Opening a cargo transportation company: business plan. Organizing and running a transport business in the field of cargo transportation from scratch Transport business from scratch

Here you will learn about the cargo transportation business, how to open it, start it, and you can download an example plan for organizing this business.

Having your own business and working for your own profit is an idea that can appeal to anyone. But just what kind of business should I start? If you have the right to drive a car of category “C” and “B”, then the answer suggests itself. You can organize a service specializing in cargo transportation. In order to open a cargo transportation business, you need to draw up a detailed business plan for your future enterprise, an example of which is presented below.

Where to start and how to open your own business

For many, the expression “I want to do cargo transportation” is the key point in starting a business, but it’s not enough to just wish, because you also need to know how to start cargo transportation from scratch and open your own business the right way.

Your Jedi path should look like this:

1. Drawing up a business plan.
2. Drawing up all necessary contracts and agreements.
3. Purchase of transport and, if necessary, special equipment: gazelles, trucks, Kamaz trucks, etc.
4. Registration of a cargo transportation business - opening an individual entrepreneur.
5. Renting an office (if needed).
6. Hiring labor (if needed).
7. Advertising your business.

How to open an individual entrepreneur

Of course, if you have any large organization, then you will have to open an LLC. But if you decide to engage in small cargo transportation, i.e. have a small number of trucks, gazelles and personnel (or even do everything yourself), then you need to register as an individual entrepreneur. It's very simple.

How to open an individual entrepreneur for cargo transportation:

1. It is necessary to prepare a standard package of documents:
2. Pay the state fee.
3. Submit an application to the tax office, in which you need to indicate passport data, contact phone number, activity code according to OKVED - for cargo transportation code 60.24. Depending on the number of activities, there may be several codes. They are all located nearby.

You can do all this either yourself, or provide a power of attorney to your representative, which he has done for you.

Business plan

Project overview section

This section indicates the goal of the project, which means the creation of the enterprise itself, which will provide cargo transportation services on medium-sized commercial vehicles.

The organization’s work scheme includes the dispatcher receiving an order for cargo transportation, then transferring the order to the driver and, accordingly, its execution by the latter. The enterprise must be focused on consumer demand, i.e. of people.

Description of the enterprise

Cargo transportation will be carried out by a separate entrepreneur. In this case, this is the most optimal option, which allows you to reduce the tax burden on the organization and minimize accounting. If an entrepreneur carries out cargo transportation with less than 20 vehicles, then a single tax on temporary income is applied to him.

Freight market analysis

Before starting your own business, it is worth conducting an analysis of the market segment. Freight transportation is no exception here. Opening the local press, you will see that there are not many advertisements offering this type of service. Therefore, it is worth first finding out:

• who is your future competitor;
• what vehicles he uses to transport cargo;
• who are its clients, what kind of cargo does it transport;
• what is the cost of the services he provides?

After analyzing all this data, you can find out how to proceed next.

If, after analyzing the cargo transportation market, you have not abandoned the idea of ​​opening your own business, then next you need to develop an action plan for marketing and attracting customers. It must necessarily include the development, placement and distribution of advertising for the enterprise and freight transportation services in the media. It would also be useful to distribute advertising leaflets and hand out business cards in those stores that sell building materials, household appliances, and furniture. You can consider a system of discounts for regular customers.

Enterprise production plan

Before the full operation of the enterprise begins, it is worth purchasing several vehicles on which cargo transportation will be carried out. You can take, for example, 1-2 GAZelles. You will also need to rent boxes for storing and parking your cars.

When you are just starting your business, you can refuel your car at the retail price at a gas station. If things go well and you want to expand your fleet for cargo transportation, you can enter into an agreement with a gas station, according to which fuel will be purchased at a more favorable price.

As for personnel, you will need 1 driver, 1 dispatcher. The entrepreneur himself can act as a second driver. A company specializing in this can handle accounting for cargo transportation. You will also need two or three loaders. It is better to agree with them on a piece rate.

Enterprise expenses

Below is a list of estimated expenses (in rubles):

• Purchase of cars - 1,000,000
• Rent of office space (per month) - 10,000
• Box rental - 10,000
• Fuel and lubricants - 40,000
• Payroll fund - 30,000
• Advertising - 10,000
• Other expenses - 20,000
• Total - 1,120,000

From the data it is clear that to organize a cargo transportation service you will need a starting capital of 1120 thousand rubles.

