Starting your trucking company or sprinter van company or cargo van. We’re going to break everything down in 2023. The first thing you want to do is do your research. Do you know what I’m saying? Make sure this is something that you really want to get in.
Make sure it’s something that you really want to do. If you’re serious, then go get your LLC. That’s normally $125, depending on what state you live in. And then from there, you want to get your EIN number, That’s free.
You will need a percentage breakdown of what you own. If you have a partner in your business, you need your Ein number and a D-U-N-S® Number as well. The reason why a Dun number is important is that that’s pretty much how you build your business credit.
A sprinter van business is one of the most lucrative and easy-to-go businesses in the current times. It is a cargo transportation that delivers LTL cargo quality in an emergency. Usually, these loads have longer routes and can span hundreds of miles.
If you want to step up into this business, here in this guide, we will cover how to start your own sprinter van business. So, if you are ready to know, keep on reading!
Before moving forward and knowing how to start a business with a sprinter van, it is important to understand what a sprinter van is and how much money it can cost you to buy it if you don’t already have one!
Sprinter Van: What Is It & How Much Does It Cost?
A sprinter van is a more elaborated and extended version of the truck. It comes with more height and size so that a person can stand upright. Drivers usually prefer a sprinter van for expediting deliveries because it is suitable for long-route deliveries. Drivers can lay their bed and sleep in rather than book hotels. Another best thing about these vans is that they are easy to drive, park, and take a good amount of cargo.
Depending on your needs and budget, you can buy a sprinter van between $48,000 to $57,000. In the lower prices, you may have to compromise with the high roof, payload, and wheelbase. However, it is only sometimes the case with some brands. Now we know what is sprinter van is and its estimated prices, let’s start with: how to start sprinter van business?
How To Start Your Own Sprinter Van Business
Starting a sprinter van business is just like starting any other business. All you have to do is lay a blueprint of your business plan, which can be as follows:- So it’s very important that you get that to start. If you want to open up, get more vans, open up a store, get a building, whatever you want to do. Getting your Duns number is very important and crucial to your van business.
The next thing you want to do is no matter if you’re renting financing, buying out, or leasing. You want to know what van you’re going to be driving or what truck you’re going to be getting. Because, you know, it’s very key and essential that you know what your VIN number is because that’s going to determine how much your insurance is going to be.
And I know some companies let you slide for 750. So it all depends. But I mean, I would say do the million because that would be more so worth it. You get more work that way. You kind of like limit yourself because some companies and some brokers won’t deal with you unless you have that million-dollar liability.
Do Market Research!
Do you want to be over the road or do you want to stay local? Because more people make most of their money over the road in some cases. You can make good money being local. It depends on your living situation.
If you’re single without a family, you probably don’t care to go on tour, you know. But you got to understand that, you know, you never know where you’re going to end up. You know, it’s going to be some deadhead.
Before directly jumping into the market and the full process of how to start sprinter van business, the best decision is to research it. This way, you will know what you need from the beginning of your business and what type of risk, rules, and laws are associated with your business. Ensure to research the policies of your business and its requirements ( taxes, insurance, and other relevant information). Don’t forever earn, update, and validate your driver’s license because it is the first thing you must do in this business.
Another thing you want to know is what type of services you want to provide in this business. You can choose any service from passenger transport, courier, parcel delivery, medical transportation, etc.
Also, check out competitors’ business profits and how they do it. What type of strategies are they doing to promote the business? All of this will give you a point to start your business and let you know the significant risks and benefits of other sprinter van businesses.
What Type Of Legal Entity Your Sprinter Van Business Will Hold?
In the process of how to start your own van business, the next step is to determine what your legal identity will be. There are several different types of entities that your sprinter van business can hold, but the primary two are as follows:-
Sole Proprietorship-
If you are starting a business as an individual, you can form a sole proprietorship. A sole proprietorship is like a regular proprietor who owns and operates a business without any employees or partners. Registering the sole business proprietorship means limited paperwork and all the liabilities in the business accounts to the owner.
Partnerships and LLCs-
These two entities are similar to sole proprietorships except that they have more rights than individual owners. Two or more personnel or companies come together to form a business in this type of business identity. If something goes wrong in the business, all the risks are divided between the partners.
