There is nothing like owning your own business. However, becoming an entrepreneur involves a lot of planning and hard work. If you want to invest in a lucrative career that plays a major role in the American economy, you may want to start your trucking service. From getting immediate funding to the right staff, here are some tips you can use to get your trucking business off to a good start.
Create a Business Plan
Any company needs a solid business plan. When you’re creating a trucking business, you need to flush out as much detail as possible about funding, people involved, the type of equipment you’ll be using, typical routes, and the type of goods you’ll be transporting. Your business plan can also involve how you plan to scale up, so you may want to discuss how you’ll operate your business for the first year, plans for the next five years, and ideas for expansion.
Get Financing
Your trucking business will need some funding to get off the ground. After all, you’ll need money to pay for equipment, marketing, employees, and so on. If you don’t have cash available to get things going, apply for a small business loan. If you have access to potential investors, you can also see if they’d be interested in your company.
Learn About Truck Safety
Driving a truck or any other oversized vehicle isn’t the same as driving a typical car. So make sure that you and anyone else operating trucks, for your company know all that you need to know about truck and trailer safety. Your staff needs certification in CDL training. Even if you don’t plan on driving your own trucks, you need to know about all of the compliance related to operating a truck on state roads.
Regardless of how many years you and others may have operated a vehicle, commercial driving means you should refresh your knowledge of local driving laws. For example, most states outlaw the use of cell phones while you’re driving. According to driver knowledge, a driver texting while operating a vehicle is 23 times more likely to crash. Imagine how devastating a crash can be when a large truck or trailer is involved.
Build Up Staff
You can’t have a truck company without having trained drivers. Begin building your staff slowly until you have a full fleet that can operate cross-country. You should have enough drivers for the number of number deliveries you plan to make. After all, an overworked truck driver is a dangerous one, regardless of how well they follow the road rules. Over 30% of commercial truck driving accidents happen due to driver fatigue, so ensure your employees have a suitable schedule that allows them to properly rest.
Buy Equipment
The main equipment you’ll need to operate a trucking business are trucks themselves. Of the over 15,000,000 trucks operating in the United States, over 2 million are tractor-trailers. You should also think about the type of storage facilities that can hold your trucks, as well as any goods you’re transporting.
Start Promotion
How can people use your trucking services if they don’t know it doesn’t exist? Once you get everything set up, you can begin properly marketing your business to potential clients. You can utilize social media like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Make note of the type of customers that would need trucking services, such as retail, restaurants, and other food manufacturers.
Starting a trucking business can be the start of a lucrative career. After all, trucks are responsible for transporting food, medical supplies, fuel, and other things throughout the country. If you’re ready to play your part and add to the American economy, pay attention to these tips to get your company off the ground today.
