It should also detail your plan to grow revenue. The Small Business Association (SBA) recommends your business plan should project 3-5 years ahead. Step #1: Write a business plan.Ī solid business plan is an essential step in any company. We’ve put together this checklist for starting a trucking business to help you succeed. This opens opportunities for driving revenue and profits to your trucking business, whether you’re an owner or owner-operator. Trucks deliver about 70% of products across the U.S. It works for me,” she says.Ĭarriers – Get access to all loads in the Convoy network here - it takes just minutes to sign up.Trucking is a profitable industry. “I’ll keep the same vetting process I have now. But instead of buying more trucks, she plans on working with other owner operators. What’s next? Driving toward the futureĬharmaria wants to grow Gurley All Freight. “I would go there and read about the different issues truckers experienced.” She also became an active member of Carolina Trucking Group, where she regularly shares advice, asks questions, and connects with other local trucking professionals. She says, “When I was starting out, I was a lurker on Rate per Mile Masters,” a Facebook group for carriers. She also teaches her students to never stop learning. “I love the quick payments and no factoring with Convoy.” “Once the technology is set up, it’s easy,” she says. She loads the Convoy app onto a tablet, then hands the tablet to her driver. going over how the industry works, key terms, cost per mile, and load boards and technology, including the Convoy app. She asked Charmaria to teach a class for the 14 of them. But last year, after she spoke on a panel in Charlotte, a woman took her aside and said she knew a lot of folks who wanted to start trucking companies.
#Trucking business how to#
She started with one-on-one coaching and consulting about how to dispatch and run a trucking business. So she decided to share her business and trucking knowledge with others, especially women. They said, ‘You have to submit an invoice.’ I said, ‘Oh, that’s why we haven’t gotten paid!’ I don’t want that to happen to anyone else,” she laughed. I waited a few weeks, then called brokers and said I was waiting on the money. “After we completed our first three loads, I thought we were done because we told the broker the loads were delivered. It was a huge testament to his work ethic.” Those who can do, teach: from entrepreneur to teacherĬharmaria admitted she experienced a steep learning curve.
#Trucking business driver#
But one evening, when one of her trucks broke down, Charmaria said, “I wanted to get my driver home, but he was worried about leaving the truck behind.
#Trucking business drivers#
When she started out, others warned Charmaria that she had to get her drivers home to keep them happy. “I tell them, ‘It’s not me - it’s the military background my guys have.’” “I have brokers who praise me on our updates,” she says. We are a small company, and we need to work together as a team.”Īnother reason she loves to hire veterans: their timeliness. “My drivers who are veterans will always pull over and help each other. “Being in the trucking industry, you sometimes feel like you’re alone,” she says. Today, Charmaria has two trucks and two dedicated drivers: her brother Martin and J.R., who also served in the Marines. She started working in investments and went back to school for her Master’s in Business Administration.
After, she went to UNC Charlotte and earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. She and Martin graduated from boot camp within weeks of each other. In 1999, Charmaria joined the United States Marine Corps to serve her country and pay for her education.
Service before self: why Charmaria hires veterans A few months later, she gave her notice, earned her authority, and hired Martin to drive. Her brother Martin, who was working as a company driver, said, “Why don’t you open a trucking company?”īy Christmas, Charmaria had made up her mind: Once she got her next bonus, she would start Gurley All Freight. On Thanksgiving of 2015, while eating dinner with her siblings, Charmaria announced she was ready to quit her job in investments and start her own business. Carriers Why Veteran Charmaria Gurley Started a Trucking Business
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