Income

On average, a freight transportation service earns about 150 thousand rubles per month using two cars. Net proceeds will be about 50 thousand. It turns out that you can achieve self-sufficiency within 2 years. If cars are leased, the payback period is reduced to 3-4 months.

Nowadays, cargo transportation is a fairly popular and promising business. But a sufficient number of large and very tiny companies are already operating in this market, providing various services for moving goods. In order to successfully choose your niche and successfully withstand competition, you need to carefully weigh your capabilities, work out a business plan, and take into account all the intricacies of such a business.

Before you open a cargo transportation business, you need to choose the appropriate type of transport and think about the features that will help you stand out among your competitors. A win-win option has always been a bet on consistent quality of transportation, customer satisfaction, decency and honesty.

Each entrepreneur has his own opportunities, but the main points of starting a business will be similar, differing only in the breadth of scope and the availability of capital. So, the very first steps in organizing cargo transportation will look like this:

1. Register a company or become an individual entrepreneur (IP).

2. Purchase or rent trucks.

The number and brands of cars purchased will depend on the expected scope of work and the state of finances. If you have a couple of Gazelles at your disposal, then you shouldn’t count on serious orders. With such a fleet of vehicles, you will have to limit yourself to single applications from individuals when moving or transporting a small batch of goods. To serve larger clients, you will need Euro trucks with a large carrying capacity. Alternatively, you can team up with several private car owners. In some regions of Russia, cargo transportation in open Gazelles is common.

3. Rent an office or purchase premises for it.

However, with modest plans, you can limit yourself to your own apartment and garage.

4. Hire workers.

The following specialists will be needed: drivers, loaders, mechanics, lawyer, accountant, dispatcher. Moreover, one employee can combine several responsibilities at once.

5. Open a bank account.

6. Competently draw up a contract with the customer for transportation.

Cargo transportation: types, conditions, features

Cargo transportation is carried out both within the region and throughout Russia and between different countries.

In the case of delivery of goods between regions, even if the vehicle does not cross state borders, special permission is required for the movement of heavy and large cargo. After it is received from the territorial road authorities and approved by the traffic police, a pass is issued for the right to move freight transport.

When moving cargo between countries, much more permitting documents will be needed.

In addition to road transport, rail, sea, river and air transportation are widely used. The most cost-effective and speed-of-travel option is road transport. It is more profitable to use the railway one when the delivery point is located at a considerable distance from the main roads and under any climatic conditions. Sea and river transport are characterized by low transportation costs. Air transportation is most often used when there is a strict time limit or the impossibility of other access to the destination.

Conditions for moving goods may vary between companies involved in cargo transportation, but the contracts usually stipulate the following:

• place of departure and delivery;
• names of all persons and companies involved;
• product characteristics;
• description of the means of transportation;
• contract price and payment procedure;
• deadlines.

When drawing up a contract, it is also necessary to provide for all the specifics of transportation, including the route. Agreements can be signed both for a single supply and for a sufficiently long period of time.

It is worth remembering that all financial responsibility for the duration of the route falls on the owner of the vehicle.

Drivers who will deliver dangerous goods, such as compressed gases, explosive or toxic materials, must obtain a special permit in accordance with the established procedure.

Usually, in order to arrange a trip by vehicle, in addition to the contract, you must have the following documents:

• waybill with information about the driver and business owner, the make of the car and its characteristics, permission and assignments for the driver, as well as a note about his pre-trip medical examination;
• waybill and order receipt;
• compulsory and voluntary insurance in case of property damage.

Freight dispatcher: home business

One of the options for a business idea for cargo transportation is to organize it without having your own car. In this case, the dispatcher, whom shippers contact, looks for the appropriate transport for a specific product, negotiates the terms of transportation, its cost, and creates the desired route. And after the work is completed, he receives his agreed percentage of its total cost.

To work as a dispatcher, you do not need special education, just communication skills, attentiveness, and perseverance. It is also important to have a calm, stress-resistant character.

You can start a business in your apartment, having only a computer with the Internet, a telephone and a fax. But you still have to register as an individual entrepreneur. It is also necessary to draw up a business plan for a freight dispatch service.

