Making a more professional start

CubeVanMan666

New Recruit
Researching
I've had a few months to rethink it and i've decide to make a slightly more high quality start in the trucking business. Instead of grabbing a cheap used 2000.00 uhaul.
I now have a plan to save up for and invest in a decent almost new 2015 GMC 16ft Savana Cube (Unicell) ($33,000 CDN) in full and lease and have installed a Tommy Dock-Friendly Railgate ($10,000CDN) so I can do dock deliveries right off the bat and not have to do stupid courier :censoredsign:.

I plan to either buy the cube van new or with less than 10,000km on it (4 months) and will have the railgate installed right after purchase. I also intend to invest in some decent black plastic pallets, a couple new pallet jacks and hire 2 fulltime drivers (eventually). We're going for the professional image here so everything from the van down to the outfits the drivers wear will be formal black and white including the jacks.

If you remember i am the bugger who wanted to "cheap it" earlier and start off with a used uhaul for 2000.00!!! Well I had a change of heart. The way I see it is if you want to amke money you have to spend money and hopefully by sinking a good 40 grand into this it will result in an eventual profit and not just on paper. There really is potential here, I know becuase I work for Wal-MArt and currently superstore and all we do currently is unload these things so whaddaya think
 

Ragman

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Are you planning to lease to a carrier or have your own authority?
 

paulnstef39

Veteran Expediter
Fleet Owner
Wow, talk about a change of plans. You went from 1 end of the spectrum to the other. Why the big change in mindset?
 

CubeVanMan666

New Recruit
Researching
Wow, talk about a change of plans. You went from 1 end of the spectrum to the other. Why the big change in mindset?
because i intend to be 100% successful , and i don't just mean 5% or 75% i mean 100% successful. I intend to start with one van, and then roll the profits over into a second van, and hire a second driver, and then a third van and third driver, up to about 5 (vans and drivers) and then pool it all into a new 5 ton (straight truck) or w
search
hatever it's called (this thing in the picture)
 

Ragman

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
There's not much profit in vans, but good luck to ya.
 
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CubeVanMan666

New Recruit
Researching
There's not much profit in vans, but good like to ya.
Well regardless, we're gonna have to MAKE it into a profit. There's potential for cube van deliveries when i was at penis-mart i saw it all the time, same with Safeway and probably Superstore too. Every jack and his dog wants something delivered and isn't too shy about being cheap, so that's when they call on daddy. Sooner or later they ALL call on daddy.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Yeah, well, nearly everyone who's ever gotten into expediting has thought or said out loud, "I'm gonna get me some more trucks, hire some drivers, sit back and make a killing." Six months, maybe a year later, they look in the mirror and go, "Wow! Were you one stupid moron back then!"

The problem is, every jack and his doggy daddy thinks it's not gonna be a problem putting strangers behind the wheel who couldn't care less about you, the truck, or your business, or they think finding drivers who do care about any of that is a piece of cake.
 

skyraider

Veteran Expediter
US Navy
I think I have heard this story before, egos are dangerous, but we shall all have to wish him good luck and success in his adventure....
 
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CubeVanMan666

New Recruit
Researching
I think I have heard this story before, egos are dangerous, but we shall all have to wish him good luck and success in his adventure....
THANKS

but seriously

This is not ego, this is simple common know how and basic mid level competency. If there’s people that cannot grasp the concept of providing service for money, and running the business competently and not like a jackass from Kentucky then, they have no business having their balls on the ice. The fact is this: one of the fastest growing industries in North America is the trucking industry, and anyone with even a childhood grasp of economics can see there is money to be made. It’s not about doing certain things, but rather doing things in a certain way.

I believe this is a quote from a certain millionaire if i'm not mistaken
 

akkshole

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Air Force
Sadder even when someone already knows how to get rich doing this job, THEN starts doing it, while the people with experience just shake their heads...I wish you luck, but 90% of people who start into expedite (not trucking) especially "knowing it all" will be unpleasantly surprised, scratching their head wondering where they made the mistake...
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
The most pathetic thing in the world is the person who has their sight but no vision – Helen Keller
A close second is someone who is blinded by their own vision. We know the failure rate for people entering this business, and that 90% figure you're probably scoffing and/or laughing at isn't far off. Those who enter this business driving their own cargo van (meaning, all vehicles other than a dock-high straight truck or a tractor trailer) more 50% of them are gone within 6 months. Less than half of those make it a year. The numbers are much higher for those driving a cargo van for a fleet owner. Granted, local light-haul delivery (courier service) is different than expediting, but unless you already know where you're going to get regular, high paying freight, you won't make it through the first 3 months.
 

Ragman

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Please don't take all this the wrong way. While your plans are admirable, we're just giving you a heads up.
 

Unclebob

Expert Expediter
Owner/Operator
Sounds like a excellently thought out business plan.

You did take the time to write out a thorough business plan didn't you. Including all your expenses and income. Including your marketing plan. Best and worst case scenarios.

Since you worked at Walmart you should have more than adequate experience in the trucking industry good luck.

Sent from my STUDIO6_0HD using Tapatalk
 
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runrunner

Veteran Expediter
I've had a few months to rethink it and i've decide to make a slightly more high quality start in the trucking business. Instead of grabbing a cheap used 2000.00 uhaul.
I now have a plan to save up for and invest in a decent almost new 2015 GMC 16ft Savana Cube (Unicell) ($33,000 CDN) in full and lease and have installed a Tommy Dock-Friendly Railgate ($10,000CDN) so I can do dock deliveries right off the bat and not have to do stupid courier ****.

I plan to either buy the cube van new or with less than 10,000km on it (4 months) and will have the railgate installed right after purchase. I also intend to invest in some decent black plastic pallets, a couple new pallet jacks and hire 2 fulltime drivers (eventually). We're going for the professional image here so everything from the van down to the outfits the drivers wear will be formal black and white including the jacks.

If you remember i am the bugger who wanted to "cheap it" earlier and start off with a used uhaul for 2000.00!!! Well I had a change of heart. The way I see it is if you want to amke money you have to spend money and hopefully by sinking a good 40 grand into this it will result in an eventual profit and not just on paper. There really is potential here, I know becuase I work for Wal-MArt and currently superstore and all we do currently is unload these things so whaddaya think
First mistake is that TommyDock!
 
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