You’ve got a box truck but don’t know how to start a business with it? You’ve come to the right place. Starting a box truck business can be challenging but it can turn into a profitable one if done correctly. Here’s how to start a box truck business:
- Plan Your Box Truck Business
- Establish a Start-Up
- Create an Attractive Business
- Market Your Box Truck Business
- Find the Money to Invest
- Make Your Box Truck Look The Absolute Best
- Obtain License And Insurance
- Figure Out The Employee Situation
In this article, I would discuss a few ways you can successfully launch a box truck business.
Continue reading to discover how to start a box truck business by following a few easy steps!
How Can You Start a Box Truck Business?
Starting a new box truck business can be scary and you might second-guess yourself because of the insane competition in this business. It is a difficult
job to make your name once you start off but that comes later on. For now, let’s just focus on the steps to starting a box truck business
#1 Plan Your Box Truck Business
Here are some things you can consider while planning out your box truck business:
- What Is The Business About — You should have a clear picture of what the business should be about and every logistical thing should be figured out beforehand in terms of how things are going to run in the business.
- Is The Business Sustainable? — While planning out your business, one thing you should think about is if the business is actually sustainable and do you see it flourishing 5 years down the road. If the answer is no, rethink your idea.
- Prepare For The Worst — Businesses are risky and the chances of failure are very real, so you should consider all the financial backup options in case things don’t really go your way and your heavy investment is doomed.
#2 Establish a Startup
If you’ve figured out all the ifs and buts of your business idea the next step is to actually turn this dream into a reality. To do that, the first step you can take is to establish your startup.
Establishing it means that you’ve decided on the name and the logo and you’re ready for other people to see your brand.
You can either make the logo yourself for the box truck business using Canva or hire someone else to do this work for you.
While naming your company and making a logo, make sure that it is not exactly similar to any other company out there because they can file a copyright claim and you can expect your dollars to go down the drain to fight those nasty lawsuits.
» Maybe this also could be of interest to you: $5000 Per Month? Here’s How Much Ice Cream Trucks Make!
#3 Create an Attractive Website
Now is the time to finally do one of the most important tasks required for a good customer base and clientele. You should work on and launch an attractive website that has a welcoming interface.
A good website tells everything about your business in detail and that makes people more likely to buy your product. Here is a list of 5 things that make a website attractive:
- Well-Designed and Functional — A well-designed interface with proper functionality makes a good impression on the user
- Easy to Navigate — Your website should be easy to navigate and designed in such a way that the users shouldn’t face any difficulties in their experience
- Clear Description About You — Your website needs to reflect a clear demonstration of what your brand is and what it does.
- Contact Page and Information — The goal of creating a website is to help people reach out to you. You should make a clear contact page and put in as much information as you can so that it is easier for people to reach out to you
- Optimized For Mobile — For maximum interaction on your website, it should be optimized for mobiles because people are often using their phones to search their queries and your website should be there to answer their queries.
You can either learn to make a website on your own or you can hire someone to do that for you, it all depends on how financially flexible you are.
Investing in a good website is going to be helpful in the long term and this is something you should definitely consider investing in.
#4 Market Your Box Truck Business
Now that you have successfully launched your business and built a website, it’s time to land some clients. How can you land clients when people don’t know about your business?
Exactly. Start spreading the word about your business and see where that takes you. Here are some media you can use to market your business:
- Social Media: Perhaps the most important way to market your box truck brand is to market them on your social media just because of the wide range of people using these. You can run paid ads on Facebook and Instagram.
- Post On Box-Truck Forums: It is helpful to post about your box truck business on box truck forums because people usually come to these when they’re trying to access local businesses for a service they require. Yelp is one of the many platforms for that.
- Doing It The Old-Fashioned Way: You can print flyers and leave them door-to-door and who knows, you might receive a call soon!
#5 Find the Money to Invest
This isn’t so much a step as it is a pre-requisite for starting your business. If you have enough savings that can sustain your business without any external help, then that is great but if you don’t here are a few ways to find that money:
- Ask a Bank: Banks help people start up their businesses by providing them loans. However, they do their due diligence before handing off the money to you because they need to ensure that you will be able to return this loan through your business
- Reach Out to People: You can reach out to your colleagues, friends, or family members to help you out in your venture. Let them know that this is just a loan and as soon as you make enough to pay off the loan, you will.
- Online Funding: You can obtain funds by using peer-to-peer lending or by using online lenders, but be careful about this in order to not get scammed.
#6 Make Your Box Truck Look the Absolute Best
Your box truck attracts people if it looks unique and clean. You should invest in your box truck because this can lead to a recurring business with the same clients if they enjoy using your services.
If you allocate your resources properly, I am sure you can find some money to squeeze in to perform this task too.
#7 Obtain License and Insurance
Once you’ve successfully taken all the steps required to start up a business and now you’re ready to go towards the next step, you should obtain a license for your business.
This is very important because it ensures the legal safety of your business and allows your business to get officially registered as well.
It goes without saying but please buy insurance for your truck as well. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
#8 Figure Out the Employee Situation
Since you’re just starting your business think about the help that you might be needing and if there are a lot of things to manage, then it might get difficult for you — Hiring employees is a good idea in such situations.
However, before proceeding with that, always keep a check on your finances and figure out if hiring other people is even something that you can afford to do.
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What Business Can I Start With a Box Truck?
You can start any of the following businesses with your box truck but certain factors such as your financial flexibility play a role in determining your box truck business too.
