Rates and money
Hotshot Trucking Statistics: The Numbers That Exist
Updated By HotshotDispatchers Dispatch Desk5 min read
No public source counts hotshot trucks. The closest federal category, single-unit trucks, numbered about 12.6 million in 2024 and averaged 10,880 miles each, about a fifth of a tractor-trailer's 55,276 (FHWA). Diesel averaged $6.276 a gallon the week of October 19, 2026 (EIA), and trucking cost $2.336 a mile to run in 2025 (ATRI).
Key finding: there is no official count of hotshot trucks, hotshot miles or hotshot rates. The closest federal category, single-unit trucks, numbered 12.6 million in 2024 and averaged 10,880 miles each, about a fifth of what a tractor-trailer runs.
Search for hotshot trucking statistics and you'll find confident numbers with no source behind them. This page collects only figures a named public source publishes, with the period each covers and the date we checked it. Where a number describes trucking in general rather than hotshots, we say so. Download the full table as a CSV, or embed the chart with a credit link.
The full table
| Statistic | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Single-unit trucks registered in the U.S.2024 | 12,599,614 | FHWA, Highway Statistics 2024, Table VM-1 (updated February 2026) (checked October 2026) |
| Combination trucks (tractor-trailers) registered2024 | 3,482,896 | FHWA, Highway Statistics 2024, Table VM-1 (updated February 2026) (checked October 2026) |
| Average miles per single-unit truck2024 | 10,880 | FHWA, Highway Statistics 2024, Table VM-1 (updated February 2026) (checked October 2026) |
| Average miles per combination truck2024 | 55,276 | FHWA, Highway Statistics 2024, Table VM-1 (updated February 2026) (checked October 2026) |
| Average fuel economy, single-unit trucks2024 | 8.1 mpg | FHWA, Highway Statistics 2024, Table VM-1 (updated February 2026) (checked October 2026) |
| Average fuel economy, combination trucks2024 | 7.1 mpg | FHWA, Highway Statistics 2024, Table VM-1 (updated February 2026) (checked October 2026) |
| U.S. average on-highway diesel priceWeek of October 19, 2026 | $6.276 per gallon ($2.656 above a year earlier) | U.S. EIA, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update (checked October 2026) |
| Average cost to operate a truck, per mile2025 | $2.336 (up 3.4%); $1.854 excluding fuel | ATRI, Operational Costs of Trucking, 2026 update (published July 15, 2026) (checked October 2026) |
| Rise in trucking liability insurance premiums2021 to 2024 | 18.6% (to 10.2 cents per mile) | ATRI, insurance cost research (published May 19, 2026) (checked October 2026) |
| Median pay, heavy and tractor-trailer truck driversMay 2025 | $58,640 a year | BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook (page modified August 27, 2026) (checked October 2026) |
| Median pay, light truck driversMay 2025 | $44,860 a year | BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook (page modified August 27, 2026) (checked October 2026) |
| Active U.S. oil and gas drilling rigsAugust 2026 | 589 (1,930 at the September 2014 peak) | U.S. EIA, Crude Oil and Natural Gas Rotary Rigs in Operation (released September 30, 2026) (checked October 2026) |
| Jurisdictions requiring a USDOT number for intrastate carriersCurrent list | 38 states plus Puerto Rico | FMCSA, Do I Need a USDOT Number? (page updated September 3, 2025) (checked October 2026) |
Trucks and miles
Federal highway statistics sort vehicles by body and axle type, not by the work they do. FHWA's Table VM-1 for 2024 counts 12,599,614 registered single-unit trucks, defined as single-frame trucks with two axles and at least six tires, or a GVWR over 10,000 lb. A one-ton dually used for hotshot work fits that definition, but so do many trucks that never pull a trailer for hire. Combination trucks, mostly tractor-trailers, numbered 3,482,896 (FHWA).
Average miles driven per vehicle, 2024
- Light-duty long wheelbase (incl. pickups)10,707 mi
- Single-unit trucks10,880 mi
- Combination trucks55,276 mi
The gap in miles is the useful part. A combination truck averaged 55,276 miles in 2024; a single-unit truck averaged 10,880, about the same as a long-wheelbase light-duty vehicle. That single-unit average includes local work trucks that rarely leave town, so treat it as a floor, not a benchmark, for full-time hotshot work. The planning point: a hotshot spreads insurance and truck payments over fewer miles than a semi does, so per-mile cost figures built from semi fleets can understate what a hotshot needs per mile.
