If you wish, you can open a forwarding transport company, but desire alone is not enough - you must have experience in a similar field of activity. This article will look at an example of a business plan for a transport company with everything necessary for this, as well as calculations. The numbers are approximate, because in each specific city everything is different.

Every year the volume of imported and exported goods increases, and passenger traffic is also constantly growing. All this makes the cargo transportation business more and more profitable. That is why companies of this type are growing like mushrooms after rain, and transport companies are disappearing. Forwarding companies solve the problem of shortage of transport by attracting vehicles from a neighboring company. Thus, the opening of an expedition department (and maybe some other one) occurs. So let's get started.

The first step in creating such a company is registration with the relevant authorities and authorities.

A brief business plan for opening a transport company for the transportation of goods from scratch

If you have a desire to work in the field of transporting passengers and various cargoes, then read the business plan provided below for creating a transport company. Right there you can study some of the subtleties and view the cost figures for organizing this business.

We open a cargo transportation company from scratch

How to register a freight forwarding company

You should know that most transport companies are registered and operate as OJSC, CJSC, LLC, and PBOLE. By the way, many people do not want to deal with the last option, since there is a value added tax. The most effective in this case should be considered the opening of a joint stock company. And since the process of registering a closed joint stock company is quite complicated and involves a number of difficult procedures, we will consider the option of a company with the LLC form of activity.

In order for registration to be carried out accurately and quickly, it is worth contacting organizations with experience in this field. You can also purchase a ready-made version of a forwarding company, but in this case it will be difficult to change its name. To register, you will need to open a bank account and also deposit an initial capital of ten thousand rubles.

Selection of office space and staff for a cargo transportation company

You will need a lease agreement between the owner of the building and you, as it will serve as an office as well as the legal address of your company.

As for personnel, at first it is quite possible to get by with fewer workers. True, it should be said that such an approach will greatly slow down the entire work process - each employee will have to combine several positions.

Finding a highly specialized specialist will be quite problematic, and he will have to pay a lot, so it’s worth finding an employee without work experience and training him. Accounting should be entrusted to professionals. Why? Because all salary payments and various calculations are a responsible matter, and let the audit firm handle this.

Advantages and disadvantages of business in the transportation sector

The advantages of a business providing transport services include relatively small initial investments. No license required, which is also good. But this is precisely what entails not always conscientious work of dispatch personnel, which is an undoubted disadvantage.

Let's get started

To avoid any problems between the supplier and the client, complete information about the carrier, broker, warehouses, etc. should be provided. And since most client companies do not have logisticians, you don’t have to worry about being removed from the general chain. By the way, if customer firms contact the broker directly, they will not have any guarantee that they will receive the same rate as the forwarder.

Before you start providing transport services, you will need to conclude several contracts. One of them is with the client of the company about freight forwarding, and the carrier – a client agreement. What else should a freight forwarder do? His responsibilities include tracking the cargo along the route, solving all sorts of unforeseen problems, and he must clearly understand what is being transported. Also, the forwarding company must bring the client up to date. All this together is an indicator of the competent work of a freight forwarder.

Although at first glance it may seem that the work of such a company is simple, this is not entirely true. You must navigate the laws of movement of export and transit cargo, and correctly draw up various documents. Get ready for a lot of expeditions to cargo departure points.

Features of a business idea for opening a transport company for the transportation of goods from scratch

In the first stages, you will have to do most of the work yourself. That is why work experience and understanding of it are desirable, otherwise you will simply fail at everything at the very beginning of your journey. Take your first steps very carefully, because the job of a freight forwarder is to satisfy the interests of the client and have various information. Sometimes problems between the cargo owner and the carrier can only be resolved by the forwarder.

Advertising campaign for your business

You should not start with cool advertising of your activities, as a situation may arise when a client flocks to you, and you will not be able to satisfy the companies’ requests. In this case, negative information will be spread about you, which is completely unnecessary. Let your advertising at first be in the form of small advertisements on special sites on the Internet. Further, when you get promoted, you can think about creating your own website, where all the information necessary for the client will be provided.

Opening time

You should know that the “hottest” seasons for this type of business are spring and autumn. At the first stage, you should prepare for them. That is why it is better to start activities in the summer months. This way, you will be able to gain some experience and understand some of the intricacies of the business.

