How to create your own cargo transportation business. Step-by-step instructions: how to open a freight transport company from scratch? How to start a freight transport business

Hello dear readers. Today, in the “Sharing Experience” section, Evgeny Mironov, a 20-year-old entrepreneur engaged in cargo transportation in his city of Angarsk with a population of 240,000 people, answered my questions. If you are interested in the cargo transportation business, then you will be doubly interested in learning from Evgeniy’s experience. In my opinion, the article turned out to be interesting! So, let's begin.

Hello, Evgeniy! What is the name and what does your company do? How many are already on the market?

Hello Nikolay! The company is called "Angarsk Freight Transportation Center". It has only been on the market for 5 months. Initially, when I started providing transport services, then they were: special. equipment, minibuses, car rental, etc. But it turned out to be very difficult to advertise several services at once, so I decided to engage only in cargo transportation and providing the services of loaders and general workers.

The scheme of work is as follows. The client calls us, orders cargo transportation or loaders, we accept the order and give it to the order executor (driver or loaders) and receive a percentage of the order. In essence, it turns out that we are selling the client. We also provide services on an ongoing basis with full-time drivers with l/a. This makes it more profitable and safer.

Those. Are you essentially a simple dispatcher?

Well, basically yes, I’m an ordinary dispatcher who looks for cargo for transportation and hands it over to the driver. But on the other hand, no, because at the moment I have several cars that are already working on a permanent basis in the company. In general, I am gradually moving from the status of “dispatcher” to the status of “transport company”.

How many employees do you have?

Not much, we are a very small company, but we are growing quickly. Currently in the state:

  • 1 dispatcher;
  • 1 advertisement sticker;
  • 1 contract driver with a personal truck;
  • 4 loaders;
  • 1 person on advertising, monitors the site, promotes, takes orders, etc.;
  • and the rest from order to order.

Who are your main clients and what orders come most often?

Our clients are mostly private individuals, but now companies are starting to appear with whom we work for delivery to nearby cities. Various orders come in: to transport furniture from one apartment to another, to help rearrange some things, to deliver various goods from one point to another, etc. And there was even one interesting order, to translate a live hog :) Initially, of course, there was some fear: “What if something goes wrong, or an accident?” And while the cargo is traveling and in the car, I am fully responsible for it! In the end, we did a great job with this :) The client was happy! And this is the main thing!

Is this your first business or have you done something else before? How did you get into business in the first place and why business and not working for “Uncle”?

From early childhood I tried to work for myself, and I didn’t have a great desire to work for some “guy,” so when I was little I tried to sell something, carry passengers on my scooter for money, etc. Therefore, later in life there was no particular doubt about where to go and what to do.

I tried to do different kinds of business, but not always everything went smoothly, maybe because of my little entrepreneurial experience, but I’m constantly learning :) For example, I was also involved in slate making. Buy low and sell high high price. To be honest, in my city this is an ideal business with almost no start-up capital. You only need to have a house with a plot, a couple of phones and advertising of course :). The business is mainly seasonal, so I had to look for something permanent and settled on cargo transportation.

Why cargo transportation?

There is no clear answer here. Maybe because you can enter it without initial funds and still get used to it as a dispatch office. Or maybe I’m just good at it.

What is the revenue/turnover or net profit of the business (on average)?

The average turnover depends entirely on you and advertising. As much as you work, you will get so much. When I first started, my average turnover was 3000-5000 rubles. in Week. Now, after many attempts, testing and hard work, the income averages 80,000-100,000 rubles. per month. I think this is a good result for just 5 months of work, without having a personal vehicle fleet.

What difficulties and nuances are there in your business and what did you encounter when you first started?

Like any business, there are difficulties and pitfalls. And, of course, I am no exception. The first thing that was difficult was the contracts with the drivers, they are the owners, why would they work for our low prices? There is also, of course, high competition in my city. Well, and constant monitoring of the condition of cars, drivers and loaders, so that it doesn’t happen that there is an order, but there are no workers.

Another difficulty was and is the recruitment of loaders. It often happened that a person completed a job, but did not give a percentage of the order, he simply disappeared and that’s it. Because of this, I often didn’t want to do anything and gave up. After all, really, you give a person a job, try to find orders, and he acts like a pig. We have to pass a lot of people through the company in search of adequate and responsible guys.

What plans do you have for business development?

As always, there are a lot of plans. I would like to buy a couple of my own cars, open an office and raise the income level by at least 2-3 times. We are also starting to work with companies. We recently entered into an agreement with a company for the transportation of household chemicals on an ongoing basis for payment on a weekly basis. The amounts there are completely different and it’s interesting.

