Are you planning to start your own trucking business? If so, there are five things you should know before putting your plan into action. Here are our top five tips for success in the trucking business.
1: Location
If you’re going to buy or rent a property for your trucking business, look for a location that allows easy access to other businesses, such as warehouses and/or distribution centers. You also want to make sure your business is close enough to major highways so drivers can get into and out of town easily. While setting up shop in an industrial area will probably be cheaper than opening up shop downtown, long-term savings may be more worthwhile if you get good traffic flow—your drivers are more likely to spend time and money at local restaurants and gas stations instead of making separate trips when they’re already on their way somewhere else. So save some cash now, but don’t sacrifice convenience later.
2: Focus on what you are good at
If you are looking to start your own trucking business and want it to be successful, focus on what you are good at. The two biggest issues with starting any business are funding and being able to market your company. If you already have money, then it will be easier to focus on marketing but if not, focus on finding something that has low start-up costs and can be profitable fast. If you don’t have money to invest in a particular idea then make sure you can do something cheaper than someone else would like. Find an aspect of your company where there is no competition or very little; chances are high that it will grow into other areas very quickly.
3: Operate by the golden rule
A lot of truck drivers’ biggest issue with their jobs is that they don’t feel appreciated. Make sure you are treating your drivers right and make it known that they matter by sending them flowers on holidays, thanking them when they go above and beyond, and listening to their suggestions. If your drivers are happy and respect you as an employer, they will be more likely to work hard. The same way employees can give great customer service while being unhappy in their job, so can employees in your company who do not like their job but must continue working there. Having a trucking business can be very rewarding if you treat your drivers fairly and with respect. It is one way to make sure that your trucks get to where they need to be on time and without incident.
4: Treat every customer like they are your favorite
We have customers all over the country and they are so different. They don’t all have time to wait around, or they are in a hurry, or they want to get their stuff as quickly as possible. But here’s our secret: We treat everyone like we know them personally. We put in extra effort for every customer because we respect them, their belongings, and what it means when someone decides to let us move their most prized possessions from point A to point B. So next time you interact with your customers, try going above and beyond what’s expected of you and see how that makes you feel – it will bring positive results!
5: Be consistent in your approach
Unlike in many other businesses, truck drivers can’t just set their hours—unscheduled stops and breaks are often required. This means that once you clock out of your last day at work, you’re not going to be making any more money until you arrive at your next job site. So, it’s important to be consistent in your approach so that customers know when they can expect to hear from you and schedule appointments accordingly. Setting up an automated reminder service like Google Calendar is a great way to avoid missing deadlines or contacting clients too late. If you’re serious about success as a newbie, spend some time getting familiar with these basic business concepts. Knowledge will give your business foundation and confidence!