Business specifics

You probably already understand that a freight forwarder is an intermediary between a client and a supplier. He must defend the rights of both sides. If you insure your activities, this will help you avoid costs. However, sometimes this doesn’t help either.

Here's an example:

The cargo is on its way to Russia. The car was delivered on time, all documents for the goods were received, the customs office of the foreign state gave the go-ahead, and when the truck approached the Russian border, doubts arose about the correctness of filling out the declaration, since the weight did not correspond to reality. All the proceedings lead to nothing, and nothing can be proven.

The driver receives a contract for loading and unloading operations (and its cost ranges from six hundred to a thousand dollars). Following the logic, the customer must pay for the work performed, but this is possible only after receiving the cargo. On the other hand, if the amount is not paid, the truck will not leave customs. The forwarder will have to sort this out. He will bear the costs himself, with the hope of receiving them later from the customer.

That is why on the way there must be a certain reserve of money, the necessary contact information, as well as practical experience.
While working, you can carry out related activities. For example, assistance in customs clearance of warehouses, consolidation at transit warehouses, or preparation of various documents.

If you have the desire and faith in success, then everything will definitely work out. Good luck to you!

The freight forwarding business is developing dynamically. The flow of cargo transportation is constantly growing. There is a need to coordinate actions and timely delivery of goods. The link between the shipper and the consignee is the freight forwarding company. Properly organizing logistics is the primary task of the company’s employees. The reputation and profit of the enterprise depend on the quality of the services provided and the fulfillment of its obligations.

The freight forwarding business is associated with many risks, as several stakeholders are involved in the process. It is easiest to engage in forwarding activities for entrepreneurs who have experience in the transport sector, know the legislation, are able to correctly draw up accompanying documentation and resolve issues that arise at the border or in cargo storage areas.

Area of ​​activity

Before opening a transport company, decide which work scheme suits you best:

1. Creation of your own transport company with a fleet of trucks of various tonnage. The financial costs will be significant. You will need funds to rent or purchase cars, pay for qualified personnel (drivers, dispatchers, accountant, manager).
2. Creation of a company providing forwarding services. You will play the role of freight dispatchers and look for outsourced carriers. You don't need your own vehicle fleet. For intermediary services, companies charge from 5 to 10% of the total cost of transportation for 1 freight. The investment will be minimal, and the profit will be quite large.

A reputable transport company often provides additional services related to the delivered cargo:

• consolidation;
• warehousing;
• security;
• insurance.

It is advisable for a newly created company to begin work by organizing transportation by road. After familiarizing yourself with the nuances and developing a client base, you can move on to more serious types of transportation:

• using railway transport;
• by air transport;
• mixed types of transport.

Where to begin

If you decide that you have enough knowledge and funds to open a transport company, register the chosen form of organizational and legal activity of your enterprise. Entrepreneurs prefer open () and closed () joint stock companies. The best option is a limited liability company. The risks of takeover by competitors are minimized and the interests of each shareholder are protected, regardless of what percentage of shares they own.

Your actions:

1. Draw up the decision and agreement of the founders on the creation of an LLC.
2. Form an authorized capital (minimum 10 thousand rubles or property equivalent to this amount).
3. Develop the LLC Charter.
4. Fill out the application for state registration of your company (form No. 11001).
5. Pay the state fee (4000 rubles).
6. Attach to your application a receipt for payment of the state fee and copies of the constituent documents.
7. If there are foreign citizens among the founders, an extract from the register of foreign legal entities of the Russian Federation will be required.
8. submit to the state registration authorities.

Financial expenses

To engage in expeditionary services, you will need quite an impressive start-up capital. Minimum 250 thousand rubles. you must have. What does this amount consist of:

One-time opening costs will be:

• LLC registration – 35 thousand rubles;
• purchase of office equipment, consumables, furniture, Internet connection – 100 thousand rubles.

In addition, monthly you will spend on:

• rent of premises of 20 sq. m – from 8 to 30 thousand rubles;
• utilities – up to 5 thousand rubles;
• salary for employees (with a staff of 2-3 people) – from 50 thousand rubles;
• advertising – up to 30 thousand rubles. As the company develops, this amount may decrease due to the establishment of personal contacts and the acquisition of a worthy reputation for your company;
• commercial expenses – up to 3 thousand rubles.

