FAQ & Glossary
Investor questions, answered.
Plus a glossary of every term you'll encounter — from authority and bobtail to factoring and HOS.
Frequently asked
The questions we hear most.
Glossary
Hot-shot trucking, defined.
- Authority (USDOT / MC)
- The operating credentials issued by the FMCSA that allow a truck to haul freight commercially. Grand Line trucks run under the motor carrier's authority.
- Bobtail insurance
- Coverage for when the truck is driven without a trailer attached. Owner-managed at roughly $200–$300/month.
- Cargo insurance
- Insurance covering the freight being hauled. Included in the management fee.
- CDL
- Commercial Driver's License. Not required for hot-shot trucks under 26,001 lbs GCWR.
- Deadhead
- Miles driven with an empty trailer between paying loads.
- Dispatch
- Sourcing and booking freight loads. Included in the management fee.
- ELD
- Electronic Logging Device. Tracks driver hours-of-service and vehicle location. Grand Line uses Motive.
- Factoring
- Selling receivables to a factoring company in exchange for immediate payment. Included in the management fee.
- FMCSA
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The federal regulator for commercial trucking.
- GCWR
- Gross Combined Weight Rating. The maximum allowable combined weight of truck + trailer + cargo.
- Gooseneck deckover
- A flat-deck trailer that connects via a gooseneck hitch in the truck bed. The standard Grand Line trailer.
- Hot-shot trucking
- Time-sensitive freight hauled with medium-duty pickup trucks and gooseneck trailers, typically under 26,001 lbs GCWR.
- HOS
- Hours of Service. Federal rules limiting how many hours a driver can be on duty.
- Lane
- A regular freight route between two markets.
- Motor Carrier
- A company with operating authority that hauls freight. Grand Line partners with motor carriers to provide authority and insurance.
- Per-mile rate
- Revenue earned per mile driven. The core unit economic of freight.
- Settlement
- The weekly statement and payment showing gross, deductions, and net to the owner.
- Tank
- The payment platform Grand Line uses to deliver settlements instantly to any bank account.
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