The main ones are: Avito, Yandex.Direct, Google Adwords, banners around the city, business cards and posting advertisements. But the most important source of advertising is word of mouth. After all, we live in Russia and there has never been good service here. And we try to serve the client at high level, we try to save his time and money, so we are often recommended to others.

What documents, permits and other formalities did you require?

If you just start, try, then documents and permits are not needed at all. If you have started earning money and want to work officially, do larger-scale advertising and work with companies, then you need at least an individual entrepreneur. I collected all the documents and went through the state. organs and everything. And in my work I only need contract agreements with employees. If I were transporting people, I would need to obtain a license, but in my activities I can do without it.

I think everyone should answer this question for themselves. After all, every person’s soul lies in different things. But I will say one thing, if you approach this type of business correctly, you can get good returns. And most importantly, this is desire and aspiration!

And lastly, give some advice to readers who also want to get involved in cargo transportation in their city.

Well, first you need a great desire and love for what you do. You also need to understand that quality of service is best advertising. When starting out, you should immediately decide what exactly you are doing: a dispatch service or a full-fledged one in the future. transport company. Next, you need to know how you will differ from others and wisely think through the prices for services.

I’ll tell you right away about advertising. Website and advertising work best in Yandex and Google. Posting advertisements only works when the whole city is covered and it is advisable to make the background of the advertisement red or yellow so that it is clearly visible that you are offering and a telephone number (preferably a home one, since it is quickly remembered than a mobile one).

You also need to hire workers, the more the better (so that it doesn’t happen that there is an order but no performers). It is also necessary to make special offers for legal entities, because... they generally generate more profit. Well, give the opportunity to choose payment: hourly, by mileage and by weight. Otherwise, try, experiment and everything will work out!

Thank you, Evgeniy, for answering the questions. Good luck in business!

Dear readers, if you have questions for Evgeniy, then ask them in the comments!

One of the most profitable niches among private businesses has always been cargo transportation. A business plan usually promises good profits for entrepreneurs, but many approach this endeavor with caution. As in any other direction, entrepreneurs face many pitfalls in cargo transportation. Therefore, the business plan should be as close to reality as possible. This article will help beginners start their business correctly and tell you how to create detailed business-plan for cargo transportation.

Who is this business for?

Most often, cargo transportation is carried out by people who in the past had nothing to do with this field. Even without understanding the nuances of this matter at all, you can build a successful business.

People choose trucking as an investment option for several reasons. The main ones include the high potential and good profitability of this business. However, it will be quite difficult for a simple worker to survive in this path without a good business plan.

A business plan for cargo transportation allows you to outline a clear path for the implementation and development of your business. In addition, if the entrepreneur does not have enough own funds in order to bring his idea to life, he will have to look for lenders or investors. Neither one nor the other will give out money without reading the business plan.

The conclusion suggests itself that, having a good business plan, anyone can open an individual entrepreneur for cargo transportation: a person with or without experience, an entrepreneur with or without initial capital.

Goals

The concept of “cargo transportation” is very broad. Therefore, before starting to draw up a business plan, it is worth deciding what exactly the company will do. Today, there are several samples of a business plan for cargo transportation, depending on the company’s goals. Common types of cargo transportation include:

  • support for relocations of private and legal entities;
  • provision of personnel for loading and unloading operations;
  • movement of international cargo;
  • transportation of large cargo within the country;
  • cargo transportation of commercial products;
  • cargo storage.

Without an accurate idea of ​​what the company plans to do, it is impossible to draw up a business plan. Cargo transportation in all these directions differs in the number of employees, the cost and dimensions of equipment, initial investments, and so on.

In addition, it is not necessary to choose one of the presented types of cargo transportation. All directions can be combined with each other. Moreover, the more services a freight transportation company can offer, the more customers it can acquire.

Marketing is an important component of a business plan

Since cargo transportation is a very profitable enterprise, the level of competition there is simply off the charts. Marketing strategy will allow you to properly and quickly promote the company and, accordingly, to the maximum short time achieve company profitability.

IN good business plan For cargo transportation, the “Marketing” section receives special attention. This is especially true for companies that engage in private cargo transportation. Without high-quality and extensive advertising, clients simply will not be able to find the right company. It will simply get lost among its competitors.

Advertising should focus on the accuracy and speed of moving goods. Those who have ever moved know that damage to property while transporting things from point A to point B is not uncommon. Therefore the majority potential clients will give their preference to companies that guarantee the safety of the cargo.