If you plan to engage in freight forwarding activities, you will have to rent or purchase vehicles, organize warehouse space, hire drivers and expand your staff of employees. Additional costs depend on:

• brand and carrying capacity of selected vehicles;
• storage area;
• number of personnel;
• office size and location;
• advertising costs;
• amounts of utility bills.

Freight forwarding services are among activities where there is a high margin. The average profitability ranges from 25–40%. By investing 250 thousand rubles, you will recoup the costs in a year.

A business plan for opening a transport company, drawn up by a competent economist, will allow you to calculate the costs specifically in your case, taking into account all aspects of the activity. Get ready for the fact that at first you will work at a loss. Based on a study of the work of transport companies, experts usually predict that the company will be unprofitable for the first three months. With the right approach, increasing the number of orders and expanding the customer base, the first profit may appear in six months. Income will increase from 600 thousand rubles in the first month to 3 million rubles in the sixth month of work.

Office opening

The location of the office depends on the availability of funds. For the prestige of the company and the convenience of potential clients, rent premises in the city center. You can open an office on the outskirts. Rental cost per 1 sq. m will decrease from 2 thousand rubles in the center to 400 rubles. in a remote area. This option is more convenient for carriers (the location is close to the highway).

The number of employees depends on the expected volume of business. If there is no client base, and at first you will be engaged in dispatch services, 1 dispatcher and you performing all other functions (director, accountant, manager) will be enough.

Be sure to equip your office with:

• a desktop with a computer with Internet access;
• telephone with multi-channel communication;
• office equipment: MFP, fax.

Buy quality software that allows you to:

• register contracts;
• take into account applications;
• calculate the cost of services, cost and profitability of services for each client;
• automate supply chain management;
• quickly and accurately write out primary documentation;
• generate reports;
• generate an extract at the request of the customer.

Staff

Look for workers with experience. It is advisable that the manager has his own client base. This way you will get back on your feet faster and will be provided with orders. For smooth operation, you will only need competent transportation managers. Their tasks:

• development of transport schemes;
• determination of the most profitable directions of transport flows;
• communication with customers;
• coordinating the actions of counterparties;
• prompt response to problems that arise and inform management if the manager’s competence and authority do not allow them to be eliminated.

The logistics manager must be:

• punctual;
• proactive;
• literate;
• sociable.

The salary of a transportation manager is from 20 thousand rubles. monthly (rate + percentage of profit). At first, use the services of a visiting accountant. They will cost you 10 thousand rubles.

As your business develops, expand your staff and purchase additional office equipment. To clearly separate functions, organize 2 departments:

1. Commercial. Specialists will accept applications, issue invoices, issue waybills, and inform customers about cargo delivery. Their responsibilities will include cargo insurance and searching for new contractors. 2-3 competent specialists will be enough.
2. Transport and forwarding. Specialists monitor the condition of rolling stock, maintenance schedules, and carry out work on cargo dispatch and delivery. They are also engaged in providing additional services involving various modes of transport. At least 3 people will be required in this area.

Remember: reducing the number of staff and forcing employees to perform duties that they have only a vague understanding of can lead to fatal consequences for the business. The logistics of amateurism are unforgiving and hit the pocket hard. Penalties, fines, tarnished reputation are the result of any miscalculations or incompetence of both staff and management. Cargo transportation as a business requires maximum control over all stages of work.

How to attract clients

To get your first customers, you need to take certain actions:

• place an ad in the newspaper;
• print promotional products: business cards, booklets with a story about your company;
• place information on banners along busy highways and in the central part of the city;
• create a website on the Internet indicating the list of services provided and contact information;
• Call as many contractors as possible and express your interest in cooperation. Tell us about your benefits. There will definitely be interested parties;
• make personal connections to find your first clients.

Advice: be sure to conclude client agreements with carriers and contracts for forwarding cargo support. Never rely on your word. Oral agreements have no legal force. There are frequent cases of deception and fraud in the absence of concluded contracts. If you do not want to document your relationship, refuse to cooperate and remove the unreliable client from your database.

Opening time

Cargo transportation is a seasonal business. Peak season is autumn and spring. Experts recommend starting a freight forwarding business in the summer. By the time of the busy season, you should already have a work plan in place, the first clients have been found, and inconsistencies that arise at first have been taken into account and corrected.

