HOT · national · Oct 2026
Hotshot rates per mile
A heavy pickup with a 40-foot gooseneck trailer for urgent partial loads.
$2.30/mi
+3.1% from last month
- 3 months
- +8.5%
- 1 year
- +18.6%
- 52-week range
- $1.93–$2.30
- Fuel per mile
- $0.63
Hotshot · national · monthly since 2003
Hotshot rate history
All-in rateFuel cost per mile
Hotshot freight in the United States averaged $2.30 a mile all-in in October 2026, up 3.1% from the month before and up 18.6% from a year earlier. That is the highest point of the past twelve months. Fuel accounts for about $0.63 of each mile at current diesel prices.
Price a hotshot load
Hotshot rates by state
| State | Outbound | Inbound |
|---|---|---|
| California | $3.16 | $1.94 |
| Oregon | $3.10 | $1.94 |
| Washington | $2.89 | $1.94 |
| Illinois | $2.85 | $1.91 |
| Minnesota | $2.78 | $2.15 |
| Nebraska | $2.77 | $1.95 |
| Michigan | $2.76 | $2.01 |
| Indiana | $2.74 | $1.99 |
| North Dakota | $2.74 | $2.20 |
| South Dakota | $2.74 | $2.05 |
| Wisconsin | $2.74 | $2.00 |
| Kansas | $2.72 | $2.01 |
| Ohio | $2.70 | $2.03 |
| Missouri | $2.62 | $1.93 |
| Iowa | $2.61 | $1.95 |
| Alabama | $2.46 | $2.28 |
| Mississippi | $2.36 | $2.29 |
| New York | $2.36 | $2.60 |
| Tennessee | $2.36 | $2.21 |
| Kentucky | $2.33 | $2.10 |
| New Jersey | $2.33 | $2.43 |
| Arkansas | $2.30 | $2.05 |
| Maryland | $2.27 | $2.53 |
| District of Columbia | $2.26 | $2.64 |
| Virginia | $2.26 | $2.58 |
| West Virginia | $2.26 | $2.52 |
| Louisiana | $2.25 | $2.21 |
| Delaware | $2.24 | $2.52 |
| Oklahoma | $2.23 | $2.22 |
| Texas | $2.22 | $2.01 |
| Idaho | $2.18 | $2.39 |
| Maine | $2.17 | $2.92 |
| Georgia | $2.14 | $2.29 |
| New Hampshire | $2.11 | $2.81 |
| North Carolina | $2.11 | $2.32 |
| Pennsylvania | $2.10 | $2.47 |
| South Carolina | $2.10 | $2.36 |
| Massachusetts | $2.04 | $2.68 |
| Rhode Island | $2.04 | $2.80 |
| Vermont | $2.04 | $2.81 |
| Montana | $2.00 | $2.39 |
| Connecticut | $1.92 | $2.84 |
| Nevada | $1.89 | $2.19 |
| New Mexico | $1.85 | $2.39 |
| Arizona | $1.81 | $2.14 |
| Utah | $1.81 | $2.43 |
| Wyoming | $1.81 | $2.59 |
| Florida | $1.79 | $2.92 |
| Colorado | $1.72 | $2.71 |
Hotshot rates on major lanes
| Lane | Estimate | Per mile |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA → Dallas, TX | $3,603 | $2.44 |
| Chicago, IL → Atlanta, GA | $1,998 | $2.89 |
| Dallas, TX → Houston, TX | $729 | $2.77 |
| Atlanta, GA → Miami, FL | $1,973 | $2.76 |
| Los Angeles, CA → Phoenix, AZ | $1,482 | $3.45 |
| Chicago, IL → Dallas, TX | $2,233 | $2.37 |
| New York, NY → Chicago, IL | $1,619 | $1.91 |
| Seattle, WA → Los Angeles, CA | $2,554 | $2.25 |
| Houston, TX → Atlanta, GA | $1,789 | $2.17 |
| Memphis, TN → Chicago, IL | $1,194 | $2.10 |
| Columbus, OH → New York, NY | $1,861 | $3.29 |
| Denver, CO → Dallas, TX | $1,157 | $1.49 |
| Los Angeles, CA → Seattle, WA | $2,785 | $2.45 |
