Are you about starting a trucking company? If YES, here’s a complete sample trucking business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE. Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a trucking business.
We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample trucking company marketing plan template backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for trucking businesses. So let’s proceed to the business planning section.
A Sample Trucking Company Business Plan Template
1. Industry Overview
The trucking industry plays a very important role in the economy of the world; they provide essential services to the united states economy by transporting large quantities of raw materials, machines, equipment, dirt, rocks, building materials, and finished goods over land—typically from manufacturing plants to retail distribution centers and from warehouses to construction sites.
As matter of fact, heavy duty trucks are indispensable in the construction industry. The trucking industry is responsible for the majority of freight movement over land, and is a major stakeholder in the manufacturing, transportation, and warehousing industries in the United States of America and in other parts of the world.
In the United States, Large trucks and buses drivers require a commercial driver’s license (CDL) before they can be permitted to operate. The activities in the trucking industry is regulated by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
They ensure that drivers and trucking companies adhere to safety rules and regulations and also that potential truck drivers undergo special training on how to handle large vehicle before applying and obtaining their commercial driver’s license (CDL).
Statistics has it that food and food products, lumber or wood products, as well as petroleum or coal account for 34.8 percent of truck traffic in the United States and by volume, clay, glass, concrete and stone, farm products, as well as petroleum and coal account for 35.6 percent of truck traffic.
The advancement in technology in areas such as computers, satellite communication, and the internet, have contributed immensely to the growth of the industry. The advancement in technology is responsible for increase of productivity of trucking companies operations, it helps them effectively monitor their trucks and their drivers and it helps driver save time and effort.
The trucking industry is not restricted to trailers or large trucks hauling goods from destination to another via interstate highways, it also involves smaller trucks that helps transport smaller quantity of goods from one destination within a city to another destination within same city.
Trucking business is not only about transporting goods over a long distance. As a matter of fact, in the U.S. about 66 percent of truck tonnage moves distances of 100 miles or less; local and regional hauls account for almost half of all truck revenues and are they are the preferred choice for private carriers.
No doubt starting and operating a trucking business can be challenging, but the truth is that it can be rewarding at the same time. One good thing about the industry is that it is open for both big time investors who have the capacity to start the business with fleet of trucks and aspiring entrepreneurs who may one to start with just one truck.
2. Executive Summary
Terry Granville Truck Service Inc. is a trucking company that will be based in 10548 SD Highway 32 Belle Fourche South Dakota.
We will provide daily freight services (trucking services, moving services & supplies, and bulk material sales & supplies) on one skid to full truckloads to and from South Dakota, North Dakota, Southern Illinois; St Louis, Missouri; Southeast Missouri; Evansville, IN; Nashville, Tennessee; Memphis, Tennessee and Chicago land areas et al.
We will also provide cross docking, warehousing, lift gate and specialized van service in South Dakota, North Dakota, Southern Illinois, Southeast Missouri and Western Kentucky.
Terry Granville Truck Service Inc. has been able to secure all relevant licenses and permits to operate throughout the United States and Canada.
We will ensure that we abide by the rules and regulations of the trucking industry and we will only hire experienced and qualified drivers with valid commercial driver’s license (CDL).Our customers and potential customers alike can be rest assured that they will get quality services at competitive rates.
We will go the extra mile to ensure the safety of goods under our care and our customers get value for their money. At Terry Granville Truck Service Inc. our goal is to provide excellent service to our customers and we pride ourselves on the integrity and competence of our company and our employees.
Terry Granville Truck Service Inc. will ensure that all our deliveries are on time and we supersede the expectation of our customers. We will only put trucks that are in top shape on the road, and all our drivers will be trained to be courteous, friendly and to abide by the rules and regulations of the industry.
We will maintain and take proper care of our drivers as well as our trucks and equipment.Terry Granville Truck Service Inc. is a family business; it is owned by Terry Granville and family. Terry Granville is an investor who has an interest in the trucking industry.
The company will be fully financed by Terry Granville and he will be the founding chief operating officer of the company. Terry Granville has a diploma in Transport and Logistics Management and his has over 5 years of experience in the transportation industry.
3. Our Products and Services
Terry Granville Truck Service Inc. is a company that looks forward to deliver excellent services in terms of helping our customers move goods and equipment from one destination to another destination. We want to be known as the trucking company that truly care for her customers. Our business offering are listed below;
- Moving supplies
- All furniture quilt-wrapped for protection
- On-time pickup and delivery
- Home and office movement
- Local and long distance movement
- Heavy duty equipment movement
- Excavators movement
- Bulldozers movement
- Construction equipment movement
- Agricultural equipment movement
- Movement of oil and gas products
4. Our Mission and Vision Statement
- Our Vision is to become one of the preferred choices of individual and organization when it comes to the demand for trucking services in the whole of the United States of America.
