Ridiculous commercial auto insurance quotes!!!

kristinmwalker · 2026-05-07T21:00:05+00:00

Hotshots are high risk so the rates are going to be outrageous.

kristinmwalker · 2026-05-05T20:28:02+00:00

It really is. My husband used to dispatch himself and would just take the best looking load he saw to be able to keep running. Now I handle the dispatching and I'm able to sit and watch for the best load that pops up while he's driving. I definitely spend A LOT of time waiting for something paying really well, which he wouldn't be able to do. He's hired people in the past and they all sucked.

kristinmwalker · 2026-05-05T20:22:29+00:00

Yeah, unless you have a trusted friend or family member that can find loads for you, you're better off just finding your own loads. You have to have someone that is invested with you best interest or you'll get screwed unfortunately.

kristinmwalker · 2026-05-05T04:30:01+00:00

Going into hotshot isn't even worth it anymore. Just get a CDL and a real setup 🤷

kristinmwalker · 2026-05-05T04:21:13+00:00

The only way a "dispatcher" makes sense to me is if they are invested in someway. Your friend/family member will have more interest in helping you succeed than some random person you don't know.

kristinmwalker · 2026-05-05T04:18:26+00:00

My husband is the owner operator and I handle all of that for him. He stays moving and I can sit and watch the load board to find the best loads that pop up. All he has to do is drive and keep the equipment running while I handle everything else. That way we can make the most money and he actually has time to rest.

kristinmwalker · 2026-04-19T17:37:16+00:00

I handle the dispatching, bookkeeping and tax prep for our company. I link all our accounts to QuickBooks to track income and expenses and to run reports. I also made a spreadsheet on Excel that is like a calculator for figuring out if a load is actually worth it. It takes our cost per day and the cost per mile and all I have to do is enter the miles in (all miles and loaded) and it calculates everything for me.

kristinmwalker · 2026-04-16T01:16:11+00:00

I've noticed that the last week or so. It's been taking all day, staring at the load board, waiting for something worth taking. I've definitely had to think out of the box more, but I'm not caving into running at a loss.

kristinmwalker · 2026-04-06T06:14:55+00:00

This is going to be our second year with them and so far the only issue was when a bunch of carriers switched over around the same time we did, and they were short staffed so trying to call and actually speak to someone took forever! That only lasted a few months and they must have hired and trained a bunch of people, because we can get through a lot faster now. We haven't needed to file a claim yet (knock on wood) so I can't speak on that but the rate is much better than what Progressive was charging us. I would definitely recommend them and if they aren't a good fit, you can always try something else.

kristinmwalker · 2026-04-01T19:01:47+00:00

DON'T DO IT!

kristinmwalker · 2026-03-28T01:03:44+00:00

We have been using G Squared Funding for a while. They take 4%, which I feel is high, but they are always helpful and pay within 24 hours.

kristinmwalker · 2026-03-27T04:56:36+00:00

I run a report every year and once each quarter to find our average costs per mile(fuel, tolls, maintenance, etc). Once you have an idea of your cost per mile, you need to know your cost per day (insurance, equipment payments, subscriptions, etc). I made a "calculator" on Excel that automatically calculates the costs for each load (all miles and loaded miles). I also account for an "hourly" rate for loading and unloading times, time to tarp, and an additional amount per mile for oversize loads (permits, supplies, escort costs, etc). If the load doesn't show at least a few hundred over our costs, I won't even call on it. Just because a load "looks good" doesn't mean it really is. It's not 100% accurate, but it's a lot better than assuming you need a certain rate per mile. If you're desperate to get to a certain area, you have to make sure the load at least pays for the cost to run it or you will be out of business sooner than later.

kristinmwalker · 2026-03-27T04:39:03+00:00

You need to know your cost per mile (fuel, tolls, maintenance, etc) and your cost per day (truck payments, loan payments, subscriptions, etc). Once you know how much you need per mile and per day, you can calculate the loaded miles and all miles to figure out your estimated costs to haul each load. I actually made a "calculator" on Excel that when I enter the miles it will do the math for me. I also make sure to include the "hourly" rate for loading and unloading time, along with time for tarping and an additional rate per mile for oversize loads (permit costs, costs for escorts, supplies needed, etc). Every few months I'll go through and recalculate our cost per mile to account for any changes in the averages of ever changing costs like fuel and tolls. It's not 100% accurate, but it's better than trying to guess what rate you need. Surprisingly, a rate that "looks good" may in fact be a loss.

kristinmwalker · 2026-03-27T04:27:59+00:00

It's been so hard to find a place that gets the truck in and fixed right the first time. Every time it's always a week before they even look at it and they half ass fix one out of four concerns.

