As we already mentioned in the article Business Idea: Cargo Transportation , it is necessary to conduct separate marketing research on cargo transportation of small cargoes within settlements and long-distance transportation of large cargoes.
The service for the transportation of small goods over a short distance is very much in demand by small businesses.
First of all, when conducting a marketing research on cargo transportation, you need to find out who is the potential customer of your future business. The portrait of the customer should be drawn up based on your own capabilities.
If you have only one passenger car, then you can’t count on the transportation of large and even medium-sized consignments of goods.
However, for owners of small cars in the service market, there is an excellent niche for delivering single orders within the city.
Cargo transportation of small cargoes — delivery of one-time consignments of goods
The delivery service of a single batch is valued higher, payment is made for each order separately in a fixed amount.
That is, it is easy to make a fairly solid income from individual orders every day.
In this case, you need to look for customers among stores that accept orders for home delivery, among online stores, flower shops or among express mail deliveries.
By the way, Russian Post not so long ago also began to provide home delivery services for small parcels, so orders can be received there as well.
When providing this type of service, it is necessary to take into account the time spent not only on the transportation of goods, but also on its delivery to the client’s door, as well as on the transfer of the goods themselves and the receipt of payment. Indeed, in the conditions of the city, you still need to find an opportunity to park near your destination. And the client will certainly want to make sure that the cargo is intact before paying.
In addition, delivery of orders often has to be made to different parts of the city, and this entails additional costs for gasoline, which are covered from the cost of order delivery.
Cargo transportation of small cargoes. Cargo transportation of small cargoes.
Therefore, when concluding a contract for the provision of such services, you need to take into account all these costs, as well as the distance traveled, it is good to calculate your expenses, income and final profit in order to assess the profitability of the business.
However, it is this type of trucking business that can bring a constant stable income, since the number of orders is constantly growing.
Small cargo transportation — stable contracts
If you have a truck, or, say, the same Gazelle, then the business organization will be of a completely different nature.
The customer in this case will be either a store that needs to ensure the delivery of small consignments of goods, or individuals who need to transport furniture, personal belongings or purchased materials.
To ensure a profitable business on single orders, it is better to organize a small transport enterprise of several vehicles and a dispatcher who takes orders.
Mini transport enterprise will allow:
— firstly, to accept orders at any time, providing work for all drivers;
— secondly, to optimize transportation routes by reducing fuel costs.
It is most advantageous to find a regular customer among stores selling bulky goods, such as furniture or building materials.
As a rule, buyers ask for delivery of such goods, so the car or cars will be loaded with orders throughout the day. Such cooperation is beneficial for both the carrier, the store, and the customer.
However, when taking into account the costs in a marketing research on the transportation of small cargoes, an important circumstance must be taken into account: customers usually demand that they also provide loading and unloading services.
So, from the cost of the order, it will be necessary to allocate separate amounts for the payment of movers, or to charge for these services to the customer separately.
