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You may have thought starting up a trucking business would be simple. After all, how complex can it be – isn’t it, essentially, just a delivery business? Well, it’s not as simple as that. But succeeding in this line of work needn’t be a nightmare. Check out this guide.
How to start getting business
As a startup trucking company, you’re going to have to rely heavily on what we call load boards. Companies that need a delivery to be done will post job offers up on these things. Trucking companies will then start bidding for those jobs. You need to be offering very low prices in order to get consistent work. Profits may not be astounding here, which is why it can only be a short-term strategy. As you use load boards for your first jobs, you need to work on client outreach and networking with others in the business.
Put focus on amazing customer service
The way to get the best customers is to impress them. Of course, one of the best ways to impress them is to do the job really well! But clients will be interacting with people in your company quite a lot. You need to ensure that everyone in your business is fantastic at communicating with customers. It may not seem obvious for a trucking company at first, but customer service is important here, too.
Ensure you have the capital to make improvements
Do you need more trucks? New software? Devices for tracking metrics? New sturdy tires from Cepek? Access to ore exclusive fields of job offers? Then you’re probably going to need a strong amount of money. As profits may not be sky-high at first, you might want to consider looking into trucking company loans. This will ensure that you’re able to afford the equipment and improvements that are going to make your trucking company stand out. It’s true what they say – you have to spend money to make money!
Start getting metrics as soon as possible
People make a big deal about data and metrics in business. And these things definitely shouldn’t be underestimated! You’ll want accurate data about milage, fuel consumption, and the time it takes for employees to make deliveries. (Among several other things you can get data on in this business!) Start looking into getting those metrics as early in the game as you can.
Managing fuel costs
One of the biggest costs you’re going to see in this business is fuel costs. And as costs are going to affect how much profit you’re making, it’s best to manage them as effectively as possible! Of course, you may ask yourself how feasible that really is. After all, isn’t heavy fuel consumption inevitable in this line of work? Well, that’s true. But it doesn’t mean there isn’t room for cost tracking and fuel preservation to take place!
Keeping everyone safe
Trucking isn’t really considered a safe career option. Many people believe that it’s risk-free; that you just sit there and drive all day. Well, driving is pretty dangerous, is it not? And driving for hours on end exposes you to all sorts of risks. It’s vital that your company puts the safety of your employees first.
