Equipment
Flatbed Hotshot Trailers: Types, Lengths and Ratings
Updated By HotshotDispatchers Dispatch Desk6 min read
A flatbed hotshot is a one-ton or medium-duty truck pulling an open-deck trailer, most often a 30 to 40 ft gooseneck deck-over. Makers sell these from about 15,900 lb to 30,000 lb GVWR. The right one is the trailer whose rating, empty weight and deck length fit your license and the freight you want to book.
Most hotshot freight rides on an open deck, so the trailer decides what you can book as much as the truck does. A flatbed hotshot trailer that's too heavy empty leaves you with little freight capacity; one that's too short or too light-rated keeps you off the loads that pay. This guide covers the trailer types, what makers publish for lengths and ratings, and which freight each one suits. If you're new to the business, what hotshot trucking is explains the truck side.
Hotshot vs flatbed
A "flatbed" in trucking usually means a semi tractor pulling a 48 or 53 ft flatbed trailer under a Class A CDL. A flatbed hotshot is the smaller version: a one-ton dually or a 4500 or 5500 truck pulling an open deck, usually 20 to 40 ft long. The freight is similar (equipment, steel, lumber, pipe, building materials) but the loads are lighter, often partials, and often needed fast.
Both run at the same width. Federal rules hold trailers on the National Network to 102 inches (23 CFR 658.15), which is why nearly every hotshot deck you'll see is 102 inches wide.
The trailer types
| Type | How it's built | Freight it suits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gooseneck deck-over | Flat deck runs over the wheels; pin hitch in the truck bed | The widest range: equipment, steel, building materials, pipe | Higher deck height for loading equipment |
| Low-pro gooseneck | Deck sits lower, often with smaller dual wheels | Equipment that drives on, taller loads that need height clearance | Usually lower ground clearance at job sites |
| Dovetail (fixed or hydraulic) | Rear of the deck angles down | Wheeled and tracked equipment, tractors, skid steers | Hydraulic dovetails add weight and cost |
| Mega ramps | Long, wide ramps fold up at the tail | Low equipment that can't climb short ramps | Ramps add weight and take time to stow |
| Bumper-pull flatbed | Hitches to the receiver at the bumper | Light loads, short decks, local work | Lower ratings; weight sits behind the rear axle |
Gooseneck vs bumper pull has its own trade-offs: pin weight over the axle and stability on one side, lower cost and easier hookup on the other.
What makers publish: lengths and ratings (checked October 2026)
Two of the larger trailer makers list their gooseneck flatbed lines like this:
| Maker and model | Lengths | GVWR | Cargo capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Tex 14GN, single wheel tandem | 20 to 40 ft | 15,900 lb | 8,710 to 11,630 lb |
| Big Tex 16GN, single wheel tandem | 20 to 40 ft | 17,500 lb | 10,120 to 13,070 lb |
| Big Tex 22GN, tandem dual | 20 to 40 ft | 23,900 lb | 15,110 to 18,660 lb |
| Big Tex 25GN, tandem dual | 20 to 40 ft | 25,900 lb | 17,130 to 20,580 lb |
| Big Tex 3XGN, triple axle dual | 25 to 40 ft | 30,000 lb | 19,630 to 23,020 lb |
| PJ LS, low-pro, 7K singles | 20 to 40 ft | 15,680 lb | 8,920 to 11,120 lb |
| PJ LX, low-pro, 8K singles | 20 to 40 ft | 17,500 lb | 10,540 to 12,740 lb |
| PJ LD, low-pro with duals | 20 to 44 ft | 25,000 lb | 16,770 to 19,370 lb |
| PJ LY, hydraulic dovetail | 32 to 40 ft | 25,000 lb | 14,007 to 21,460 lb |
Sources: Big Tex Trailers and PJ Trailers, each maker's own model pages. Listed by maker in the order we checked them; this isn't a ranking, and other makers build comparable trailers.
Read the cargo capacity column the right way: it's the GVWR minus the trailer's empty weight, so the low end of each range is usually the longest deck. A 40 ft Big Tex 22GN that can carry 15,110 lb weighs about 8,790 lb empty (23,900 minus 15,110). Every extra foot of deck, every ramp and every toolbox comes out of what you can haul.