How to open an individual entrepreneur for cargo transportation

The process of registering an individual entrepreneur for cargo transportation is almost the same as for regular registration and consists of submitting the following papers to the tax authority:

• statement;
• receipt of payment of the duty;
• a copy of the passport pages with your own data and registration of place of residence;

OKVED code for cargo transportation you can choose the following:

• 63.4 “Organization of cargo transportation”
• 60.2 “Other land transport activities”

Moreover, individual entrepreneurs for cargo transportation can be registered not only in personal presence, but also by power of attorney certified by a notary. Along with the cost of paying the fee, you will need to order a personal stamp for documentation and open a bank account.

A great help for a newbie in cargo transportation will be drawing up a well-thought-out business plan. Since everyone’s initial conditions are different, everyone will have their own business plan. But the average option includes the following:

1. General overview section. It describes the form of the business, goals, and relevance of the project.
2. Description of activity
3. Analysis of the cargo transportation market. This section provides an overview of the market in this segment in the region, analyzes the shortcomings of competitors and offers its advantages.
4. Production work plan. It discusses the sequential steps to complete the work, the expected risks, and a description of the necessary resources.
5. Project costs. All current and expected expenses, income and calculation of efficiency and payback are described.

How much can you earn from cargo transportation? Depending on the tonnage of the vehicle and the nature of transportation, you can receive from 50 thousand rubles per month. You can download an example of a ready-made business plan for cargo transportation for individual entrepreneurs.

Ready-made cargo transportation business

Many entrepreneurs are ready to buy a ready-made cargo transportation business rather than organize it from scratch. As a rule, the established business already has a fleet of cars that employ drivers and dispatchers, a base of regular customers has been established, and some contracts have even been concluded for a long period. The only thing that is needed from the buyer is an investment of money and further competent management.

1. If you have no experience in managing cargo transportation, then it is best to start at the intracity level.
2. Needs to be installed long-term relationships with clients, since this will not only provide you with regular orders, but will also give you additional advertising.
3. Always ask from large clients letters of recommendation. They will serve as a good guarantee of reliability.
4. An excellent option would be creating your own website or. This will convince potential customers that the company is serious.
5. Four components can lead to continued success: quality of transportation, a more attractive price for customers, safety and meeting delivery deadlines.

Useful articles

When studying business areas in which today you can actively develop, aspiring entrepreneurs should pay attention to the field of cargo transportation. This industry directly depends on the growth of the industrial sector, as well as on the general economic situation in the state. When planning to open a transport company, a novice businessman must first of all monitor the local market, realistically assess his ability to compete, and also draw up a competent financial plan.

Registration

After making the final decision regarding the opening of a transport company, the businessman must go through the state registration procedure. To do this, he needs to determine in what status the commercial activity will be carried out:

1. Individual entrepreneur.
2. Closed or Open Joint Stock Company.
3. Limited Liability Company

Important! Experts in the field of economics and law recommend that Russian citizens who decide to develop a cargo transportation business choose . Its main advantage is that the founders and managers of the company are not subject to legal liability. If problems arise with regulatory authorities, the Limited Liability Company will be liable only with personal property and assets listed on the balance sheet.

After studying this video, novice entrepreneurs will be able to learn how to properly organize document flow in a transport company:

If beginning entrepreneurs have chosen LLC as their legal form, then the best option for them would be to switch to the UTII tax regime (see also). In this case, they will be able to use up to 20 trucks. For individual entrepreneurs, tax form 3 of personal income tax is more suitable. Before starting work, company managers must open current accounts in any banking institution, since very often cargo transportation is ordered by both small and large companies that need to document their costs.

Attention! Today, Russian citizens can contact legal offices whose specialists open turnkey transport companies in record time. They can also purchase a ready-made company, with an open bank account and a full set of registration documentation.

Selection of premises

After completion of registration activities, business entities planning to work in the field of cargo transportation need to find premises for an office and a protected area for a vehicle fleet. When looking for premises where clients will be served, you can choose large business centers where offices are rented. When choosing an area for a truck fleet, you should pay attention to those places that have fences and a nearby transport interchange. Today, many companies rent out their warehouses and hangars, as well as administrative buildings in which offices for management and staff can be located.