Advantages over competitors

It is very difficult to develop your business, especially when a young company is essentially no different from many others. Before you draw up a business plan for a trucking company, you should think about what it can offer customers so that they choose it. The obvious advantages that a young company will be able to attract clients include:

  • large car park;
  • the ability to serve both individuals and legal entities;
  • payment by bank transfer;
  • availability of bonuses and discounts;
  • the ability to track cargo through special services;
  • 24-hour operation;
  • additional services other than cargo transportation.

If at the initial stage not everyone can boast of an extensive fleet of vehicles, then emphasis should be placed on more available methods attracting clients. For example, in a business plan for cargo transportation, you can include several additional staff units that will be involved in loading and unloading operations. This attitude towards customers will give the company a good reputation and bring additional income.

How to advertise a trucking company?

To correctly compose the “Marketing” section, you need to represent the real cost of advertising. Advertising budget depends on placement methods advertisements and their effectiveness. The more tempting the offer looks, the faster the company will gain its first customers.

In order to competently create an advertising campaign, you need to clearly understand your target audience. For example, for premium transport, advertisements in the local newspaper are a waste of money. To advertising campaign paid off and gave good results, we need to work comprehensively in several directions.

  • distribution of business cards;
  • development of the company's official website;
  • contextual advertising on Yandex and Google platforms;
  • targeted advertising on social networks;
  • groups and communities on social networks;
  • distribution of leaflets, flyers in crowded places.

Word of mouth should also not be excluded from advertising methods for a cargo transportation company. Of course, you cannot include such an item in a business plan. But from the moment a company appears on the service market, one should value its reputation. Bad fame spreads faster than good fame.

Company opening plan

If an entrepreneur wants to receive a business plan for cargo transportation for free, then he will have to draw it up himself. To do this, you need to understand what this document is.

The business plan contains two parts: theoretical and practical. In the theoretical part, the initial data is analyzed. Theory should smoothly lead to practical calculations. The practical part contains all the necessary calculations, which ultimately should answer two main questions: how profitable is the investment and what is the payback period for the investment.

A person who first opened a business plan should not have any questions or doubts after reading it. The fact is that investors and lenders analyze upcoming expenses very carefully. Therefore, the business plan must assure them that they will not lose their investment.

Business registration

For beginning entrepreneurs, it is most appropriate to provide cargo transportation services as individual entrepreneurs. Firstly, to register an individual entrepreneur you need a minimum package of documents, and secondly, the simplest taxation mechanism applies to individual entrepreneurs.

To register an individual entrepreneur, you need to contact the tax office at your place of residence, write an application and provide a passport. Moreover, if an entrepreneur cannot register his business on his own, he can do this through trusted intermediaries.

Before registering a company, you should choose a tax option in advance. For individual entrepreneurs today there are three available options:

  • simplified system;
  • single tax;
  • general system.

If a future entrepreneur cannot make a choice, he can get advice from a tax consultant before registering an individual entrepreneur.

Office space

If you are serious about organizing a business, then, of course, you cannot do without a company office. Of course, you can accept applications from the comfort of your home, but this can put the director of the company in an awkward situation when the client needs to come in person to sign necessary documents.

A good example of a trucking business plan will never include the cost of purchasing premises. The company's office can be rented, and the money that would be needed to purchase square meters can be used in a more correct direction.

Equipment costs

Equipment costs are the most expensive part of a business plan. This is where most of the available funds should be invested, and savings are inappropriate here. Minimum list necessary equipment includes:

  • automobile;
  • desktop computer or laptop;
  • office equipment (printer, scanner, etc.);
  • landline and mobile phone.

A car will cost the entrepreneur the most. It is not necessary to take out huge loans and buy a foreign car. You can draw up a business plan for cargo transportation using a Gazelle, and over time, supplement and improve your fleet.

Financial plan

The financial plan is the practical part of the business plan. There you can find all the necessary calculations. To make it easier to understand how to draw up a business plan yourself, we provide a list of all the necessary calculations.

The financial plan contains:

  • calculation of capital investments;
  • analysis of sources of cash flows;
  • calculations of estimated revenue;
  • calculations of current costs;
  • calculation of profit and profitability.

Without an economic education, it will be quite difficult to draw up a business plan on your own. For the calculations to be correct, you need to correctly compare all expected expenses and income. Expenses are collected in a table. This includes: expenses for wages and deductions, fuel, depreciation, car maintenance, advertising, etc.

Potential revenue is considered as income, based on the production capacity of the company. The calculation takes into account the number of cars and the number of trips they can make. The business plan does not include possible force majeure circumstances. However, at the end of the business plan, it is imperative to carry out a risk analysis, which can provide a clear picture of the likely success of the company.