Choosing a length
- 40 ft. The common choice for CDL hotshot work. It takes long equipment, pipe and bundles that shorter decks can't, and brokers often post loads asking for 40 ft. A 40ft flatbed hotshot setup also means a long overall combination, so plan fuel stops and tight sites.
- 30 to 36 ft. A middle ground: enough deck for most equipment and building materials, lighter empty, a bit easier at job sites.
- 20 to 28 ft. Lighter and cheaper, good for local work and smaller equipment. It limits which posted loads you can take.
When we set up a carrier, deck length is one of the first things we ask, because it filters the board before rate ever comes up.
Ratings and your license
The trailer's GVWR does more than set its capacity. It decides your license. A combination with a GCWR of 26,001 lb or more, towing a trailer rated over 10,000 lb, needs a Class A CDL (49 CFR 383.91).
Every trailer in the table above is rated over 10,000 lb. Behind a typical 14,000 lb one-ton, even the lightest one, at 15,680 lb, puts the combination near 30,000 lb. That's why non-CDL hotshot drivers usually run a trailer derated by the manufacturer to around 12,000 lb, and why the derate has to show on the trailer's own certification label. The full rule and EXAMPLE non-CDL setups are in the non-CDL hotshot requirements guide, and you can test a pairing in the GCWR and CDL checker.
Which freight fits which trailer
These pairings are our general guide, not a rule. The load's weight, dimensions and how it loads (forklift, crane, drive-on) decide what works.
What to check before you buy
- The VIN plate. GVWR, GAWRs and tire ratings on the plate, not the brochure.
- Empty weight on a scale. Weigh it yourself; options and paint change the number.
- Axles and brakes. Tandem duals carry more and spread wear; check brake type and condition.
- Deck and crossmembers. Look for cracks, bent crossmembers and rot in wood decks.
- Securement points. Enough stake pockets, D-rings or a rub rail with winch track to strap freight anywhere on the deck.
- Lights and wiring. A trailer that fails lights at an inspection costs you the day.
The truck behind it matters just as much; see the best hot shot truck guide for ratings and gearing, and hotshot weight limits to work out exactly what a pairing can carry. Then see which hotshot loads your trailer opens up.
General information, not legal or engineering advice. Use the ratings on your own trailer's VIN plate and the maker's current specifications.
FAQ
Flatbed hotshot trailer questions
What is a flatbed hotshot?
A hotshot setup that hauls on an open deck: a one-ton dually or 4500/5500 truck pulling a flatbed trailer, usually a gooseneck. It carries the same kinds of freight a semi flatbed does, equipment, steel, building materials, in smaller loads and partials.
Hotshot vs flatbed: what's the difference?
In trucking talk, a flatbed usually means a semi tractor pulling a 48 or 53 ft flatbed trailer, which needs a Class A CDL and carries full truckloads. A hotshot pulls a shorter open-deck trailer behind a pickup or medium-duty truck and hauls lighter, often time-sensitive loads. Both are open-deck work; the hotshot is the smaller rig.
Is a 40 ft flatbed hotshot trailer the best length?
For CDL hotshot work, 40 ft is the most common because it takes the widest range of freight, including longer equipment and pipe. On non-CDL rigs a shorter, lighter trailer often leaves more freight capacity under the 26,000 lb line, because a 40 ft deck weighs more empty.
What GVWR should a hotshot trailer have?
Match it to your license. CDL runners usually want a tandem-dual gooseneck in the mid-20,000s or higher. Non-CDL runners need the trailer's rating plus the truck's rating to stay at or under 26,000 lb, which usually means a trailer plated at 12,000 lb or less behind a 14,000 lb truck.
Gooseneck or bumper pull for hotshot?
Gooseneck for most freight: it puts pin weight over the truck's rear axle and handles heavier loads with better stability. A bumper-pull flatbed can work for light loads and short decks, and costs less.
Sources
- Big Tex Trailers, flatbed goosenecks (models, lengths, GVWR, cargo capacity) (checked October 2026)
- PJ Trailers, gooseneck deckovers (models, lengths, GVWR, load capacity) (checked October 2026)
- 23 CFR 658.15, vehicle width on the National Network (eCFR) (checked October 2026)
- 49 CFR 383.91, CDL vehicle groups (eCFR) (checked October 2026)
Written by the HotshotDispatchers Dispatch Desk
Hotshot dispatchers who book loads for CDL and non-CDL owner-operators every day. Rules are checked against the official source on the date shown. Read our editorial policy.
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