If you are going into business transporting freight, you need to think carefully about what kind of transport company you want to have well before you start. There are many to choose from and you’ll need different kinds of trucks for most of them, so it’s wise to decide before you purchase your vehicles.
It’s also a good idea to take into consideration your own abilities, especially if you are going to be one of the drivers. Can you drive a semi-trailer? Do you find driving trucks for long distances enjoyable. Are you physically able to handle specific types of rigs and long hours of driving, or will shorter hours suit you better? You also need to be fit and able to handle lifting parcels and packages, but if the freight is very heavy, it will be on pallets and so most of the lifting will be done by a forklift.
If you don’t want to drive interstate, your business brochures will need to state the areas you will cover. It will also need to mention the kinds of goods you are interested in transporting. You could focus on things such as car parts such as car batteries, electronics, white goods such as washing machines and refrigerators. . Some such goods will only need to go across the city from the industrial area or a wharf to the retail outlets.
If you have good business skills and abilities but cannot drive a truck, you’ll be able to hire drivers while you run the business from your office. This is even likely to be more successful than if you can drive, but have no business acumen or skills. Both are needed when it comes to starting up such a business.
Or maybe you would prefer to purchase a refrigerated truck that could transport bulk meat, ice-cream and other frozen foods. You might like to get a dangerous goods licence so you can carry items that are considered dangerous in transit such as bleaches and other household cleaning products, chemicals and so on. Your truck might be a car carrier, which is usually one that will go for long distances, carrying cars to many different cities and towns all over the country.
If you live in a more rural area, your trucks might all be cattle trucks as you transport cattle or other livestock to market. Log trucks are also needed in such areas to take logs to mills or sawn timber to retail outlets. The logs to mills, are not always long distances, depending on where the mill is situated. However, the distance sawn timber travels from mill to outlets may be further.
Many truck drivers love the open road and long distance driving, but if you have a young family, you may want to take on short distances so you can also be at home to enjoy your family each night.