| Charlotte, NC → Philadelphia, PA | $1,333 | $2.48 |
| Kansas City, MO → Denver, CO | $2,083 | $3.19 |
About the Hotshot
- Deck
- 40 ft gooseneck flatbed
- Payload
- 16,500 lb
- Pallet positions
- Open deck
- Typical freight
- Oilfield parts, small machinery, time-critical partials
Annual averages
| Year | Average | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | $2.12 | $1.95 | $2.30 |
| 2025 | $1.92 | $1.89 | $1.94 |
| 2024 | $1.94 | $1.93 | $1.96 |
| 2023 | $2.03 | $1.98 | $2.10 |
| 2022 | $2.08 | $1.91 | $2.16 |
| 2021 | $1.75 | $1.61 | $1.87 |
| 2020 | $1.58 | $1.56 | $1.62 |
| 2019 | $1.62 | $1.61 | $1.64 |
| 2018 | $1.63 | $1.59 | $1.65 |
| 2017 | $1.55 | $1.52 | $1.58 |
| 2016 | $1.52 | $1.49 | $1.55 |
| 2015 | $1.53 | $1.51 | $1.54 |
| 2014 | $1.56 | $1.55 | $1.56 |
| 2013 | $1.55 | $1.55 | $1.56 |
| 2012 | $1.54 | $1.53 | $1.55 |
| 2011 | $1.53 | $1.49 | $1.54 |
| 2010 | $1.46 | $1.43 | $1.47 |
| 2009 | $1.43 | $1.41 | $1.45 |
| 2008 | $1.55 | $1.49 | $1.62 |
| 2007 | $1.44 | $1.42 | $1.48 |
| 2006 | $1.42 | $1.40 | $1.45 |
| 2005 | $1.35 | $1.31 | $1.41 |
| 2004 | $1.28 | $1.26 | $1.30 |
| 2003 | $1.26 | $1.26 | $1.26 |
Compare truck types
| Truck type | Per mile | 1 mo | 1 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VAN53' dry van | $3.49 | +5.4% | +25.1% | |
| REEF53' refrigerated | $4.16 | −0.2% | +35.9% | |
| FLAT48' flatbed | $4.27 | +3.4% | +18.6% | |
| STEPStep deck | $4.66 | +3.3% | +18.6% | |
| PWRPower only | $3.05 | +5.5% | +25.0% | |
| HOTHotshot | $2.30 | +3.1% | +18.6% | |
| BOX26' box truck | $2.27 | +3.2% | +17.6% | |
| SPRTSprinter van | $1.40 | +3.7% | +17.6% |
Hotshot rate questions
What is the average hotshot rate per mile?
The Lane Cost Index puts the national average Hotshot rate at $2.30 per mile all-in for a 750-mile full load in October 2026. Short hauls cost more per mile and long hauls less, because pickup, delivery and wait time are spread over fewer or more miles.
Are hotshot rates going up or down?
They are up 3.1% over the past month, up 8.5% over three months and up 18.6% over twelve months.
How much does it cost to ship a Hotshot load 500 miles?
Use the calculator for an estimate on your exact lane. As a guide, per-mile cost at 500 miles runs higher than the $2.30 national figure, which is quoted at 750 miles.
What does a Hotshot carry?
A heavy pickup with a 40-foot gooseneck trailer for urgent partial loads. Deck: 40 ft gooseneck flatbed. Legal payload is about 16,500 lb. Typical freight: oilfield parts, small machinery, time-critical partials.
Where do these numbers come from?
Rate levels are fitted to live all-in truckload quotes. Month-to-month history follows US Bureau of Labor Statistics trucking price indexes, and the fuel portion comes from Energy Information Administration diesel prices. They are estimates, not quotes.