How much do hot shot drivers make in Texas? In 2026, salary sites put the average for a company hot shot driver at about $48,500 to $76,000 a year, and Dallas–Fort Worth pays near the top of that range. Owner-operators can earn more or much less: at today's diesel prices, an owner-operator's profit before tax can range from about $10,000 to $85,000 a year, depending mostly on the rate per mile.
This guide pulls together 2026 pay data for Texas hot shot drivers by source and by city, explains how drivers get paid, and walks through owner-operator profit math with current Gulf Coast fuel prices. It also covers what moves pay up. If you're thinking about starting out, read our guide to hot shot trucking requirements in Texas first.
How Much Do Hot Shot Drivers Make in Texas?
Salary sites don't agree, because each one counts different jobs. Here's what the main sources report for Texas:
Source | What it measures | Texas average |
|---|---|---|
ZipRecruiter (Oct 2026) | Hotshot trucking job pay | $76,228 a year ($36.65 an hour) |
Glassdoor (2026) | Hot shot driver total pay, 19 reports | $68,877 a year (range $54K–$88K) |
Salary.com (Oct 2026) | Hotshot driver pay | $48,529 a year ($23 an hour) |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025) | All heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | $57,990 mean, $56,290 median |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025) | Light truck drivers | $46,950 mean |
Why such a wide spread? The job title "hotshot driver" is also used for local parts-delivery jobs at dealerships and supply houses. Those jobs pay by the hour and don't need a CDL, so sites that include them show lower averages. Postings for over-the-road hot shot work with a 1-ton truck and a gooseneck trailer pay more, and that's what pulls ZipRecruiter's figure up.
The government data doesn't have a "hot shot" category. Hot shot drivers fall under heavy truck drivers or light truck drivers depending on the truck they drive. Texas employs more heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers than any other state, 209,680 in May 2025, according to the BLS.
Hot Shot Driver Pay per Week, Month and Hour
Per week: about $1,465, according to ZipRecruiter. Using BLS data, the average heavy truck driver earns about $1,115 a week statewide and $1,206 in Dallas–Fort Worth.
Per month: about $6,352, according to ZipRecruiter.
Per hour: $23 to $36.65 across the salary sites. The BLS median for heavy truck drivers in Texas is $27.06 an hour.
Weekly pay swings more for hot shot drivers than for most truckers. A driver paid by the load can earn far more in a busy oilfield week than in a slow one, so look at a few months of settlements, not one good week.
Truck Driver Pay by Texas City (2026 Data)
Pay varies a lot across Texas. Here are the May 2025 figures for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, released in 2026, from the BLS OEWS survey:
Area | Drivers employed | Mean hourly | Mean yearly | Median yearly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington | 55,670 | $30.16 | $62,720 | $59,530 |
Midland | 4,540 | $28.93 | $60,170 | $58,200 |
Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands | 49,750 | $27.96 | $58,160 | $56,840 |
San Antonio–New Braunfels | 13,710 | $27.13 | $56,430 | $53,650 |
Texas statewide | 209,680 | $27.88 | $57,990 | $56,290 |
Dallas–Fort Worth leads the state's big metros, with a mean of $62,720. Midland is a close second, and trucking matters more there than anywhere else on this list: heavy truck drivers hold 37 of every 1,000 jobs in Midland, compared with 15 per 1,000 statewide. That's the Permian Basin oilfield, where a lot of hot shot work comes from.
ZipRecruiter's hotshot trucking data points the same way. Its top-paying Texas cities include Odessa ($82,563), Austin ($81,101), Dallas ($80,939), Midland ($80,330) and Garland ($79,053).
How Hot Shot Drivers Get Paid
How you're paid matters as much as the headline salary. These are the most common setups:
Percentage of the load. Many hot shot companies pay drivers a share of what the load pays. Drivers on TheTruckersReport forum commonly report about 24–27%. On a $1,200 load, 25% is $300.
Per mile plus extras. Some carriers pay a rate per mile plus tarp pay, stop pay, detention and layover pay. Drivers say it's usually one or the other, a percentage or mileage, not both.
Hourly. This is common for local parts runs and in-town delivery work.
Leased owner-operator. You run your own truck under a carrier's authority and keep most of the load revenue, but you pay for fuel, insurance, the truck and repairs.
Before you take a job, ask what the average driver actually grossed last month. Ask how detention is paid, and whether you're paid on loaded miles or all miles.
Owner-Operator Hot Shot Income in Texas: The Real Math
Owner-operators earn what's left after costs, and in 2026 fuel is the biggest cost. Diesel on the Gulf Coast averaged $5.903 a gallon in the week of October 19, 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Many online hot shot profit calculators still assume $3.50 diesel. At 10 miles per gallon, the gap between those two prices is about $19,200 a year over 80,000 miles.
Here's a sample cost per mile for a 1-ton dually pulling a gooseneck flatbed. Fuel uses the current EIA price. The other lines are planning estimates, so use your own numbers where you have them.
Cost | Per mile | Per year at 80,000 miles |
|---|---|---|
Diesel ($5.903 a gallon at 10 mpg) | $0.59 | $47,200 |
Truck and trailer payments | $0.25 | $20,000 |
Insurance | $0.15 | $12,000 |
Maintenance and tires | $0.12 | $9,600 |
IFTA, permits, registration and tolls | $0.04 | $3,200 |
ELD, phone and load boards | $0.04 | $3,200 |
Total operating cost | $1.19 | $95,200 |
Insurance for a new authority alone often runs $7,000–$12,000 a year, according to American Truckers, and the price usually drops after a clean first year.