Many people dream of opening their own business and starting to work for themselves. But as you know, desire alone is not enough; many nuances must be taken into account. The crisis and unstable economic situation in the country lead to the fact that many enterprises cease their work and become bankrupt. Starting your own business in our time is quite difficult, but it is quite possible, and this is proven by successful entrepreneurs who earn good money despite the crisis.

You can make money in almost any field of activity; alternatively, you can open your own, or start with something simple, for example, transporting goods.

In this article, I want to discuss a pressing question for many: where to start a cargo transportation business? How to open a freight transport company?

Cargo transportation is a popular and stable way earnings that do not lose their relevance even despite significant competition in the market. Therefore, it makes sense to think about such an attractive income option.

Cargo transportation: business plan

Before you start organizational issues, you should draw up a detailed business plan that will help you correctly distribute the available start-up capital and achieve success in a short time. How to create this document? For an example, see detailed.

Profitability of the cargo transportation business. First, you need to determine the relevance of the idea. In other words, analyze the degree of competition, the demand for the service and the amount of costs for opening a transport company. After that, draw appropriate conclusions about whether the cargo transportation business in your region is profitable or not.

Business registration

First of all, you need to legally register your type of activity. To do this, it is necessary to determine the material and legal form of the activity. On at this stage, much will depend on your financial capabilities. If the starting capital is large and you plan to open a large transport company, then, naturally, you need to register as entity. In this case, a suitable option is to register a limited liability company (LLC).

To transport goods on a small scale, it is much more profitable and easier to register as an individual entrepreneur.

Documentation process:

  • Prepare a standard package of documents for individual entrepreneur registration;
  • Pay the state duty in accordance with the law;
  • Submit an application to the tax service and provide your passport data and activity code according to OKVED.

You can collect and prepare the entire package of necessary documents yourself or entrust this matter to an experienced lawyer.

Freight transportation scheme

At the initial stage, you need to analyze the market, determine the degree of demand for the service and competition in this region. I would like to note that competition in the field of cargo transportation is quite serious. But, despite this, there is always a place for an honest, decent entrepreneur who provides high-quality cargo transportation services. Your main advantage is the provision of quality services at the best prices.

Rent or buy a vehicle?

Naturally, everything depends on material capabilities. If you can afford to buy a car to transport goods, great. Otherwise, you will have to rent a vehicle or buy a car on credit.

As a rule, beginning entrepreneurs are content with little and, at the initial stage, personally provide cargo transportation services. Over time, naturally, it will be possible to open your own transport company and hire drivers.

Cargo transportation: types, conditions and features

Cargo transportation is divided into three types: movement of cargo within the region, throughout the country and international cargo transportation. The most difficult ones are international shipping. It will be necessary to prepare all documents for the transported goods, transportation permits, etc. But accordingly, the cost of transporting goods abroad is much higher. Therefore, choose the option that is most suitable for you, taking into account all the above nuances.

Conditions for moving goods

A contract for the transportation of goods is drawn up with each client. As a rule, this document stipulates the following points:

  • Indication of the specific place of departure and exact delivery address;
  • The name of all involved persons of the company that provides the cargo transportation service;
  • Detailed characteristics of the product;
  • Choosing a means of transporting cargo;
  • Cost of the service with detailed calculations;
  • The terms of delivery of the goods to the destination point are agreed upon.

In addition to the contract, you should have other documents available when carrying out cargo transportation.

Waybill. This document contains all the information about the driver and owner of the transport company. Also, the make of the car, the driver’s clearance and assignment of the route, a note indicating that the driver underwent a medical examination on the eve of the trip.

Consignment note and order receipt;

Insurance in case of property damage.

Freight dispatch office business plan

If you do not have start-up capital to start a cargo transportation business, then you can use a simpler way to generate income.

A dispatcher is a person who finds shippers and negotiates the delivery of cargo with the owners Vehicle, forms a route, stipulates all transportation conditions and delivery times for goods.

You can work as a dispatcher even from home. This does not require education or any specific work skills. Communication skills, responsibility and literacy will be enough. Your task is to establish yourself as an honest and responsible person who will not let you down. And then, with the help of word of mouth, you will find regular customers and a good stable income.

Advertising

Trucking is a business that needs advertising, especially on initial stages. Therefore, it is worth advertising your services in every possible way. Start with friends and acquaintances, tell them about your line of work and advise them to contact them if necessary.

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 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 work force(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 it is the most best 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 given up on the idea of ​​opening 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, hand out business cards in those stores that sell building materials, household appliances, 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. Accounting Cargo transportation can be handled by a company specializing in this. 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.