The major relationship between states is
that one has the product that the other needs and vice versa.
For this exchange to take place, there has
to be a means of transportation and that is where the haulage business comes
in.
Since our railway system is not functioning
as it is supposed to and the cost of using airlines and ships to move goods
around the country is very expensive this has made transportation by road the
best option to consider when you need goods to be moved around. This makes the haulage business a lucrative
business to venture into.
What Is Haulage?
Haulage can simply be defined as the
movement of materials and goods from one location to another using heavy truck such as trailers, tankers, vehicles, tippers, etc.
The haulage business is growing rapidly as
lots of goods need to be moved around take for example the potatoes that we
see in the south, east and west were transported from the north and for it to
get here it needed a haulage service to bring it.
There are other things that haulage
can do such as transporting goods from the seaport to any destination the
shipper desire.
The haulage business is not an easy
business to venture into as it involves huge capital and very risky but if done
right can generate lots of returns as the need to transport goods around the
country keeps increasing.
There are things you should put in place
for you to start a successful haulage business and I will list them below
Get Tutored
No matter the business you go into, you
have to get the basic knowledge of that business and same goes for haulage. Go
to seminars, read books, get advice from people that are already in the
business. Learn as much as you can and it will help you run your business
successfully.
Select Area To Specialize
The haulage business is huge having lots of
areas to specialize in. After you have gathered the right knowledge you will have
to think of what you want to go into. The areas to consider are
Agriculture: Transporting of food items and
perishable goods
Building Materials: You can transport
materials for building houses like cement, sand, irons, woods, etc.
Containers: You can transport containers
from the seaport to any destiny or any goods that come into the country from
the seaport.
Petroleum: You can transport petroleum
products such as Fuel, Gas, Diesel, etc. using tankers.
Get A Business Plan
This cannot be overemphasized as its need
to structure and map out how your business is going to be like. You need to plan
on how you going to turn your idea into reality and what is needed for it to be
achieved.
Capital
After you have mapped out your business
plan, the next thing you should consider is raising capital for the business.
The haulage business requires large capital as you will have to purchase a truck(s) to get started in the business. You can go to the bank for a loan or
look for someone or a group of people to invest in your idea.
Get A Truck
Due to the fact that the haulage business
is a capital intensive one, many people might have the resources to or enough
capital to purchase a truck. A standard truck cost up to 3 - 4 million Naira.
You can also start by hiring trucks while you think of buying your own.
Employ A Driver
One of the biggest problems in haulage
business is the drivers if you are unfortunate to hire a bad driver there is
every tendency that he might run away with your truck and goods in it that’s
why I advise you to take your time to search for a good drive (go to God in
prayers).
Register Your Business
Since it’s a business it’s advisable that
you follow due process and registering your business with Corporate Affairs commission so your clients can know you are serious. The transport business has
their own different associations so you should look for the right one to join.
With this starting a haulage business has
just got easier, all you have to do is follow these steps and keep on it and you
will surely succeed.
0 Comments