- Our mission is to ensure that we build a trucking company that will operate in the whole of the United States of America and Canada; a company that will boast of having some of the best and reliable truck drivers in the whole of the United States of America.
Our Business Structure
Our business structure will be designed in such a way that it can accommodate but full – time employees and part – time / contract staff; those who just want to take some time off to generate additional incomes.
We intend starting the business with a handful of full time employees (drivers and back office staff) and some of the available driving roles fill be handled by qualified contract drivers. Adequate provision and competitive packages has been prepared for all our employees.
For now, we will contract the maintenance of our trucks to service provider. This is because we don’t intend to maintain a very large overhead from the onset. But as soon as the business grow and stabilize, we will assemble our own in – house maintenance team. Below is the business structure and the roles that will be available at Terry Granville Truck Service, Inc.;
- Chief Operating Officer (Owner)
- Admin and HR Manager
- Transport and Logistics Manager
- Business Developer
- Accountant
- Drivers
- Front Desk Officer
5. Job Roles and Responsibilities
Chief Operating Officer (Owner):
- Responsible for providing direction for the business
- Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
- Responsible for the day to day running of the business
- Responsible for handling high profile clients and deals
- Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
- Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
- Evaluates the success of the organization at regular interval
Transport and Logistics Manager
- Coordinates drivers, vehicles, loads and journeys
- operates IT systems
- negotiates and agrees to contracts
- develops and confirms schedules
- plans for and negotiates technical difficulties
- prepares paperwork for regulatory bodies
- liaises and manages staff
- implements health and safety standards
- Plans routes and load scheduling for multi-drop deliveries.
- Books in deliveries and liaises with customers.
- Allocates and records resources and movements on the transport planning system.
- Ensures all partners in the supply chain are working effectively and efficiently to ensure smooth operations.
- Communicates effectively with clients and responds to their requirements.
- Directs all transportation activities.
- Develops transportation relationships.
- Monitors transport costs.
- Negotiates and bargains transportation prices.
- Deals with the effects of congestion.
- Confronts climate change issues by implementing transport strategies and monitoring an organization’s carbon footprint.
Admin and HR Manager
- Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
- Defining job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
- Carrying out staff induction for new team members
- Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
- Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
- Oversee the smooth running of the daily office activities.
Business Developer
- Identifies, prioritizes, and reaches out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
- Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the structuring and financing of projects; assures the completion of development projects.
- Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
- Develops, executes and evaluates new plans for expanding increase sales
- Documents all customer contact and information.
- Represents the company in strategic meetings
- Helps increase sales and growth for the company
Accountant
- Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
- Provides managers with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports; analyzes financial feasibility for the most complex proposed projects; conducts market research to forecast trends and business conditions.
- Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
- Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
- Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
- Responsible for administering payrolls
- Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
- Handles all financial transactions for the company
- Serves as internal auditor for the company
Commercial Truck Drivers
- Assists in loading and unloading cargo.
- Maintains a logbook of their driving activities to ensure compliance with federal regulations governing the rest and work periods for operators.
- Keeps a record of vehicle inspections and make sure the truck is equipped with safety equipment, such as hazardous material placards.
- Assists the transport and logistics manager in planning their route according to a delivery schedule.
- Local-delivery drivers may be required to sell products or services to stores and businesses on their route, obtain signatures from recipients and collect cash.
- Transports finished goods and raw materials over land to and from manufacturing plants or retail and distribution centers
- Inspects vehicles for mechanical items and safety issues and perform preventative maintenance
- Complies with truck driving rules and regulations (size, weight, route designations, parking, break periods etc.) as well as with company policies and procedures
- Collects and verify delivery instructions
- Reports defects, accidents or violations
Front Desk / Customer’s Service Officer
- Receives Visitors / clients on behalf of the organization
- Receives parcels / documents for the company
- Handles enquiries via email and phone calls for the organization
- Distributes mails in the organization
- Handles any other duties as assigned my the line manager
6. SWOT Analysis
Going by our vision, our mission and the kind of business we want to set – up, we don’t have any other option than to follow due process. Following due process involves hiring business a consultant to help us conduct SWOT analysis and prepare a trucking company marketing plan for our business.
Terry Granville Truck Service Inc. hired the services of a seasoned business consultant with bias for start – ups in the U.S. to help us conduct a thorough SWOT analysis and to guide us in formulating other business strategies that will help us grow our business and favorable compete in the trucking industry.
As a company, we look forward to maximizing our strength and opportunities and also to work around our weaknesses and threats. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Terry Granville Truck Services Inc.;
- Strength:
Our areas of strength in U.S include; size advantages, cost advantages, supply chain, customer loyalty and strong reputation amongst domestic industry players.
- Weakness:
Our weakness could be lack of finance, high debt burden, cost structure, lack of scale compared to our peers who have already gained ground in the industry.