Important! To operate a transport company, you need to purchase computers, printers, a scanner, a fax and a telephone, which are necessary to work with clients and process cargo transportation. Regular office furniture is suitable for furnishing offices.

If a budding entrepreneur has a large start-up capital, he can purchase office space. In this case, he will be able to make a profit from such real estate (rent), even if there is no development in the field of transport services. The transport company must have its own garage, in which mechanics will repair cars and carry out their maintenance. It is also recommended to equip a warehouse in which customer cargo will be temporarily stored.

A business entity must approach the issue of personnel selection with full responsibility, since the financial result and prosperity of the company will ultimately depend on the qualifications and integrity of hired workers. When hiring drivers, you need to pay attention to their experience and length of service in this field. The number of such employees should match (or better exceed) the number of trucks. If the company operates daily, then one truck needs to have 2-3 drivers. A work shift schedule is drawn up for them, which includes days off.

If truck drivers have the opportunity to independently carry out maintenance and repair of vehicles, then they can save money on the position of mechanic (otherwise, such a unit should be added to the staff). It is imperative to hire qualified and sober loaders who can carry out loading and unloading operations either manually or using specialized equipment.

To work in the office, you will need to hire an accountant, cleaners, security guards and a secretary, a trade manager, a logistics manager (the number of these employees depends on the size of the fleet), who will place orders. A large logistics company must have a lawyer on staff who can handle insurance processing. If the manager cannot find suitable specialists for the positions of lawyer and accountant, he can turn to an outsourcing company and use the services of its employees. Today, many transport organizations employ full-time doctors who examine drivers before each trip.

Important! A business entity can save money if it hires drivers with personal cargo transport.

Freight transportation as a business is a promising investment. It is impossible to imagine modern life without cargo transportation. Delivery of goods to stores, medicines to pharmacies, personal belongings and other objects requires specialized transport. If you organize a cargo transportation business correctly, you can make a good profit.

What services can a cargo transportation company provide?

The main task of the company is to move cargo from one point to another. Depending on the specifics of the activity, services can vary greatly. Conventionally, they can be divided into several types:

1. Relocation of objects to various localities in Russia. The service is often required for enterprises that deliver manufactured goods from a warehouse to a customer, to a retail outlet, to another warehouse, etc. The type and size of the cargo being moved will depend on the capabilities of the vehicles available in the company’s fleet.
2. Moving from one point to another. This could be a private, warehouse, office move, etc. It is necessary to transport furniture, personal belongings and other items.
3. Garbage removal. This service can be performed not only with special equipment, but also with small trucks. Customers can be manufacturing companies and private citizens.
4. Specific cargo transportation. They are carried out with the availability of special equipment. For example, timber trucks, manipulators, etc.
   Additional services

To generate more income and interest from customers, a freight transportation company can provide the following additional services:

1. Loader services. Often, along with the cargo moving service, loaders are required who can load objects at the beginning of the journey and unload them at the destination.
2. Cargo packaging. When moving, the service of packing things is relevant so that they do not become deformed during the move. This service can also be offered to clients.
3. Cargo insurance. With this service, customers will be able to compensate for losses if the cargo receives any defect during transportation, whether or not it is the fault of the driver.
4. Customs declaration. The offer is valid when transporting goods between countries. Here you will have to fill out a package of papers for the declaration and movement of goods through customs.
5. Auto forwarding. This is a door to door service. All transportation concerns are taken care of by the carrier company. It organizes delivery without the presence of the sender or recipient.

Registration of documents

The cargo transportation business is a type of small business, since the staff will be less than 15 people. This means you can open an LLC or individual entrepreneur. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages.

A limited liability company (LLC) is a legal entity that will be responsible for the company’s property and authorized capital. An individual entrepreneur is an individual. He will have to answer with his personal property. But an individual entrepreneur is easier to open, close and maintain reporting.

To register an individual entrepreneur, you need to visit the tax office at your place of registration. Applications are written there in form P21001. It includes data about the future businessman and OKVED codes. Before submitting an application, you need to pay a state fee of 800 rubles.

After registering a business, perform the following tasks:

• registering as an employer with the insurance fund;
• printing production;
• opening a current bank account;
• ensuring the availability of accounting.

