I have a box truck, what types of companies can I start?

**EvilEye** · 04-26-2010 02:31 PM

I bought a 17' box truck (w/ 3' over the cab) for my move from Florida to Detroit and would like to keep the truck if I can generate some income with it. The first thing that comes to mind is a moving company, and I am considering it. But, I'd rather do something with a little less something competition and something a bit more profitable.

I just sent in my articles of organization to the state of Michigan last week along with the $50 fee so I will have my LLC up and running in a week or two.

I can invest around $1500. Any ideas are welcome!

**rogercbryan** · 04-26-2010 03:18 PM

Junk removal is big business these days. You'll need a place to process and a landfill to dump at. In between all that you'll need to learn what to sort out and what you can recycle for money. Other then that you can do the moving company.. insurance is high for that.

**EvilEye** · 04-26-2010 04:10 PM

Thanks for the reply, i did not know how high insurance was on a moving company, but it can't be as bad as my car dealership in Florida was... I had a small lot (fully enclosed in a building, only around 2000 sq/ft) and it was around $2500/yr, and THAT was super cheap from what other dealers told me.

Not interested in junk removal though, too much competition, and those guys really bust their ass for very, very little money, I've talked to a few of them. I would really like to do something business to business if possible, I think there's more money in that than the residential sector, but I'm open to anything that makes good money.

**StephenG** · 04-26-2010 05:11 PM

Evil, quite a few things you could do with a truck that size as I am sure you know. The truck is a little on the large side for many stop deliveries but it could get you started. The safety business is big and underworked. Latex gloves are the big seller and can be your foot in the door for many more items that shops, municapalities and industies use. You can start off with a small inventorey and just start making stops. Auto and truck repair shops are naturals and are very numerous. The things you might want to carry are endless but you will find latex gloves will be a top seller, Safety glasses, back braces, abrasive wheels, first aid kits, flash lights and batteries, light bulbs, drop lights, the lsit could just go on and on. very easy business to start if you have an outgoing personality. Steve

**rogercbryan** · 04-27-2010 01:28 PM

I have a 20' box truck for private use (picking up inventory for my company) and I pay $2200 a year just for that. Once you have to start insuring other peoples stuff (moving company) that number will sky rocket.

**jrod31** · 04-27-2010 07:17 PM

you could start advertising different companines on a monthly base. turn it into a mobile billboard. they have banner brackets for box truck where you could put banners on it and replace it. find a printing company that will print full color banners that big and set a deal with them on price. I could help you with the print.

**rogercbryan** · 04-28-2010 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by jrod31

you could start advertising different companines on a monthly base. turn it into a mobile billboard. they have banner brackets for box truck where you could put banners on it and replace it. find a printing company that will print full color banners that big and set a deal with them on price. I could help you with the print.

This is a decent idea... except that it costs about $1500 to have a truck done up with a banner (I have one on my truck). Then you have to consider gas, time, insurance, and vehicle maintenance. There is no way be profitable doing this with a box truck. If you are going to do this you need a truck designed for advertising. The ones where they have a slide in/out billboard on them.

**jrod31** · 04-28-2010 10:26 PM

you could split each side into 2 halfs or even 4 ads per side .... plus back part. The customer would acquire the cost for printing. that could be a 1 time fee... because you could re-use the banner in the future. Also if you use the truck for moving or anything..... that will be advertising their business. You could also park the truck in high traffic area.

I had a client that park the truck in the walmart parking lot or at malls. , and it drove business to advertisers. keep in mind a average billboard cost about $2500 to $4000 depending location. and they have to print 20'x16' banners...... so if there is a client for that ... you will find clients for this.

and as for the truck... they have adapters that you place on the edges and you will be able to tighten the banners onto that. That eliminates vinyl's.
advertising truck are just made nicer. but does the same function... i think..

**EvilEye** · 05-17-2010 04:22 PM

Thanks for the replies. I have no interested in doing the "admobile" thing, but I am "considering" a moving company now, among other ideas. I just started contacting insurance agencies about business insurance and DAMN, it is very hard to find anyone who knows anything about insurance for businesses. You can forget about any major chain like Allstate or State Farm, they just tell me to call an independent agency who either won't answer the phone or won't call me back. I guess they must not need my money!

Anyways, I really don't know anything about how it works, but I was thinking about the trucks that deliver food to grocery stores for example... I am more interested in this type of business, one where you have a contract with a company to provide transportation of their goods on a semi local basis. Obviously, I'm not going to land any huge account with only one truck, and especially since it's 10 years old, but I am more interested in doing something along those lines due to the fact that the income would be consistent. I would likely be hiring a friend/brother/random person to do the actual physical work so that I can concentrate on the other aspects of the company's operation as well as my other business endeavor's that I cannot abandon.

I'm thinking the only real way to get any contracts would be to target local small to medium sized businesses and literally just go "door to door" and have some type of pamphlet or brochure made up as well as business cards and try to talk with the owner/manager about how much they are paying for their transportation costs and try to o"outbid" their current provider. I would imagine many companies already either own their own truck and have someone in-house do their own deliveries though, so I'm not too sure that this idea is feasible for a guy with one 10 year old truck.

Any input on this would be great. Thanks again for the replies.

**JunkDawgs** · 01-14-2012 03:13 PM

Talk to companies that would be interested in advertising it; have them pay for it go get wrapped and logo'd and perhaps they will pay you to leave it in different places as a form of billboard advertising. No expense to you but what little time it takes you to move it and drive it to different locations.

Junk Removal Indianapolis - Junk Dawgs: Junk Removal, Waste Removal, Trash Removal, Furniture Removal & Landscape Clean Up

**KevWeb81** · 03-09-2012 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by EvilEye

Thanks for the replies. I have no interested in doing the "admobile" thing, but I am "considering" a moving company now, among other ideas. I just started contacting insurance agencies about business insurance and DAMN, it is very hard to find anyone who knows anything about insurance for businesses. You can forget about any major chain like Allstate or State Farm, they just tell me to call an independent agency who either won't answer the phone or won't call me back. I guess they must not need my money!

Anyways, I really don't know anything about how it works, but I was thinking about the trucks that deliver food to grocery stores for example... I am more interested in this type of business, one where you have a contract with a company to provide transportation of their goods on a semi local basis. Obviously, I'm not going to land any huge account with only one truck, and especially since it's 10 years old, but I am more interested in doing something along those lines due to the fact that the income would be consistent. I would likely be hiring a friend/brother/random person to do the actual physical work so that I can concentrate on the other aspects of the company's operation as well as my other business endeavor's that I cannot abandon.

I'm thinking the only real way to get any contracts would be to target local small to medium sized businesses and literally just go "door to door" and have some type of pamphlet or brochure made up as well as business cards and try to talk with the owner/manager about how much they are paying for their transportation costs and try to o"outbid" their current provider. I would imagine many companies already either own their own truck and have someone in-house do their own deliveries though, so I'm not too sure that this idea is feasible for a guy with one 10 year old truck.

Any input on this would be great. Thanks again for the replies.

Sorry you weren't having any luck finding good quotes, I don't know if you found something by now, but when I was looking I compared business insurance quotes until I found a rate that was a low enough for me to afford but still offered quality coverage. Hopefully, with a truck you're using commercial auto insurance.

I've also read there's a considerable market for junk removal (I mean just look at JunkDawgs above me for example) or recycles collection - especially after the popularity of Hoarders.

I think most companies would have their own trucks and those that are willing to pay for services might want it at reduced rates, so it may not be very profitable for you. I know this is a long shot, but does it have refrigeration capabilities?

Hope everything worked out for the best.