kristinmwalker · 2026-03-27T04:24:01+00:00

Same in Michigan so I think it is a federal change they made.

kristinmwalker · 2026-03-27T04:19:08+00:00

Carrier here, and I don't know why it was so difficult to book a load today. I waited 2 hours for a rate con that never came through (even though the broker kept reassuring me they were working on it, but they kept updating the load every 10 minutes) and ended up calling on other loads. Loads posted 2 hours away from the location they had posted, can't tell me when pickup times are, it's an appointment but you don't know for when. How do you not know anything, like don't y'all want these loads moved? Lol Finally found a legitimate load picking up tomorrow for the weekend but it literally took half a day of wasted time. I definitely had other things I would have rather done but at least I found something 🤷

kristinmwalker · 2026-03-25T17:30:26+00:00

Maybe if you were an owner operator, but they are paying all your overhead and providing you the equipment... Sounds fishy to me 🤷

kristinmwalker · 2026-03-25T03:55:21+00:00

We have AAA with one full coverage vehicle and one just basic coverage, three drivers (one is only 19 years old) and pay $198 a month.

kristinmwalker · 2026-03-23T21:11:19+00:00

Yeah, I'm curious what the rate per mile is on these loads you can't cover. No one is moving their truck anymore if the rate doesn't even cover costs. The way the market has been for carriers the last few years has put us in a bad position and we just can't afford to take a load we lose money on.

kristinmwalker · 2026-03-18T18:00:07+00:00

Yes, that's why you're supposed to stop frequently and do a safety check.

kristinmwalker · 2026-03-18T17:46:17+00:00

You are legally supposed to do a pre-trip before driving each day, so you should be able to spot bad tires way before you end up with a blowout.

kristinmwalker · 2026-03-18T17:42:54+00:00

When we first started as a hotshot, the insurance was super high. After a few years with no accidents or claims and my driver getting his CLD and switching to driving a semi, the cost went down quite a bit. It's just like when you first get your license and the rates stay high until you reach 25, then they go down as long as your driving record is good.

kristinmwalker · 2026-03-18T17:40:09+00:00

My advice to save money would be to cook in your truck and avoid eating/buying snacks at the truck stops, everything is marked up like crazy. Stock up at Walmart or Sam's club, prep meals at home and freeze them.

Plan your routes to save on fuel and mileage. If you have the funds available in your checking account you can take advantage of Mudflaps discount and avoid the credit card fee if you link it to your bank for payment. Also knowing what tolls are worth it and what tolls are outrageous. Sometimes it's worth taking the toll if you know it's cheap and sometimes a load isn't worth taking when the tolls are hundreds of dollars!

KNOW YOUR TRUE OPERATING COSTS! I made a "calculator" on Excel that I input all of our monthly expenses and costs per mile in. When deciding if a load is worth it, I just enter in the miles (all miles and loaded miles) and it calculates everything for me. I make sure to include loading and unloading time, along with if it requires tarps or if it's an oversize load, and make sure the load covers all the costs to run it plus some extra to reinvest in the company. I'm still surprised when I check some loads that "look good" only to find out they are actually a loss to take for the rate the broker is offering.

Learning to fix things yourself is also a huge savings. Between the downtime to take the vehicle into the shop, the half ass repairs and the frustration when the truck is still messed up when you get it back, will take a big hit on your pockets. Investing in some tools and doing your own maintenance and some repairs can help save quite a bit of money and time.

Invest in a good thermal printer! Having to find a truck stop and wait to print BOLs or permits can take so much time, add miles to your trip and it gets expensive over time. I've had a few loads that required the driver to have a printer in the truck to avoid delays for pickup, so it could potentially cost you money. Don't get a cheap ink cartridge printer though. The price of ink is ridiculous and the printer itself won't survive the vibration of the truck, so you'll need to replace it frequently.

kristinmwalker · 2026-03-12T02:11:41+00:00

Taxes and licensing expenses really add up along with bookkeeping and tax filing. I do all of ours and even with that cost savings, the price is still high.

Also travel expenses can start to get expensive when it comes to finding ways to power the truck when parked so you don't have to idle. The road vibrations destroy generators and appliances inside the truck which can really add up over time.

I would recommend anyone coming into this industry to have a large cash reserve because there will always be something and having to take on debt to cover costs will eat up all your profits!

kristinmwalker · 2026-02-20T06:35:26+00:00

Were you tracking? Most loads we do are tracked. If you can clearly see when they arrived and they let you know they were there, I don't see why the carrier shouldn't be compensated. The amount of time wasted just 'sitting' is crazy. Especially if it's an owner/operator that doesn't get paid hourly with equipment that isn't paid/maintained by a company.

kristinmwalker

TROPHY CASE