- Opportunities:
The opportunities that are available to us as a trucking company in the United States are online market, new services, new technology, and of course the opening of new markets
- Threat:
Some of the threats that we are likely going to face are mature markets, bad economy (economy downturn), stiff competition, volatile costs, and rising fuel prices.
7. MARKET ANALYSIS
- Market Trends
The market trends as it involves the trucking industry especially in the United States and Canada is indeed dynamic and at the same challenging.
But one thing is certain, once a trucking company can gain credibility, it will be much easier for the company to secure permanent deals / contracts with big time merchants and construction companies who are always moving goods and equipment from one part of The United States of America to another part.
No doubt some of the major factors that count positively in this line of business are trust, honesty, good relationship management and of course timely and safe delivery.
8. Our Target Market
Our target market are basically every one (organizations and individual as well who have cause to move things from one location to another location. We cover both short distance (inter states) and long distance (intra states). We are in business to move stuffs and anyone who has stuffs to move within the United States or from the United States to Canada, can contact us.
In other words, our target market is the whole of the United States of America and below is a list of the people and organizations that we have plans to do business with;
- Merchants (importers, exporters, traders, suppliers, wholesalers, and dealers)
- Manufacturers
- Construction companies
- Household
- Corporate organizations
- Small business owners
- The timber industry
- Oil and gas sector
Our competitive advantage
Our major competitive advantage is the vast industry experience and solid reputation of our owner, Terry Granville. Terry Granville Truck Service Inc. no doubt is a new trucking company, which is why we took our time to do a thorough homework before launching the business.
We were able to highlight some factors that will give us competitive advantage in the marketplace; some of the factors are trust, honesty, good network and excellent relationship management strong management, strong fleet operations, direct access to all Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports, our transportation network serves some of the largest population centers in the U.S., our size advantages, cost advantages, supply chain, customer loyalty and strong reputation amongst domestic industry players.
Another competitive advantage that we are bringing to the industry is the fact that we have designed our business in such a way that we can comfortably work with both individuals who may want to make use of small trucks to transport goods within the city and also big conglomerates who are involved in massive movements of goods and equipment from one part of the U.S. to another part.
Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be amongst the best in the industry meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our objectives.
9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY
- Sources of Income
Terry Granville Truck Service Inc. will ensure that we leverage on our strength and the opportunities available to us in the U.S. market to generate enough income that will help us drive the business to stability. We will go all the way to explore every available sources of income in the trucking industry. Below are the sources we intend exploring to generate income for Terry Granville Truck Service Inc.;
- Moving supplies
- All furniture quilt-wrapped for protection
- On-time pickup and delivery
- Home and office movement
- Local and long distance movement
- Heavy duty equipment movement
- Excavators movement
- Bulldozers movement
- Construction equipment movement
- Agricultural equipment movement
- Movement of timbers
- Movement of oil and gas products
10. Sales Forecast
We are well positioned to take on the available market in the U.S. and we are quite optimistic that we will meet out set target of generating enough income / profits from the first month or operations and grow the business and clientele beyond South Dakota to other states in the U.S. and Canada
We have been able to critically examine the trucking industry and we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. The sales projection is based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions that are peculiar to startups in the United States of America.
Below is the sales projection for Terry Granville Truck Service Inc., it is based on the location of our trucking business and our competitive advantage;
- First Fiscal Year-: $300,000
- Second Fiscal Year-: $900,000
- Third Fiscal Year-: $1,500,000
N.B: This projection is done based on what is obtainable in the industry and the nature of services that we will be offering.
- Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy
Networking is an effective way to begin building your client base and we have plans in place to leverage on all our networks. In view of that, we will look out for gatherings where we can network with captain of industries, entrepreneurs, manufacturers and merchant et al.
As a matter of fact, our first port of call will be to connect with the nearest Chamber of Commerce; we are likely going to get our first major deal from them.
At Terry Granville Truck Service Inc. all our employees will be directly or indirectly involved in sales and marketing. We will create provision for our employees to earn commission when they bring in business for the organization. We will also encourage freelancers to work with us; whenever they refer clients to us to will earn a percentage of the deal.
Lastly, we will leverage on the power of the media by advertising our services using both online and offline platforms. We will work hard to ensure that get repeated business from any business deal we execute and also we will encourage our customers to help us refer their friends to us. Part of our strategy is to reward loyal customers and to leverage on word of mouth marketing from satisfied customers.
Over and above, we have perfected strategies to network with people who are likely to refer business our way. In summary, Terry Granville Truck Service Inc. will adopt the following sales and marketing strategies in sourcing for clients for our business;
- Introduce our business by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to stake holders in the construction industry, manufacturing industry, oil and gas industry, timber merchant et al.