If LLC is chosen as the legal form, then it is better to choose the UTII taxation system. When registering an individual business, you will have a choice between five tax regimes. To determine the appropriate one, you will need to take into account the number of pieces of equipment and many other factors. The most acceptable forms for individual entrepreneurs are the simplified tax system and UTII.

Selecting a room

After completing the paperwork, organizing cargo transportation involves finding office space and a vehicle fleet. The first premises can be rented in a large business center. It will house dispatchers and receive clients. You can rent an office in a call center for less money. Dispatchers will be able to comfortably accommodate themselves on 20 m2.

When choosing a vehicle fleet, preference should be given to fenced and guarded areas that are located close to transport interchanges. You can even pay attention to warehouses and hangars, which can accommodate a fleet of vehicles and premises for office workers.

If you have funds, you can buy your own commercial premises for an office. A large trucking company must have its own garage with a mechanic to repair and maintain vehicles. You may also need a warehouse where customer cargo can be temporarily stored.

Arrangement of the control room

You need to purchase furniture and office equipment for the control room. Here you will need to purchase chairs, tables, laptops or computers, phones and printers according to the number of employees in the office. Be sure to connect to the Internet, telephone line, and buy stationery.
To receive clients, you need to install a small sofa in the office. You will also need a filing cabinet. The office must have electricity. Setting up the control room will cost about 100,000 rubles. Every month you will have to buy additional stationery, pay for electricity, telephone and Internet.

Purchase of transport

When purchasing equipment to start a cargo transportation business from scratch, the size of the starting capital and the nature of the services that the company will provide are important. You can have just one Gazelle in your fleet, or you can acquire a number of heavy-duty vehicles. Used foreign cars are convenient and rarely break down, but Russian cars are cheaper to repair.

Gazelles are suitable for transporting goods within a populated area. They are maneuverable, so they quickly solve assigned tasks in an urban environment. They can be driven by a person who does not have a truck license category. Such a machine is inexpensive to maintain and has low fuel consumption. To save money, you can install gas equipment on it. Buying a used Gazelle will cost approximately 300,000 rubles.

To transport products, tilted vehicles are chosen. For large loads, transport with a trailer is suitable. Perishable products must be transported in insulated vans or refrigerators. “Zil-Bychok” is perfect for moving, as it has good cross-country ability.
For 800,000 thousand rubles you can buy a Mercedes/MAN car that can accommodate up to 5 tons of cargo. But with such an amount, you can only count on a used model, since a new car costs 10 million rubles. To drive a 5-ton truck you need a license with an open load category. When purchasing such transport, there is a wider range of services, the ability to transport larger masses and volumes, so the profit will be higher.

To purchase 10 and 20-ton trucks you will need more than 2 million rubles. The highest quality brands are SCANIA and Volvo. The main purpose of such vehicles is to transport goods over long distances.

Trucks "Gazelle"

A full-fledged vehicle fleet for the transportation of goods consists of the following units of equipment:

• small-sized machines up to 8 tons;
• large-sized machines up to 25 tons;
• cars with a thermal booth;
• special equipment, including lifting equipment;
• container ship;
• tow truck

Recruitment

Conventionally, cargo transportation company employees are divided into two categories:

1. Operator-dispatcher, manager, accountant.
2. Drivers, auto mechanics, loaders.

Support staff

The operator-dispatcher must communicate with customers, take orders, contact drivers, and help other office workers when there is no workload. Main requirements for a dispatch service operator:

• correct speech;
• sociability;
• ability to multitask;
• good logic and memory.

The approximate salary of an employee is 20,000 rubles.

A good manager is needed to manage an organization, draw up contracts, reports and other responsibilities. He can also handle the marketing affairs of the company. Main requirements:

• experience;
• higher education in this profile (for example, logistics manager);
• literacy;
• responsibility.

His salary will be 45,000 rubles.

Depending on the size of the company, an accountant and lawyer may be required. You can contact an outsourcing company for their services. Large organizations have medical professionals on staff who examine drivers before starting their shift.

Vehicle fleet for cargo transportation

Drivers

The number of drivers will depend on the number and type of vehicles. It is advisable to have 2 drivers per heavy truck to increase the speed of cargo delivery. If the company operates daily, then for each car it will have to hire several drivers and schedule working days with weekends. What is required from the driver:

• open category for the required transport;
• driving experience;
• experience.