Register Your Sprinter Van Business
Once you have finalized the legal identity of your business, the next step is to register it. Contact the legal authority, like the Secretary of State in your state, to register the business. Along with the registration, you will also need a federal tax ID number and other licenses that your state might require to register your business. In addition, you will need an EIN ( an employer identification number ) from the IRS to file for taxes and open a bank account.
Apply For A Bank Account
You have your business registered, and you have other essential documents and licenses along with you, and apply for a business bank account. You need this business bank account to pay taxes and manage your finances. In addition to the bank account, apply for a business credit card. The card will help you to build a better cibil score for the future of your business.
Obtain An Insurance To Secure Your Business
And there are two types of insurance that you can get. You can get the liability, or you can get the commercial insurance, which is normally a million for general liability, you know, another million for damage and then $100,000 for cargo.
You’ll want to buy insurance for your van. This can be a general liability policy covering you in case of injury or property damage.
If your business is large enough and involves hauling goods across state lines, you must also have commercial auto insurance. You need to cover commercial vehicles with different laws than cars because they’re bigger, carry more weight, and therefore require different types of coverage than regular ones.
You could get umbrella coverage if none of these other policies fit your needs. An umbrella policy provides all kinds of protection at once with one premium payment instead of two or three separate premiums per type of coverage needed for each aspect of your business.
Now, Have Your Own Sprinter Van (Lease Or Purchase It)
You might get something back, or you might not. You know, that’s part of the business is what it is. And that could eat into your overall profit if you stay local. You might take you to know, you might get paid less depending on if you’re leasing to a company or if you’re doing your own calling or if, you know what I’m saying, dispatching for yourself or you’re leasing to a company.
Every situation is different. You know, this is not the easiest thing. You know, I mean, so this is just the reality of, of what it is. If you stay local, nine times out of ten, you can rock out with the hundred thousand 300K if you’re not moving that much freight.
When you are all set, it’s time to purchase your van. First, if you’re buying a new van for $1 million dollars (assuming it’s worth at least that), then the better option is to lease the equipment for your business. Leasing your sprinter can save you money over time and help you pay down the debt on your credit card.
Suppose you want to buy something more affordable and convenient. In that case, however, leasing is still worth considering, especially if other factors, such as gas prices or maintenance costs, are at play.
Buying the new equipment will save you money over time, but leasing gives you more flexibility. You can buy the equipment after obtaining the necessary capital for your business.
Check For Additional Equipment
After renting, leasing, or buying your van, the next step is to get the necessary equipment. Sprinter can equipment is the first thing you need. You can check for cargo tools like barriers, bulkheads, and shelving units to organize your van’s storage. You can also buy, lease, and rent this equipment.
Purchasing this equipment from a second-hand market like eBay makes it a better option in the long run. It will save you the money you can spend on the necessary things.
Another thing to add to your sprinter van is the safety equipment. You can include fire extinguishers, first aid kits, emergency lighting, etc. For the additional tools, you can also install the Wifi router, tracking systems, and charging ports to maximize your efficiency.
Market Your Business
So if you’re somebody that doesn’t want to do the bulk of the work to get more money, then maybe leasing through a company or on somebody else’s authority is for you, if you don’t mind. Know, doing the paperwork and doing the steps that you need to maximize how much money you can make, you know, then you should probably dispatch for yourself or be an owner-operator.
If you wonder how to start a sprinter van business, you must know about marketing. Marketing is a big part of running a successful business. It can help you get clients from the beginning of your business and later help you expand it. Also, ensuring your services work for you and your customers is important.
Also, marketing will help you analyze what is working for your customers. If customers are using the vans less than they used to or suppliers aren’t willing to work with you anymore, the right marketing can help you ensure both of these things are true before making any drastic changes!
If you need help getting new customers or suppliers (or both), try advertising on websites like Facebook or Twitter. Or you can also create your own website. There are also other fast methods of marketing your business, like Google ads, where people go looking for services like yours every day. It will help attract new clients and suppliers alike!
Conclusion
You don’t just read to this information. Make sure that you apply this also. We hope this guide has given you some useful tips on how to start your own sprinter van business. Remember that it can be a little tricky at first, but with a little determination and patience, we’re sure that you’ll be able to get going in no time! Also, feel free to add your steps to this business plan, as it is not a rule of thumb, just a guide to follow. Thank you for reading!
