Independent Truckers

Being your own boss – What’s involved?

When it comes to being your own boss, there are a few things that you need to know about. It’s one thing to decide that you’re going to go into business for yourself as an independent trucker and another thing to be able to actually do that. The old saying, “it takes money to make money” is just as applicable when starting a small business as a large one. When it comes to starting your own trucking company, there’s simply no way around the need to have a dependable truck. You may not start out with the biggest or the most powerful truck at first, but that shouldn’t stop you from being able to hire yourself out to those customers who need loads moved from one place to another. It’s important that you honestly look at the pros and cons of having your own company. If you have a hard time balancing your checking account, then you may need some business skills development before you start your own business. There are many schools that have this type of training course available.

It’s also important to decide what sort of trucking company you’d like to have. Maybe you’ve always wanted to do something in the construction field. Owning your own dump truck allows you to rent out your truck to companies working on construction, remodeling or demolition jobs. Many construction companies simply don’t have the resources or the need to have a dump truck of their own. This is where a dump truck company comes in to help. Driving a dump truck usually means local work which means that you can generally count on being home at the end of your work day. This is important to those drivers who have families to spend time with.

If you’d rather be on the open road, hauling loads of goods from one place to another for your customers, then having a long haul trucking company may be perfect for you. Though this type of business generally requires more financial layout than a dump truck business, the financial and personal rewards can be every bit as great. By keeping careful records of lading, costs of parts and maintenance and other travel costs in check, you can maintain a close hand on the finances of your business. Some small trucking companies simply have an accountant handle the books once a month to keep things on an even keel. The accountant handles the costs and payments of the company – for an agreed fee – on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. It’s important that you do your research before setting out to start your own business. You need to not only be sure of the market – you need to be sure of yourself, as well.