To open a transport company, you will need the necessary knowledge, a well-thought-out business plan, a desire to work 24 hours a day and a desire for dialogue with all stakeholders.

Russia is a large country that requires the supply of a large number of goods and services to its various points, separated by vast distances. Consequently, passenger and freight transportation services are in demand, which makes the transport business very profitable. The formation of the structure of this business began with the country's transition to a market economy. This area currently employs about 20% of Russia's working population.

The road network in the country is continuously growing, which contributes to the development of transport business. In addition, cargo transportation has now become safer than, say, in the 90s, which cannot but attract entrepreneurs. This makes cargo delivery easier and cheaper. This area of ​​business is developing despite the unstable economy of the country, which is a positive factor for investment.

Business organization

Before you open a company providing freight transportation services from scratch, you need to decide on the type of future enterprise and the type of transport required for this. If you plan to provide services to individuals, such as delivery of furniture, household appliances, moving assistance, etc., then you will need light-duty trucks (load capacity up to 7 tons).

If you want to open a large company to provide services to legal entities (shops, wholesale warehouses) in Russia or neighboring countries, you will need trucks with trailers, trucks, and refrigerators. To open a company that provides services to industrial enterprises, dump trucks, tractors and long vehicles are used. There is also the option of an intermediary company that searches for orders. Such a company does not require its own transport.

The next step when opening a transport company from scratch is choosing a legal form. If the company has one founder, then the individual entrepreneur form is ideal for it. For a company with several founders, it is better to choose a legal form such as LLC.

The form of taxation of your company will depend on the types of services provided and the amount of transport available. If your company has up to 20 cars and provides services to individuals, then the optimal type of taxation will be UTII. For transport companies providing services to industrial enterprises, you should choose the 3NDFL tax regime. For limited liability companies, a general tax regime is chosen. Intermediary transport companies can apply either a general or simplified tax regime.

When starting a business such as a transport company from scratch, you should remember that it is mandatory to open a bank account, even if you plan to provide services to individuals. Legal entities work mainly on a cashless basis, so they will not enter into a contract with a company that does not have a bank account.

Another important point is the selection of personnel for your company. When opening a transport company from scratch, you will need to hire drivers, the number of which depends on the number of cars and work schedule.

With round-the-clock operation, one car will require up to 3 drivers. The number of dispatchers depends on the number of cars and type of services. For companies with more than 5 cars, a car mechanic will be required. It is advisable to hire an accountant in a company that has more than 10 cars under the general taxation regime.

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How to make your trucking business successful?

The success of your business directly depends on the number of clients, so finding them is one of the most important tasks of a businessman.

When starting a business from scratch, you should take care of good advertising for your company. For a high-quality and quick search for clients, the following types of advertising will help you: posting advertisements around the city, advertising your company on the Internet sites of your city and region, in newspapers and magazines, placing advertisements in furniture stores and household appliance stores. Dispatch companies can also help you find clients.

If your company works with legal entities, then you can send commercial offers of your services with prices to a certain circle of companies. Currently, large enterprises hold tenders, in which your company must offer optimal conditions to win. In addition, you should enter into contracts with large dispatch firms.

When opening a transport company, you should remember that clients first of all pay attention to the quality of services, so starting such a business from scratch is quite difficult, regardless of whether it is urban, intercity or international cargo transportation. The profitability of your business depends on the literacy of your company's employees. The simplest option for a transport business is to provide customers with vehicles for rent.

The quality of the purchased transport determines the future profit of your company. Trucks from Mercedes, Peugeot, Ford, and Hyundai are best suited for this business. Such cars, although they are more expensive, last longer than inexpensive domestic cars. A couple of hackneyed “Gazelles” and “Bulls” are unlikely to bring you much income.

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Starting a freight forwarding business is the right decision. But there is a danger: along with the high demand for this business, competition is also growing. It is better for entrepreneurs with experience in the transport sector to do this business from scratch. All they have to do is find out how to open a cargo transportation company.

Demand for the freight forwarding business

Those who are not involved in logistics often ask the question: is it profitable to engage in cargo transportation? The volumes of imports and exports in the country are increasing every year, therefore, the demand for this type of activity is also increasing. Cargo transportation is a current business, which entails the growth of numerous organizations engaged in providing this type of service. Most often, such companies are founded by entrepreneurs, most of whose knowledge is logistics. There are departments that have mastered cargo transportation, studied documents and offer their own services. If a problem arises with a shortage of cars, the organization attracts cars from neighboring companies. Thus, a new department is created, offering customers a variety of types of transport and services.