The driver's salary is based on the work performed. For example, for an employee driving a Gazelle it can be 30,000 rubles, and for a worker from 70,000 rubles. The salary of each employee is average. The exact amount depends on the region.

It will be possible to save on auto mechanics if drivers know how to repair the car themselves. If not, then you will have to hire him. You will also need to hire loaders who are sufficiently qualified and do not drink alcohol. They must be able to perform loading and unloading operations manually and using special equipment.

The selection of employees must be approached responsibly. You can stand out among other cargo transportation companies with the help of quality service, which largely depends on the literacy of your employees.

Advertising for a cargo transportation company

Where to start a cargo transportation business in order to provide the company with work and clients - with advertising events. To find clients, use the following steps:

• posting notices on special boards;
• advertising the company in Internet resources visited by city residents;
• advertising in print media;
• distributing leaflets near household appliances and furniture stores;
• advertising in local media;
• distribution of business cards.

It is necessary to conclude a contract with dispatch services. If you intend to cooperate with legal entities, then you need to send them commercial proposals. You can offer competitive conditions and participate in tenders. Customers must be issued discount cards. Or order a batch of souvenirs or stationery with company logos.

The right marketing strategy can make the company a leader among similar cargo transportation organizations in the region. We need to try to attract more clients, and offer regular customers favorable terms of cooperation in the form of bonuses.

Is it possible to expand the business?

If the company has reached the stage when all cargo transportation resources are fully loaded, then you can think about expansion. It will be used to purchase new cars and develop new markets. You need to purchase new cars based on the workload of a particular type of equipment. Market development is carried out in the following way:

• opening an office in another city;
• following new routes;
• provision of various additional services.

To open a full-fledged cargo transportation company, you will need a large start-up capital. If it is not there, then you can start working independently at Gazelle and strive to further expand your small business.

A freight transportation company can provide a wide range of additional services to generate more income and interest from customers.

Freight transportation is considered a promising type of business. People living in both cities and towns use transport services when they need to deliver large items. Therefore, potential clients can be found anywhere. This is very important for those who are wondering how to start a trucking business. After all, any product or service needs a buyer. The higher the demand, the more profit the business owner receives.

Where to begin?

The trucking business may seem like a very simple matter to some. However, in practice this is a costly and troublesome task. It's no wonder that only a few remain in this market.

So, the first place to start a cargo transportation business is to search for transport. If the starting capital is low, it is recommended to start with a Gazelle-type car.

This type of business requires considerable investment, which will be spent on purchasing at least a small fleet of vehicles, as well as renting a parking lot.

A potential businessman has two ways to obtain vehicles for cargo transportation: purchasing or leasing. In the second case, it is possible to significantly reduce the initial investment and achieve payback faster. Indeed, for minimal profitability, it is recommended to organize a fleet of at least six trucks.

Search for clients

This is the next important question to answer for those who are wondering how to start a trucking business. You need to understand that if there is no demand, you will not be able to earn money.

That's why you need to choose the most suitable place and time to start your own business. In addition, you need to be prepared to withstand the competition that exists in the cargo transportation market.

Potential clients want to get the most favorable conditions for themselves: quickly, inexpensively and with high quality. However, compliance with such requirements will put the cargo carrier on the brink of bankruptcy. We need to find a middle ground.

Cargo transportation orders must be fulfilled efficiently. This will create a loyal customer base, which will become a stable source of income in the future.

What is needed to start a cargo transportation business?

So, to start a business in this area, it is important not only to find transport and attract clients, but also to take care of the legal side of the issue. In particular, you need to register an individual entrepreneur. A license will only be required if the businessman plans to transport hazardous substances.

The registration process includes several stages.

• First of all, you need to submit the documents to the tax office. This can be done in person, by registered mail, or remotely using the website.
• This is followed by document verification.
• The final stage is the registration of individual entrepreneurs. This happens after the relevant information is entered into the Unified State Register of Enterprises.

Taxation

As you know, tax is required to be paid on any profit in the Russian Federation. To do this, you need to choose the most appropriate option. This could be the simplified tax system, UTII or a patent for cargo transportation for individual entrepreneurs.

It is impossible to say unambiguously which option will be more profitable in a particular case. For each business you need to perform calculations individually. Only based on their results can one draw conclusions about the advisability of using a particular taxation scheme. You need to decide on it before registering an individual entrepreneur.

