The transportation of goods is a huge industry, and there is always demand. Trucking can be a great role for you if you enjoy being out on the open road and want to earn high wages. While it can be a great career, it isn’t for everyone. Trucking takes you away from home for long periods, and the hours can be grueling in your attempt to get to your destination before the deadline. Driving yourself to the bone is, thankfully, not essential. If you want the best of both worlds, you can handle inter-city transportation or ferry items from town to town within the same state. While, yes, big money comes in transporting across the state and especially international lines, it is not essential.
If you are interested in starting your own business, regardless of the scope, use these steps to get you going:
Your Business Basics
There are several business basics that you will need before you can get started:
- Name
- Scope
- Business plan
- Financial plan
- License
You need to know your business model, how many people are going to be working for you, what kind of costs you can expect when you start up, and what you need to do to file all that paperwork to bring your business to life.
The Legal Requirements
There are more steps involved in starting a trucking company than there are in other businesses. Not only do you need a few key essentials like the license to drive a large vehicle, but there are also hoops you need to jump through to be legally allowed to drive certain types of goods and merchandise. There are, in general, six major steps to get your own authority, so read through that comprehensive guide to help you understand the process and how to get started.
Establishing Partnerships
You will need drivers and clients. For new businesses, it is important to remember that you do not need to hire outright to get started. You could, for example, earn a percentage of the total freight cost just by referring a job on to a driver you’ve vetted. Eventually, you will need to bring drivers in to grow your business properly, but that will come later. For now, work on establishing long-term partnerships with clients so that you can get ongoing work.
Using Technology
GPS and telecommunication technology have completely changed the game regarding transportation. Not only can you better calculate running costs based on routes (routes that have high altitudes, for example, require more gas to get up and down than a flat route) you can also take into consideration live traffic conditions, tolls, and even the weather. All of this will impact the safety and speed at which you can get your load from point a to point b. Use the best technology and software programs to keep customers updated on the status of their delivery and keep an eye on your employees for safety reasons.