FHWA's figures also put average fuel economy at 8.1 mpg for single-unit trucks and 7.1 mpg for combination trucks. A loaded gooseneck sits somewhere in that range; your own fuel receipts are the number to use.
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Fuel
EIA's weekly survey put the U.S. average on-highway diesel price at $6.276 a gallon for the week of October 19, 2026, $2.656 more than a year earlier (EIA). At an EXAMPLE 10 mpg, that's about 63 cents of fuel for every mile, loaded or empty. Diesel moves every week, so check the current figure for your region before you set a minimum rate.
Costs per mile
The American Transportation Research Institute's 2026 update found the industry-average cost to operate a truck in 2025 was $2.336 per mile, 3.4% higher than the year before and the highest in the report's history, or $1.854 per mile without fuel (ATRI). ATRI's insurance research found liability premiums rose 18.6% from 2021 to 2024, to 10.2 cents per mile (ATRI).
Both come mostly from tractor-trailer fleets. Hotshot equipment costs less, but it also runs fewer miles, so a hotshot's cost per mile can land above or below ATRI's average. Work out your own in the hot shot rates guide before you rely on any average.
Driver pay
BLS doesn't track hotshot drivers. Its two nearest occupations, as of May 2025:
- Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers: median pay $58,640 a year.
- Light truck drivers: median pay $44,860 a year.
Most CDL hotshot drivers sit closer to the first group and most non-CDL drivers to the second, but owner-operators aren't paid a wage at all; they keep what's left after costs. Our hotshot driver income guide walks through EXAMPLE monthly P&Ls.
Freight demand and the rules
- Oilfield work follows drilling. EIA counted 589 active U.S. oil and gas rigs in August 2026, against 1,930 at the September 2014 peak. More in our oilfield hotshot guide.
- Registration varies for in-state carriers: FMCSA lists 38 states plus Puerto Rico that require a USDOT number for intrastate hauling. The table is in hotshot rules by state; the federal list for interstate hotshots is in hotshot trucking requirements.
- Fleets: if you run more than one truck, these averages matter per unit, not per fleet. Our hotshot fleet dispatch desk reports gross, miles and rate per mile for each truck every week.
Methodology and updates
We include a figure only if a government agency or a named research organization publishes it, and we link the exact page. Each figure keeps its own period; we don't blend periods or extrapolate. Figures that describe trucking in general are labeled as such, and we don't publish hotshot-specific estimates without a source. Diesel prices are updated monthly; FHWA, ATRI, BLS and FMCSA figures are rechecked every quarter and when a new edition is released. Next scheduled review: January 2027.
General information. Figures are from the named sources for the periods shown; none describes hotshot operations exactly.
FAQ
Hotshot trucking statistics questions
How many hotshot trucks are there in the US?
Nobody publishes that number. Federal statistics don't have a hotshot category. The nearest one is FHWA's single-unit truck class (two axles and at least six tires, or a GVWR over 10,000 lb), which had 12,599,614 registered vehicles in 2024, but it includes many work trucks that never pull a hotshot trailer.
How many miles does a hotshot drive a year?
There's no hotshot-only figure. FHWA's 2024 data shows single-unit trucks averaged 10,880 miles and combination trucks 55,276. The single-unit average includes local work trucks, so it says little about a full-time for-hire hotshot; use your own logs for planning.
What does it cost per mile to run a truck?
ATRI's 2026 update put the trucking industry's average at $2.336 per mile in 2025, 3.4% higher than the year before, or $1.854 per mile without fuel. That figure comes mostly from tractor-trailer fleets; a hotshot's own costs can be higher or lower per mile.
Is there a hotshot rate per mile average?
Not a reliable public one. Load board rate averages describe semi equipment classes, and hotshot loads mix partials, expedited runs and full decks. Our hot shot rates guide explains how to set a minimum from your own costs instead.
Sources
- FHWA, Highway Statistics 2024, Table VM-1 (updated February 2026) (checked October 2026)
- U.S. EIA, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update (week of October 19, 2026) (checked October 2026)
- ATRI, Operational Costs of Trucking, 2026 update (July 15, 2026) (checked October 2026)
- ATRI, research on rising insurance costs (May 19, 2026) (checked October 2026)
- BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook: heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (modified August 27, 2026) (checked October 2026)
- BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook: delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers (modified August 27, 2026) (checked October 2026)
- U.S. EIA, Crude Oil and Natural Gas Rotary Rigs in Operation (released September 30, 2026) (checked October 2026)
- FMCSA, Do I Need a USDOT Number? (updated September 3, 2025) (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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