When submitting the corresponding application, the future entrepreneur must select OKVED codes for cargo transportation. These are digital values ​​corresponding to his activities. They are collected in a separate reference book. An entrepreneur just needs to select one or more codes and then indicate them in the application for individual entrepreneur registration.

Peculiarities

If you are interested in where to start in cargo transportation, you should first understand the essence of this work. From the outside, the whole chain seems incredibly simple. Conclusion of the contract, packaging and loading, delivery to the destination address.

However, there are many nuances that make up the features of a business related to freight transportation. For example, delivery must be on time. This is very important, since failure to meet deadlines undermines the company's reputation, scaring away potential clients.

It is worth considering the possibility of additional services. Some clients need not only delivery, but also subsequent unpacking and installation of things. Such services can be fixed in an additional agreement and a separate fee can be established for them.

What not to do?

There is an opinion in the market that the cargo transportation industry is preferred by those who could not find a place for themselves in other industries. Such entrepreneurs are not ready to provide quality service. They register an individual entrepreneur, hire a dispatcher and start accepting orders, but are in no hurry to complete them.

In addition, they often announce the final cost after unloading the items. Usually it differs significantly from the original one in a larger direction. This is why clients remain dissatisfied and are not even going to recommend such a company to their friends. Accordingly, one cannot count on the effect of word of mouth.

When wondering how to start a trucking business from scratch, try to avoid similar mistakes, including neglecting customers. Otherwise, this activity is unlikely to turn into a stable source of income.

Relevance

You already know what you need to open a cargo transportation business. However, it is equally important to assess the relevance of this business area. Otherwise, there is a high probability that all efforts will be wasted.

It is believed that in the modern world people especially value time, so high-quality logistics is important for them. The relevance of companies involved in cargo delivery is increasing.

To understand this, just imagine that this area of ​​activity for some reason has ceased to function. What will happen? Goods will not be delivered to stores, people will not be able to transport large items, etc.

Freight transportation is a relevant business. But this does not guarantee profitability.

Is it worth starting?

A transport company business plan can answer this question.

There are different opinions. Some people believe that cargo transportation can become a stable source of income. Some, on the contrary, are convinced that in order to make a profit it is better to concentrate their own efforts on other industries.

In the case of a business plan, instead of subjective opinions, you will receive more specific figures that allow you to draw conclusions about the feasibility of opening a company in this area.

However, to obtain reliable information, preliminary work needs to be done. In particular, determine the audience segment to which your services will be targeted, and then find out its needs and financial capabilities. Even the highest quality service will be difficult to sell if potential clients have nothing to pay for it.

Also, when drawing up a business plan in the field of cargo transportation, it is important to take into account the start-up investments. In this case they will be significant. Since the business is related to the purchase of vehicles.

Staff

A freight transport business cannot be organized alone. At a minimum, drivers will be required to deliver goods.

To ensure profitability, you need to properly schedule your employees. For drivers it must be continuous. Therefore, for each vehicle you will have to find at least two drivers with the right to drive freight transport.

You also need to hire one or more dispatchers who will take orders.

Each employee needs to pay a salary and make contributions to the Pension Fund. Therefore, you will have to hire a professional accountant.

How to find orders?

Businessmen who start cargo transportation from scratch first try to evaluate the prospects with minimal costs. That is why at first they can do without a dispatcher and temporarily act as a driver.

However, it is impossible to grow a business without customers. You can start by searching for advertisements on the Internet. But you need to understand that this is a labor-intensive method.

Beginning entrepreneurs often prefer to receive orders for cargo transportation from third-party dispatch companies. In return, you will have to share part of your own profits.

An alternative option would be your own advertising. You can post ads online, try banners and signs. It is difficult to say for sure in advance which method will work better. However, the second option is considered quite expensive. It is unknown whether such costs will pay off.

Important Terms

If you want to get a profitable trucking business, you need to meet certain conditions.

• Full load. The less free space remains in the car, the more profitable cargo transportation becomes.
• Full time job. The less cars sit idle, the more profit they bring. Ideally, you need to calculate potential demand at the start and, taking it into account, calculate the number of vehicles.
• Maintenance. You should not neglect regular checks and maintenance of vehicles, especially if they operate under constant load.