If you are looking towards starting a box truck business, then you must carry out a comprehensive feasibility study so that you can get the right location for your business. The truth is that, when it comes to starting a box truck business, certain factors should guide your choice of location and one of them is the run network of the city or state.
The business activities and ease of doing business in the city are also key indicators that can determine if the city is suitable for a box truck business. When we talk of ease of doing business in this regard, we are talking of cities that are trucking-friendly, states that have fewer regulations on drivers, and trucking company owners.
The truth is that strict regulations often cause small businesses to struggle. Having said that, here are 20 of the best cities and states to start a box truck business in the United States of America.
Best Cities and States to Start a Box Truck Business
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Montgomery, Alabama
The fact that box trucks are used for the transportation of goods in and around urban cities makes Montgomery an ideal city to start a box truck business. The reason for this is not far-fetched; a great deal of Alabama’s economic growth since the 1990s has been due to the state’s expanding manufacturing industry.
Asides from that, purchasing box trucks in Alabama is cheaper because located in the state are Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, as well as their various suppliers.
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San Diego, California
San Diego, California is one state that investors who are looking towards starting a box truck business should consider. Aside from the good road network and ease of doing business, California’s economy is dependent on trade, and also international-related commerce accounts for about one-quarter of the state’s economy.
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San Antonio, Texas
Another city on our list that is highly suitable for a box truck business is San Antonio, Texas. The fact that Texas has fewer regulations, as well as low fuel costs and lots of opportunities for the trucking industry, has translated into a massive amount of established trucking businesses.
The hustle and bustle of the trucking industry here cause heavy congestion for several cities, but the benefits outweigh the negatives. The trip from Dallas and San Antonio is completely worth it for those looking to start a career as a truck driver.
Interestingly, Texas has the most farms and the highest acreage in the United States. The state is ranked No. 1 for revenue generated from total livestock and livestock products and farmers in the state usually make use of box trucks to transport their farm produce.
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Orlando, Florida
The five largest sectors of employment in Florida are trade, transportation, and utilities; government; professional and business services; education and health services; and leisure and hospitality.
Aside from the manufacturing industry that hires box trucks when they have to transport goods to stores in the inner-city, the real estate market also engages box trucks in the movement of furniture and home appliances from one apartment to another.
Orlando, Florida can also boast of a vibrant real estate market. As a matter of fact, in output, the five largest sectors are finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing, followed by professional and business services.
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Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Interestingly, there is hardly ever any traffic in Oklahoma, and since gas is produced in the state, it is inexpensive, making it exceptionally profitable to start a truck company here. What also sets Oklahoma apart from other states is its geographical location.
The fact that Oklahoma is an oil-producing state also makes the state highly suitable for a box truck business. The state government encourages the consumption of its own oil by keeping fuel taxes low. Naturally, this means cheaper diesel fuel prices.
In addition, there are fewer regulations in the trucking industry when compared with other states. Congestion-free roads and a safe driving environment contribute to the state as being one of the best for trucking companies.
When comparing the number of box trucking businesses in Oklahoma to the state’s population, it is evident that the location, low fuel costs, regulations, and driving conditions are drawing many business owners to the trucking industry in this Midwestern state.
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Knoxville, Tennessee
Another city that is highly suitable to start a box truck business is Knoxville, Tennessee and just like Oklahoma, Tennessee offers cheaper fuel prices when compared to other states.
With a high number of major highways, Tennessee continues to work on improving the transportation infrastructure to ensure a safe and reliable highway network. Trust me, most box truck companies will always go to cities where they are assured of a safe and reliable road network.
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Boise, Idaho
The agriculture industry is a major source of income for box trucks because they help in transporting farm produce from the farm to grocery stores in inner cities. The fact that Idaho is an important agricultural state, producing nearly one-third of the potatoes grown in the United States makes it very suitable to start a box truck business.
The ease of doing business is also another factor that encourages box truck businesses to start in a state and interestingly, in 2014, Idaho emerged as the second small business-friendly state, ranking behind Utah, based on a study from over 12,000 small business owners. This is indeed one of the reasons why an investor looking towards starting a box truck business should consider investing in Boise, Idaho.
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Overland Park, Kansas
Another ideal city to start a box truck business is Overland Park, Kansas. This city is suitable for the box truck business because it has a thriving farming market. Nearly 90 percent of Kansas’ land is devoted to agriculture. The state’s agricultural outputs are cattle, sheep, wheat, sorghum, soybeans, cotton, hogs, corn, and salt.
As of 2018, there were 59,600 farms in Kansas, 86 (0.14 percent) of which are certified organic farms. The average farm in the state is about 770 acres (more than a square mile), and in 2016, the average cost of running the farm was $300,000.
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Bowling Green, Kentucky
When listing cities and states that are highly suitable for a box truck business, then Bowling Green, Kentucky must be on the list.
Box trucks are highly suitable and safe for the transportation of wines and liquors and interestingly, Kentucky produces 95 percent of the world’s supply of bourbon whiskey, and the number of barrels of bourbon being aged in Kentucky (more than 5.7 million) exceeds the state’s population.
Bourbon has been a growing market – with the production of Kentucky bourbon rising 170 percent between 1999 and 2015. In 2019 the state had over 50 distilleries for bourbon production. Kentucky exports reached a record $22.1 billion in 2012, with products and services going to 199 countries.