Now apply those costs to revenue. Assume 80,000 total miles a year with 75% of them loaded, which is 60,000 paid miles:
Rate per loaded mile | Gross revenue | Operating costs | Profit before tax |
|---|---|---|---|
$1.75 | $105,000 | $95,200 | $9,800 |
$2.00 | $120,000 | $95,200 | $24,800 |
$2.25 | $135,000 | $95,200 | $39,800 |
$2.50 | $150,000 | $95,200 | $54,800 |
$3.00 | $180,000 | $95,200 | $84,800 |
Two things stand out. First, every 25 cents per loaded mile adds about $15,000 a year. Second, profit before tax is not take-home pay. Owner-operators still pay income tax, the 15.3% self-employment tax and their own health insurance.
Empty miles hurt just as much as low rates. In one example from American Truckers, a Dallas-to-Oklahoma City load paid $650 for 208 loaded miles, which looks like $3.13 a mile. Counting the empty drive home, it worked out to just $1.41 a mile. With a backhaul, the same trip earned $2.33 a mile.
What Raises Hot Shot Pay in Texas
Get a Class A CDL and run a 40 ft gooseneck. Heavier combinations open up more loads. American Truckers puts 40 ft gooseneck rates at $2.00–$3.50 a mile, compared with $1.50–$2.25 for a non-CDL bumper-pull flatbed.
Work the oilfield. Oilfield equipment pays $2.00–$4.50 a mile in 2026 estimates. Midland and Odessa rank among Texas's top-paying cities for hot shot work.
Plan backhauls. Book the return load before you deliver. Texas triangles like Dallas, Houston and San Antonio make this easier than long runs into thin markets.
Build direct shipper accounts. Load-board freight is the most price-competitive. Repeat customers who need same-day service pay for reliability.
Charge for your time. Detention, tarping, extra stops and layovers should be paid line items, not favors.
Keep a clean safety record. Fewer claims and inspection violations bring insurance costs down, and insurance is one of your biggest fixed costs.
For more on what shippers pay, see our breakdown of hot shot trucking rates in Texas.
Is Hot Shot Trucking Worth It in Texas?
It can be, but it isn't easy money. Startup costs are lower than for a semi. American Truckers estimates $35,000–$50,000 for a used Ram 3500 or F-350 and $10,000–$15,000 for a used gooseneck trailer. Texas also has steady freight from oil and gas, construction and manufacturing.
The risks are real too. A few slow weeks, a major repair or a spike in diesel can wipe out a month's profit. The first year is usually the hardest, because insurance costs the most and you're still building customers. A common path is to drive for a hot shot company first, learn the lanes and customers, then buy a truck once you know your costs.
How to Become a Hot Shot Driver in Texas
Most company hot shot jobs ask for a clean driving record, a DOT medical card and often a Class A CDL. To run your own hot shot business, you'll also need a USDOT number, MC authority for interstate for-hire loads, and a TxDMV number if your combination is over 26,000 lbs in Texas. Each step is explained in our guide to hot shot trucking requirements in Texas. New to the term? Start with what hot shot trucking is.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do hot shot drivers make in Texas?
Company hot shot drivers in Texas average about $48,500 to $76,000 a year in 2026, depending on the source. Over-the-road hot shot jobs with a CDL pay toward the top of that range, and Dallas and the Permian Basin pay above the state average.
How much do hot shot drivers make a week in Texas?
About $1,100 to $1,465 a week on average. ZipRecruiter reports $1,465 a week for hotshot trucking jobs in Texas, while BLS data for all heavy truck drivers works out to about $1,115 a week statewide and $1,206 in Dallas–Fort Worth.
Do hot shot drivers make good money?
Many do. ZipRecruiter's middle range for Texas hotshot trucking jobs is $64,300 to $84,300 a year, above the $57,990 average for all Texas heavy truck drivers. Pay depends on freight volume, so it swings from week to week more than in salaried driving jobs.
How much do hot shot owner-operators make in Texas?
With diesel near $5.90 a gallon, an owner-operator running 80,000 miles a year might clear about $10,000 to $85,000 before taxes at $1.75 to $3.00 per loaded mile. Rate, empty miles and fuel economy make the biggest difference.
How much do hot shot drivers make per mile?
Hot shot loads in Texas commonly pay carriers $1.50 to $2.50 a mile, and oilfield, oversize and expedited loads pay more. Company drivers are usually paid a percentage of the load, often reported at about 24–27%, or a per-mile rate.
Do you need a CDL to be a hot shot driver in Texas?
Not always. You need a Class A CDL when the truck and trailer are rated at 26,001 lbs or more combined and the trailer is rated over 10,000 lbs. Many non-CDL hot shot setups stay under 26,001 lbs, but they carry lighter loads and usually earn lower rates.
What hot shot jobs pay the most in Texas?
Oilfield equipment, oversize and permitted loads, and expedited same-day freight pay the most, often $2.50 a mile or more. Drivers with a Class A CDL and a 40 ft gooseneck can haul more of these loads.
Ship With a Texas Hot Shot Carrier
Mr. Whiz Logistics runs hot shot trucking out of Garland, TX, with a 40 ft flatbed, 24 ft and 16 ft enclosed trailers, and a Sprinter van for smaller loads. Trucks are dispatched same day from Garland across Dallas–Fort Worth, 24/7. Call +1 (214) 217-6302 or request a free quote.
