“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
To bring your wishes to life and make them a feasible goal you need proper planning. But before making a good plan you need to harvest information regarding your venture of starting a transport business. According to Statista report, the global smart transport market projected to reach about 5.54 million US dollars at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 19.5 %. It’s said that information is power, and in this age of information, it is the costliest currency.
1. Research
There are many ways of conducting a proper research, many big firms have a large team of analysts who research and prepare a proper business plan for their companies, but if your startup is low on the budget that cannot afford a professional analyst, you have one of the best tools named Google. With the right questions you can receive any information important to Build your Transportation Plan.
FAQs
The questions mentioned below are some of the most common queries that people have on starting a transport business. These questions will give you a rough pattern on how to ask correct questions to get accurate answers to your doubts.
General Startup Query
- How to start a transport business?
- How to start your own transport business?
- How to start a vehicle transport business?
- How much will it cost me to start a van/bus/car transport business?
- How to start a non-emergency transport business?
- How much money will it take to start a transport business?
- How to start a car transport business using a dually?
Service-Specific
How to start a
- Car transport business
- Auto transport business
- Medical transport business
- Hotshot transport business
- Logistics transport business
- Auto transport broker business
- Dog transport business
- Motorcycle transport business
- Cash transport business
- Livestock transport business
- Transport business for senior citizens
- Pharmaceutical transport business
- Ambulance transport business
- Body transport business
- Wheelchair transport business
- Non-emergency transport
- Medical waste transport business
- Freight transport business
Location-Specific
How to start a transport business in
If we arrange the questions mentioned above, we can bifurcate them into 5 steps of the plan for starting a transport business.
2. Choose Your Specialty
Before asking the question; how to start a transport business? Your first question should be what particular service your transport business should provide? There are many types of services offered under transport business and each type has further sub-types to choose from:
Taxi Services
- Commercial taxi service
- Limousine chauffeur service
- High-security clientele transport
Medical Transport Services
- Ambulance transport
- Non-emergency medical transport
- Pharmaceutical transport
- Medical waste transport
- Body transport
Shuttle Transport Service
- Airport Shuttles
- Prison shuttles
- Party shuttles
- Inter-city shuttles
- Sightseeing buses for tourists
- Private contract shuttles (transport company employees, school students)
Each of these services has their own perks and challenges. It’s up to you to decide which service is best for you according to your budget and experience. It’s advisable to select the one which is most needed in your area with least competition.
3. Documentation
The next step should be to get your company registered and acquire all the needed permits and licenses for starting your own transport business. You need to get a set of legal documentation from the concerning government bodies of your business region like:
Permits
All the permits depend on what type of service you opt to offer from your transportation service company. For example, if you offer shuttle service then you need permits to operate heavy vehicles like bus, stretched vans, etc. Similarly, if you offer ambulance service then you need permits for vehicles with proper medical kit and devices in an ambulance as per official regulations mentioned for emergency medical assist vehicles.
Registrations
Your business should be registered in the service you offer with concerning government body. Also, you need to have a business license to run a company and registered with the IRS for tax filing. You will most importantly need to register with the area, province or national transportation department.
4. Purchase Vehicles
The most costly investment in starting your own transport service is buying the vehicles. The budget for vehicle purchase depends on many factors like:
- Is the vehicle new or used?
- How many vehicles are you buying?
- What type of vehicle are you buying? (car, van, bus)
- Are you buying or leasing the vehicle?
All these questions will decide how much your vehicle budget cost you. Buying a used vehicle can save you a lot but if you end up with low mileage problematic vehicle then the maintenance and repair cost alone will cost you a fortune.
Also, if you purchase a large fleet of vehicles at once then you may get a substantial discount from the dealer on your purchase. Buying the right vehicle for your transport company is the single most important decision you’ll make for your company.
5. Strong Marketing
“Stopping advertising to save money is like stopping your watch to save money.” ― Henry Ford
If you believe that your company will sell itself in the market, then you are making the same mistake that many other startups made of over-estimating their market reach. Even the best product in the world needs someone to say that it is the best to attract more people. You need to let people know that you exist and how they will get a better option than the usual transport.
Here are some tips on advertising your company:
- Place an advert in the local telephone book. Even though telephone books are old school, many people still use them.
- Build a mobile app for your company that people can use to book rides online.
- A trendy website is a must for any startup company.
- Make the business cards and car decals with QR code which people can scan and get instant information about your transport business.
Want To Build Mobile App for your Transport Business Startup?
Conclusion
There is a lot of scope in starting a transport business. From a one-man show using a single vehicle to transport goods and offer services, to a fleet of transport vehicles. Build a mobile app for your Company, You can start humbly in this industry and can soon grow to unimaginable heights. With a proper plan and an efficient team, anything is possible.
