Why should you write a trucking business plan for your trucking company? It sounds like a lot of work and effort. And even a lot of time off the road.
We write often about how TruckingOffice PRO and ELD help you stay on the road. So why are we recommending that you take some time off the road to write a trucking business plan?
Stick with us – this is important.
The Business Plan Is Like a Trailer
You’ve hauled a full load in the past, I’m sure. There are times when the load – because of the laws of physics – feels like it’s driving you, not you hauling it. Down hills, around complicated curves that aren’t banked well – sometimes things are happening that are out of control. Or idiot drivers cut in front of you and brake check – you know that situation.
Running a business is a lot like hauling a full load down a mountain. You don’t want the trailer’s weight to make you go too fast, or to pull you over onto your side. You want to be prepared for the situations you find yourself in – and to be ready for the situations you never saw coming. Experience, a good rig, and a well-loaded trailer all have a huge impact on your trip. Heading down the mountain might not be the worst place to be – but it has the potential of being the most dangerous.
Business Planning Gets Ready for the Trip
When you write a business plan for your trucking company, you’re not just preparing for the short term. You’re looking ahead.
Sure, it’s a crazy time in the USA right now. The trucking industry looks far too much like it did in 2006-07 (right before the crash of 2008.) So knowing how your trucking business is positioned to survive that potential downturn is the first step.
“OK, I’ll just use AI to write me a business plan.”
I can hear some of you saying it. (And maybe more of you are thinking it.)
You Know Your Trucking Business Better than AI
Sure, AI can write you a business plan. The only problem is that AI doesn’t know your trucking business. It’s going to write a very generic document without helping you understand the foundation of your trucking company or to make predictions based on your experience and knowledge about your equipment.
A business plan that doesn’t focus on your business is worthless. But that’s what you’ll get from any AI.
While I encourage you to write these steps yourself because that’s how you’ll get the most benefit – using AI to help you handle some of the writing may be the best use. If writing isn’t your best skill, get your data together (we’ll talk about that in future posts) and give it all to Chat GPT or Gemini or Open AI – whatever you want to use. Let it worry about grammar.
Why write a business plan? To know where you’re going.
A trucking business plan has several parts. Some of them are challenging to write, others are easy. But altogether, writing out a trucking business plan gives you a vision of what you want to do, ideas of what you could do, and methods to accomplish them.
If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there?
Lewis Carroll
Having a plan for the next year might mean you’re still in business next year.
TruckingOffice has the tools to find the data you need to write a trucking business plan. Trucker Stats™ will show you the information you need to look at your business now and to see what works so you’ll grow, and figure out what’s wrong and needs to go.
So if you’re ready to go for the long haul, consider TruckingOffice trucking management software and TruckingOffice ELD for the tools you need to make it.
TruckingOffice Trucking Management Software
Using a single TMS trucking software package gives the independent owner operator the same benefits that big trucking companies have in expensive software solutions. TruckingOffice PRO offers the best options for the solo trucker or the fleet builder. We’ve got affordable trucking management software that handles everything. TruckingOffice PRO makes your life easier and managing your business smoother by helping you handle your tasks better and faster:
- dispatches
- routing
- invoice generation and tracking
- expense management
- IFTA and IRP
- maintenance
- Trucker Stats™– reports to show the state of your trucking business.
Combined with the TruckingOffice ELD, you’ve got everything you need to build a successful trucking business – even from the cab of your truck.
Contact us today to learn how TruckingOffice PRO can help you avoid loads that cost you money to deliver and to discover what equipment is the most profitable for you.
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