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Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
The fact that the transportation of farm produce and general merchandise from one location to another is high in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota makes the city highly suitable to start a box truck business. Although less than one percent of the population is now employed in the agricultural sector, it remains a major part of the state’s economy, ranking sixth in the nation in the value of products sold.
The state is the U.S.’s largest producer of sugar beets, sweet corn, green peas for processing, and farm-raised turkeys. Minnesota is also a large producer of corn and soybeans and has the most food cooperatives per capita in the United States. Forestry remains strong, including logging, pulpwood processing, paper production, and forest products manufacturing.
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St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri is yet another city that is highly suitable to start a box truck business. St. Louis, Missouri is a city that is known for its thriving manufacturing industry, and box trucks are used for moving manufactured goods from the manufacturers to stores in and around urban cities.
Major industries include aerospace, transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, printing/publishing, electrical equipment, light manufacturing, financial services, and beer. Missouri also has a growing science, agricultural technology, and biotechnology field.
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Great Fall, Montana
If you are conversant on how beers are distributed in urban cities, you will agree that box trucks are majorly used to achieve this. Interestingly, Great Fall, Montana is a relative hub of beer microbrewing, ranking third in the nation in the number of craft breweries per capita in 2011.
Significant industries exist for lumber and mineral extraction; the state’s resources include gold, coal, silver, talc, and vermiculite. So, if you are looking for a city to start a box truck business, then you should consider heading to Great Fall, Montana.
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Manchester, New Hampshire
Another ideal city to start a box truck business is Manchester, New Hampshire. The real estate market is a major source of income and interestingly, Manchester, New Hampshire boasts of a thriving real estate market.
Available data shows that the state’s largest economic sectors in 2018, based on contribution to GDP, are: 15 percent real estate and rental and leasing; 13 percent professional business services; 12 percent manufacturing; 10 percent government and government services; and 9 percent healthcare and social services. New Hampshire today has a broad-based and growing economy, with a state GDP growth rate of 2.2 percent in 2018.
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Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico is yet another city to start a box truck business. New Mexico provides several economic incentives to businesses operating in the state, including various types of tax credits and tax exemptions. Most of the incentives are based on job creation.
New Mexico law allows governments to provide land, buildings, and infrastructure to businesses to promote job creation. This is indeed one of the reasons why an investor who intends to start a box truck business should consider investing in New Mexico.
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Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina is yet another city where a box truck business can thrive because North Carolina has 15 metropolitan areas, and in 2010 was chosen as the third-best state for business by Forbes Magazine, and the second-best state by Chief Executive Officer Magazine.
The state has a very diverse economy because of its great availability of hydroelectric power, its pleasant climate, and its wide variety of soils.
North Carolina is the leading U.S. state in the production of flue-cured tobacco and sweet potatoes and comes second in the farming of pigs and hogs, trout, and turkeys. In the three most recent USDA surveys (2002, 2007, 2012), North Carolina also ranked second in the production of Christmas trees.
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Montpelier, Vermont
Montpelier, Vermont is yet another city that is highly suitable to start a box truck business. Montpelier, Vermont is known for its thriving manufacturing industry, and box trucks are used for moving manufactured goods from the manufacturers to stores in and around urban cities. An important part of Vermont’s economy is the manufacture and sale of artisan foods, fancy foods, and novelty items.
As of 2015, GlobalFoundries was the largest private employer in the state and provides jobs to 3,000 employees at its plant in the village of Essex Junction within Chittenden County. A 2010 University of Connecticut study reported that Vermont, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire tied as the costliest states in the U.S. for manufacturers.
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Seattle, Washington
If you are conversant on how wines and liquors are distributed in urban cities, you will agree that box trucks are majorly used to achieve this. Washington ranks second in the United States in the production of wine, behind only California.
By 2006, the state had over 31,000 acres (130 km2) of vineyards, a harvest of 120,000 short tons (109,000 t) of grapes, and exports going to over 40 countries around the world from the state’s 600 wineries.
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Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin is yet another city that is highly suitable to start a box truck business. Green Bay, Wisconsin is known for its thriving agriculture and manufacturing industry, and box trucks are used for moving manufactured goods and farm produce from the manufacturers to stores in and around urban cities. The economy of Wisconsin is driven by manufacturing, agriculture, and healthcare.
The state’s economic output from manufacturing was $48.9 billion in 2008, making it the tenth-largest among states in manufacturing the gross domestic product. Manufacturing accounts for about 20 percent of the state’s gross domestic product, a proportion that is third among all states.
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New York City, New York
When it comes to a good road network highly suitable for a box truck business, New York City stands out. Aside from the fact that New York City has been called both the most economically powerful city and the leading financial center of the world, the city also boasts of real estate activities – people move from one apartment to another hence they usually hire the services of box truck companies. This is indeed one of the reasons why an investor should consider starting a box truck business in New York City.
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Harrisburg, Philadelphia
Last on our list of best cities to start a box truck business is Harrisburg, Philadelphia. Harrisburg, Philadelphia is no doubt an ideal city to start a box truck business because of the high rate of movement of goods in and around the city.
Philadelphia is home to six Fortune 500 companies, with more located in suburbs like King of Prussia hence the need to transport manufactured goods from the outskirt of the city where they are manufactured to the city center where there are thriving commercial activities.
In conclusion;
Aside from the facts stated above, it is important that you also consider other factors such as access to cheap labor, parking, and access to spare parts for your box trucks before choosing a city to start your box truck business.