- Promptness in bidding for contracts
- Advertise our business in haulage magazines, newspapers, TV stations, and radio stations et al
- List our business on yellow pages
- Attend expos, seminars, and business fairs et al
- Create different packages for different category of clients in order to work with their budgets and still deliver quality services
- Leverage on the internet to promote our business
- Direct marketing
- Word of mouth (referral marketing)
11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy
Any business that wants to grow beyond the corner of the street they are operating must be ready and willing to utilize every available means (conventional and non – conventional means) to advertise and promote the business. We intend growing our business beyond South Dakota which is why we have perfected plans to build our brand via every available means.
Below are the platforms Terry Granville Truck Service Inc. intend leveraging on to promote and advertise her trucking business;
- Place adverts on both print and electronic media platforms
- Sponsor relevant TV shows
- Maximize our company’s website to promote our business
- Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook ,Twitter, LinkedIn, Badoo, Google+ and other platforms (real estate online forums) to promote our business and list our properties for sale and for lease.
- Install our Bill Boards on strategic locations
- Distribute our fliers and handbills in targeted areas from time to time
- Attend chambers of commerce meetings with the aim of networking and introducing our business.
12. Our Pricing Strategy
Terry Granville Truck Service Inc. has a lease arrangement with various companies and the company’s pricing is based on miles per thousands of tons of cargo transported. We have perfected our plans to charge competitive rates since we have minimal overhead compared to our competition in the industry.
We will ensure that we leverage on price to win over customers; our prices will be affordable and negotiable. The fact that our business door is open to both individuals and corporations means that we will have different price range for different category of clients. As the business grow, we will continue to review our pricing system to accommodate a wide range of clientele.
- Payment Options
Our payment policy will be inclusive because we are quite aware that different people prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will not accept payment by cash because of the volume of cash that will be involved in most of our transactions. Here are the payment options that Terry Granville Truck Service Inc. will make available to her clients;
- Payment by via bank transfer
- Payment via online bank transfer
- Payment via check
- Payment via bank draft
In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our clients pay us without any difficulty. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials to clients who may want to deposit cash.
13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)
- The Total Fee for incorporating the Business in South Dakota – $750.
- The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license – $2,500
- The Amount needed to acquire a suitable Office facility with enough parking space for our trucks in South Dakota for 6 months (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) – $40,000.
- The amount required to finance the purchase of the first set of trucks – $800,000
- The Cost for equipping the office (computers, printers, fax machines, furniture, telephones, filing cabins, safety gadgets and electronics et al): $5,000
- Cost of accounting software, CRM software and Payroll Software – $3,000
- Other start-up expenses including stationery – $1000
- Phone and Utilities (gas, sewer, water and electric) deposits – ($3,500).
- Operational cost for the first 3 months (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $40,000
- The Cost of Launching our official Website: $600
- Additional Expenditure (Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions et al): $2,500
Going by the report from our market research and feasibility studies, we will need about $1M to set up a trucking business in South Dakota.
Generating Funding / Startup Capital for Terry Granville Truck Service Inc
Terry Granville Truck Service Inc. is set to start as a private business that will be solely owned by Mr. Terry Granville and family. He will be the sole financial of the company but may likely welcome other business partners when need for expansion arises. These are the areas we intend generating our start – up capital for our business;
- Generate part of the start – up capital from personal savings
- Source for soft loans from family members and friends
- Apply for loan from my Bank
N.B: We have been able to generate about $200,000 (Personal savings – $150,000 and soft loan from family members – $50,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $800,000 from our bank. All the papers and document has been signed and submitted.
14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy
Terry Granville Truck Service Inc. is a business that was established with the aim of covering the whole of the United States of America and Canada, we have invested a whole lot of money in the business and we would not want to see our investment go down the drain which is why we hired a core professional to help us put strategies and structure in place that will keep the business growing.
Part of the sustainability and expansion strategy that we have adopted is the continuous training and empowerment of our workforce (both full-time staff and freelancers working for us) so as to provide them with the capacity to perform effectively in the highly competitive trucking / haulage industry in the United States of America.
In other to be in business for a long time, we will not in any way comprise our integrity and trust and we will continue to surpass the expectation of our customers.
Check List / Milestone
- Business Name Availability Check: Completed
- Business Incorporation: Completed
- Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts various banks in the United States: Completed
- Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
- Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
- Application for business license and permit: Completed
- Purchase of All form of Insurance for the Business: Completed
- Acquiring of trucks and relevant equipment: In progress
- Renting of Office Facility in South Dakota: Completed
- Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
- Start – up Capital Generation: Completed
- writing of business plan: Completed
- Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
- Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
- Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
- Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: Completed
- Recruitment of employees and drivers: In Progress
- Purchase of the Needed furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
- Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
- Creating Awareness for the business (Business PR): In Progress
- Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
- Establishing business relationship with key players in the industry (networking and membership of relevant organizations and chambers of commerce): Completed