Here are some business examples you can start with a box truck:
#1 Turn It Into a Restaurant
Food trucks are becoming famous hang-out spots for people and they love the taste of the food in these trucks.
You can start a restaurant in your box truck aka food truck and if the taste of your food is good, then you can expect a quick flow of cash in your business.
One additional factor that can be really cool is that this restaurant would be mobile! So you’re not restricted to staying in just one place, you can take your delicious food to people and help them revive their taste buds!
#2 Rent It Out!
You can rent out your box truck if you’re the owner and allow other people to rent it and run their business in it.
However, for this to turn into a business, you need to own a large number of trucks so that you can rent multiple trucks to different people.
So, this is not a great idea if you’re just starting up a business, but if you own a few trucks then this might just be the perfect way for you to make extra money while doing almost no work.
#3 Start a Moving Business
People are always moving in and out. You can start a moving business and help them do that.
To start a moving business, it is much better to first get associated with companies who are specifically doing this so that you get an idea about how things need to be run.
Once you’ve gained sufficient experience, you can start your own moving services. Sounds cool, doesn’t it?
#4 Work For Companies to Make Deliveries
There are companies like FedEx, UPS, and DHL that are always making deliveries and they need as many wheels as they can to do their work. You can work for such companies and use your box truck to make deliveries.
I have written a separate guide on how to buy a FedEx route to make money — Check it out!
Due to the high amount of orders these companies receive, they don’t usually buy more trucks, rather they partner with box truck drivers that can help them in their task.
Both the parties stay at an advantage but more importantly, you get to make quick cash through this method.
#5 Work With Independent Contractors
Independent contractors may or may not be associated with other companies but usually, a common thing is that they are able to make deliveries outside the city and often companies require that a lot.
This is an excellent way to build your name and a good clientele.
If this gets successful, you can also buy more trucks and hire other drivers to do the same.
It just depends on how ready you are to make yourself available for this because traveling long-distance is not something that many drivers would generally prefer.
#6 Junk Removal
When it comes to disposing of things, it is crucial that it is done in the best manner possible. You can help do that by using your truck to provide junk removal services.
This may be a little bit different but it is something you can definitely consider starting.
To make this business a success, you should start by gaining experience by registering with a company that specifically provides these services.
This would allow you time to build your own business and to actually know how to run a junk removal service.
» You can also read my post: $5,000 Per Month? – Starting a Bread Route to Make Money
How Much Can You Make From a Box Truck Business?
According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual pay for box truck drivers is $38,025 per year. The hourly wage for a box truck owner is around $15 per hour. These vary based on how much time the box truck drivers are dedicating to their jobs or businesses.
If you market your business right and build a strong network of clients, you can actually earn a lot more than this.
Other factors also play a role in determining your earnings such as how many loads you deliver or which area specifically you operate in or the type of services you provide.
How Much Does It Cost to Start a Box Truck Business?
It costs around $10,000 to $15,000 to start a box truck business excluding equipment. This includes old box truck price, registration, taxes, and IRP plate costs. If you plan to use a brand-new truck, the additional cost of the new truck will be added to the budget.
| Expenses | Cost |
| Box Truck | $25,000 — $95,000 |
| Registration Documentation | $900 — $1,500 |
| International Registration Plates (IRP) | $500 — $3,000 |
| Heavy Vehicle Use Permit | $900 — $1,500 |
| State-Specific Tax | $400 — $600 |
| Annual Insurance | $8,000 — $10,000 |
This table shows all the expenses and costs to start a box truck business.
The biggest expense in starting a box truck business would be of obtaining the box truck itself. There are two ways that this can be dealt with.
You can either buy a brand new box truck which would obviously cost more or you could rent a box truck if you don’t have enough funds and don’t want to be tied down with a long-term commitment.
Price of a New Box Truck
| Box Truck Size | Weight Limitations (Pounds) | Box Truck Price Range |
| Light-Duty Class 2 and 3 | 6,000 — 14,000 pounds | $25,000-50,000 |
| Medium-Duty Class 4 | 14,000 — 16,000 pounds | $30,000-$55,000 |
| Medium-Duty Class 5 | 16,000 — 19,500 pounds | $40,000-$75,000 |
| Medium-Duty Class 6 | 19,500 — 26,000 pounds | $55,000-$95,000 |
This table shows the pricing for light-duty and medium-duty box trucks.
I understand that not everyone can buy a brand-new truck for his business. Don’t worry, you can buy an old (used) truck at a great bargain.
Here’s are the prices for used box trucks:
| Box Truck Age | Miles Travelled | Price |
| 1 Year Old | 10,000 miles | $40,000 — $50,000 |
| 5 Years Old | 100,000 miles | $10,000 — $20,000 |
| 10 Years Old | 200,000 miles | $5,000 — $10,000 |
This table shows the pricing for used box trucks.
Pros And Cons Of Starting A Box Truck Business
Starting a box truck business has several pros and cons.
Pros
- Profitability
- Variety Of Options
Cons
- High Competition
- Great Startup Cost And No Significant Profits In The Start
» I have also written this post, about: How To: Start an Ice Vending Machine Business (Easy Guide)
The Bottom Line
Starting up a box truck business is not very difficult but starting it up with the right steps can definitely prove to be challenging.
There are many factors that you need to consider before starting your business, but if you have the right plans and ideas in your mind, then you shouldn’t face any hindrance in the process.
A box truck business would take significant time and dedication to start, but once started, it can lead to high profitability and success in your business. It all depends on how you choose to lead it!
