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Earn More

Estimate your weekly and annual take-home pay as a hotshot driver with our calculator. See what you could earn leasing on with Castle Mountain Hotshot.

Calculate Earnings

Lease-On.
Earn More.
Just Drive.

We help hotshot drivers stay loaded, compliant, and paid—without the runaround.

Apply Today!

Before hitting the road, your setup must meet DOT and FMCSA requirements.
You’ll need:

Insurance Coverage (TWO Options)
- Commercial Insurance
  - $1M auto-liability coverage
  - $100k Cargo Insurance ($100K minimum)
- CASTLE MOUNTAIN FLAT RATE COVERAGE
  - At Castle Mountain, we charge a flat fee of $350 per week for SOLO drivers
  - If you are a team, then that cost will be around $400-$450 per week (dependent on MVR and premium change)
  - Insurance Payment
    - Automatically withheld from weekly earnings
    - Pay every week while you're leased on whether you are OTR or not
  - NOTE: If your Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) comes back with infractions that cause your premium to exceed the $350/week, then you will need to pay the difference

DOT Medical Card (valid)
- If you don't have one you can find a provider here

DOT Annual Inspections

CDL Compliance Paperwork
- You must have obtained all CDL compliance docements on your own
- Castle Mountain DOES NOT provide these for you
- We have a DOT Compliance Consultant that we partner with to help get our CDL holders compliant

Castle Mountain Hotshot verifies compliance before onboarding.

We look for professional, safe, and self-motivated operators.

Minimum expectations:

21+ years old

Pass physical and obtain DOT Med Card

Clean Motor Vehicle Record (MVR)

Strong communication and reliability

Moderately Tech Savvy
To qualify as a hotshot driver, you’ll need a reliable pickup and trailer with the proper weight ratings.

Setup requirements:

¾-ton or 1-ton diesel pickup (e.g., Ram 3500, Ford F-350/F-450, Chevy 3500HD)

32ft to 40ft Gooseneck Trailer

CDL vs Non CDL

Non-CDL setups have combined GVWR under 26,000 lbs

CDL setups have a combined GVWR of over 26,000 lbs

CDL setups earn more, but take a lot of compliance paperwork to get going.

CDL Compliance Docs: IFTA, IRP, Apportioned Plates, Drug Consortium

You cannot have a CDL setup and run Non-CDL loads.

Must pass DOT inspection and have current registration

DOT-approved signage posted on truck
We collect the necessary forms and documentation to complete your lease-on process.

You’ll Provide:

Signed W-9

Signed Lease Agreement

Picture of Driver’s License

Pictures of Truck & Trailer Registrations

Pictures of Setup (Signage and License Plates)

Picture of Scale Ticket

Pictures of GVWR labels (truck & trailer)

Pictures of DOT Inspection

Picture of DOT Medcard
Every driver must have the proper Safety and Securement equipment before their first load.

Required Safety Items:

Fire Extinguisher

Reflective Triangles (Warning Devices)

Spare Fuses

First Aid Kit

Seat Belts

Required Securement Items:

Enough commercial grade trucking tarps (8ft drop) to cover your trailer

10 ratchet straps

6 chains

4 binders

8 edge/corner protectors

~4 Pieces of 4x4 6Ft Dunnage

Earnings depend on your equipment, experience, and how often you’re OTR

We push our dispatchers to make their drivers 1,000 gross per day

Most active single-truck owner-operators average $4,000–$7,000 gross per week.

After the 80/20 split and basic expenses (budget 48%-52%), drivers typically net $2,500–$4,500 weekly.

Staying consistent, running full weeks, and maintaining your truck well are the biggest factors in maximizing pay, but also understanding trucking happens
80:20 Leased on Drivers— you get %80 we get %20

90:10 Split if you already have a mature MC and only need a dispatcher.
We pay within 2 Biz Days after proof of delivery — no long waits or hidden fees.

Payments are made via direct deposit once your delivery paperwork is approved by dispatch.
No — we currently do not provide fuel cards.

We encourage drivers to use their preferred card or rewards program to manage fuel expenses.

Our model keeps things simple and transparent, so you always have full control of your spending.
Fuel advances are available on Factorable Loads for a fee of $100

If approved, you can receive up to 30% of the load payout upfront to cover fuel costs.

Payments are sent via Comcheck Express Code (to be cashed in at a truckstop)

The remaining balance is paid once proof of delivery is submitted.
Hotshot trucking offers flexibility, but it depends on your goals and route preferences

Most drivers stay out 5–10 days at a time to maximize earnings.

Local or regional routes may allow weekend home time, but being home every night is uncommon, and we typically can't accommodate drivers with these requests (it's just not in our wheelhouse)

Bottom Line: you control your schedule — more time on the road generally means higher weekly pay.

How Our Dispatching Works

At Castle Mountain Hotshot, we believe great dispatching makes the difference between just hauling freight and building a business. That’s why every driver is paired with a dedicated U.S.-based dispatcher who works with no more than 5–6 drivers at a time.

This ensures you get the attention, strategy, and support you deserve — not just load alerts.

Here’s how our dispatching stands out:

Feature	CASTLE MOUNTAIN HOTSHOT	Typical Dispatch Service
Daily Earnings Goal	$1,000+	Varies
Communication	Direct + Personal	Delayed or Generic
Load Selection	Profit-Focused	Volume-Focused
Support	Dedicated Partner	Shared Queue
Drivers per Dispatcher	5–6 Max	10–20+
Dispatcher Location	🇺🇸 U.S.-Based	Often Overseas

“We treat dispatching like a team sport — everyone wins when communication and trust stay strong."

With years of experience in the game, we know where to run!

PREFERRED LANES

We prefer to run in the area between Dallas, Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta, and Houston

It's ok if you live outside of that area, but as long as you are willing to drive OTR in that space you will do well.

We try to minimize deadheading as much as possible—this takes a lot of communication with your dispatcher. With enough heads up our team can usually cut down on deadheading and at least give you an opportunity to break even. We call those loads "gas money".
Your Over the Road (OTR) schedule is up to you, BUT, we like to work with drivers that are committed to being out for at least two weeks at a time!

We are open to drivers that require a different schedule, but know that we specialize in drivers that want to be OTR in our HOTSPOT region.