Main types of enterprises

To answer the question - how to open a transport company from scratch, you need to understand the different types of enterprises:

• Companies providing services to individuals.
• Individual entrepreneur providing assistance to legal parties.
• Establishments transporting goods for industrial enterprises.
• Companies that deliver groupage cargo.
• Enterprises engaged in searching for orders, intermediary firms.

Features of the transport organization

We should start with the fact that logistics involves developing an optimal route, including all possible stops, breakdowns, and breaks. Logistics exists as an independent transport area. The advantage of this business is that bankruptcy is almost impossible. Also, to organize a business from scratch, you do not need to invest a fortune. Trucking business does not require a license. However, many unscrupulous companies have appeared that are not responsible for their actions. They also do not have permits. They often don't even know how to open a transport company. Logistics in transport has six key rules:

1. The right cargo.
2. The right place.
3. The right time.
4. Required amount.
5. Adequate quality.
6. Minimum costs.

Logistics has its own approach to organizing transport business. This:

• More than 2 types of transport.
• Availability of a single through rate for transportation.
• The interaction pattern is sequential-central.

Company registration and types of taxation

To the question of where to start a business activity, there is only one answer – documents. You should register a company and decide on the taxation system. You should also decide on the legal form of the enterprise:

• IP (individual entrepreneurship).
• LLC (when several founders are involved).

For individual entrepreneurs, a single tax on imputed income has been adopted. This tax is suitable for enterprises cooperating with individuals and for those who operate without VAT.

For an LLC, the best option is a general taxation system.

Financial sector

If an entrepreneur is thinking about how to open a transport company from scratch and plans to start a long-term business, then he needs to open a bank account. Many clients will be willing to pay for services by bank transfer. The total revenue of an individual entrepreneur or LLC consists of profit from freight transportation. If the question arises whether it is profitable to engage in cargo transportation, then the answer is unequivocal - yes. Freight transportation as a business is quite profitable. Average figures range from 25 to 40% profit. Main expense items:

• Salary.
• Taxes.
• Spare parts.
• Documentation.
• Purchase of fuels and lubricants.
• General expenses.

Recruitment for the company

To stay in the market, an individual entrepreneur or LLC needs to efficiently organize a personnel department. The number of hired workers depends on the size of the vehicle fleet. In any case, you need to start by selecting the following employees:

• Drivers. There should be more of them than cars. Based on one car, 3 people are required.
• Mechanic. If an entrepreneur has more than six machines, then he will need at least 1 specialist.
• Dispatchers. The control room needs exactly as many employees as there are cars in the fleet. The control room must be equipped with high-quality equipment, since this is one of the main workplaces.
• Accountant. It will be needed if you have a fleet of ten cars or more, if the company operates in the LLC format. This person will prepare all financial and reporting documents in a timely manner.

Dissemination of information about the company

After the individual entrepreneur is registered, documents are drawn up and personnel are selected, it is necessary to take care of material support. Then you should form your regular customer base and select suppliers. Initially, there may be distrust on the part of the customer; he will doubt the quality of the product and the competence of the workers.

In order to appease the client, you need to provide him with as much information as possible about your institution, staff and services.

Prepare the necessary documents confirming the existence of the company. We must not forget that to start a business, advertising should not be in the foreground. It can greatly affect the budget of a newly created enterprise. At the same time, aggressive advertising may attract too many clients that a novice entrepreneur will not be able to serve. First, you need to place advertisements about individual entrepreneurs and LLCs on information boards and on social networks. As your business increases, your circle of consumers will also increase. This way, you can increase your advertising campaign.

When to start your own business

When starting a business from scratch, you should consider the time of year. For what? In order to correctly calculate your strength when increasing the volume of work. The summer period is considered the quietest for organizing cargo transportation. Autumn is the busiest season. The cargo transportation business is a very profitable niche, but it requires close attention from the entrepreneur. Organizing a transport business from scratch will not be difficult, especially since you will not need a business license. Therefore, you can use an individual entrepreneur to start your own business. Logistics and its knowledge will help an entrepreneur organize the optimal route and rationally organize expenses. When registering an enterprise, the business entity receives all the necessary documents.