What this is: A CDL-A over-the-road hotshot seat pulling a flatbed, paid 25% of the load's gross revenue on a 1099 contract. Three weeks out, then 3–4 days off. The carrier supplies the truck.
Who it is for: It suits a driver who is happy on the road for a full three-week cycle and would rather be paid a share of the freight than a flat mileage rate. Around six months of experience is enough — you do not need years for this one.
What it replaces: Take this instead of buying your own hotshot rig if you want the work without carrying the truck, the fuel and the maintenance yourself.

What does 25% of gross actually pay?

You are paid a quarter of what the load bills — 25% of gross revenue, not 25% of what is left after costs.

A truck on these runs typically grosses $5,000–$7,000 a week, so your share works out to roughly $1,250–$1,750 a week.

Across about 50 working weeks that lands somewhere near $62,000–$87,000 a year. Treat that annual number as an estimate built from the weekly gross above — the fixed part of the deal is the 25%.

Percentage pay moves with the freight. A strong week pays more than a mileage rate would; a soft week pays less. If you want a number that does not move, this is not the right seat and we will say so on the call.

This is a 1099 contract, so nothing is withheld — set aside for your own tax. The gross is higher than an equivalent W-2 seat for exactly that reason.

Do I need my own truck?

No. The carrier supplies the truck.

This is worth stating plainly, because percentage pay usually signals an owner-operator arrangement where the truck, fuel and maintenance come out of your share. That is not this job — 25% is your take on the carrier's equipment, with no truck cost against it.

How much experience do you actually need?

Around six months. Five or six months of verifiable driving is enough for this seat — you do not need two years, and you do not need to have run this exact freight before.

What matters more is that you are ready for the cycle. Three weeks out at a time on a high-mileage run is demanding work, and a driver who is not up for that tends not to last past the first cycle. If you are still building your record and you want the miles, this is a genuine way in.

What is the hardest part of hotshot flatbed work?

It is open-deck work, so the load is your responsibility in a way it never is behind a dry van. Straps, chains and tarps in whatever weather the day gives you.

Hotshot freight also tends to be time-sensitive. The runs are shorter, but there are more of them and the clock matters.

Where can you be based?

The seat runs over-the-road, so the freight is not confined to your state — but you need to be domiciled in one of these seven for the dispatch cycle to work.

Florida
Georgia
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
North Carolina
South Carolina

How do you apply?

1Send the short form on this page — under a minute, no resume needed.
2A recruiter calls you to confirm your experience, your MVR and which state you are based in.
3We talk through the run schedule and what the last few weeks have actually grossed, so you can judge the 25% against real numbers.
4If it is a fit, we put you in front of the carrier running this seat.
5There is no cost to you at any point. Carriers pay us, drivers never do.

Ready to talk to a recruiter about this hotshot flatbed seat?

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Apply for this hotshot flatbed job

CDL-A OTR Hotshot Flatbed Driver — 25% of Gross