once a month. Of course I take all of that into consideration. There’s no way around that 👍🏻
Awesome video bro, god it was a great week for you! Take care man keep it up 🙏🏼💪🏼 getting me motivated little by little getting started into this business
Thanks Rob!!! Glad you enjoyed it. It was definitely a great week and I hope it keeps moving in this direction. Only time will tell. Having weeks like this motivates me too 😁👍🏻
Wondering who do you use for dispatch, factoring, and insurance? I saw your MC form date was 6/14/23. With all the videos and everyone saying how bad trucking is you still took a chance at it. What's your opinion on how to be profitable in this market? Your videos look authentic and your not trying to “sell” people stuff like almost everyone else on RU-vid. I'll keep watching!
I use a company based in another country for dispatch Fir Factoring I use RTS Financial and insurance is Berkshire Hathaway but will most likely be a diff company at renewal. As to an approach to be profitable there’s a lot to talk about. I will make a video about it soon. I’m as honest as can be in my videos. If it’s slow I’ll tell how bad it is or if it’s good like this week I’m honest about that as well. No point of making things up. A lot of drivers on RU-vid do make up stories I believe because when you comment their videos they never reply. Glad to hear you enjoyed the video. Appreciate your support and stay tuned for upcoming videos with more info.
@@Mr.AlexKogan thank you for the quick reply! May I ask why do you use a company based out of the USA for dispatch? I thought too maybe you were using load boards? Thanks again! Thinking about getting into it myself. I Work for local steel delivery (flatbed) out in PA. I see a lot of turnover within our company for 10 full time drivers. Most guys come in wanting to work 40hr work weeks and be home every day like 9-5 jobs but that never happens. Also a lot of guys think throwing straps and jumping up onto bed looks easy but once you start pushing, pulling and moving steel to adjust load they realize it’s physical work and end up quitting. I enjoy the physical aspect of local flatbed but if I can hustle and get loads I don’t see why I can’t be profitable too…we’ll see!
@@joe2689 There’s no specific reason as to why I use a company that’s based out of another country. That’s the dispatch company I worked with when I was working as a driver for someone. Had good experience with that dispatch company so went with them when I started my own company. Yeah loading trailers and strapping and chaining and if you have to tarp can get challenging and physically demanding. So fir the guys who think it’s easy, this type of work isn’t for them. We will not get into talking about doing this in the winter time, that’s a completely different experience.
@@Mr.AlexKogan lol winter time is when I get all the Over time I want because guys drop like flys. It’s like once you say the word “tarp” we can’t keep anyone at my job. Yeah winter sucks but it’s called “work” for a reason. We don’t drop and hook trailers it’s definitely physically demanding and that’s a great idea to get a planet fitness membership to keep in shape on your resets, etc. to some degree you can always tell who is driving flatbed when walking around a truck stop. The old guys at my job are still in pretty great shape. Please send me your dispatch company so I can look into them. Thanks !
@@joe2689 can you email me or message on Instagram? There should be those links in the about section of my channel. instagram.com/mr.alexkogan?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
Thats a super longggggggggg trailer. Not going to lie this looks like a fun and relaxing (highway miles) type of job..... My little truck (2023 Silverado ZR2) not build for this kind of work.
It is long but not like the semi trailers. You get used to it and it’s not hard to maneuver with it. You do need a good powerful truck to pull it with a load. It can be relaxing at times and stressful at other times. Depends where you are driving.
Hey sir, I just came across your channel, good content I have a suggestion you take the handle to your landing gear off why not get a hitch pin and use it for the handle then your not having to unscrew the bolt Everytime you pull it..... Just a suggestion
Love ur videos you keep it simple and say facts and not BS appreciate it coming from someone thinking about getting in the business since I’m on the road all the time
Bro, i enjoyed the breakdown of your loads. Very informative. Im heavily considering hotshot. Im in Cali, and i haven't decided on getting a GMC or Ford. So i can get my insurance for my MC/DOT.
Thank you for watching and I’m happy you enjoyed the video. I’ve never driven a cord or GMc heavy duty truck so I don’t know much about them. Have you considered a Ram truck?
You have a point but if guys have money to get started, they will start either way. If it’s not from watching videos, it’ll be from talking to other hotshot drivers.
Great video! Hey is there a way to secure 2 loads at the same time before committing to go 2k miles or do you have to just book partial loads and make it work along the way?
@@terrancejones8175 Thank you! It’s possible to secure two loads before picking up your first one. That’s where a dispatcher comes in very handy. It’s much easier for them to do this on the computer because they have a team of other dispatchers that help them. I’ve had two loads booked at once before picking up my first one.
you don't have anti-slip carpets, the angle between the straps and the trailer is less than 35 degrees (the strap is close to zero value) and the very good straping with the pipes....you are ready and safe to go
Keep the handel in your truck and get a longer bolt to put through it, no need to screw the nut on it every time, just push the bolt in, wind your legs and return handel to truck, easy
Yeah I take the handle with me in the truck when I leave the trailer. I also drop my AirTag in the trailer so I can track it 😀 I don’t mind putting the nut on the screw when I put the handle back on but your idea will be considered.
@@cartwrightimages7099 It was a joke! I'd call him on the carpet, $9,000 gross in a week. Everyone would be a "Hotshot" driver. You do know he get points for people commenting on his videos. So Blow off!
@@TheStarPryncedepends on your weight , there is videos “hot shot no cdl” it would be better to invest a few grand into a cdl class a tho so you can do as u please with no headaches
What? This is 21st century. You go online to your bank and schedule your bank to pay your bills. Who has time to write paper checks and send them by mail? I’m on the road.
Great video Alex question would you be able to do a little video of your trailer would like to know more about it the length of weight, the gross weight cost year etc.
Thank you! Yes I can definitely make a video of the trailer. It will mot be my next video as I have other video ideas planned but I will try to make it soon. Any specific things you want to see about it?
Can you please make a video on how you do your logbook I just got a rig trying to find out how to drive longer then the book, and how the wiegh stations work
