Commercial dump trucks play a significant role in the day-to-day operations of the construction industry. The tasks needing to be done include transporting materials such as sand, gravel, dirt, etc. to various construction sites; it requires a skilled truck driver to safely deliver the payloads to the destination even under potentially dangerous conditions.

If you are interested in starting your own commercial truck business, there are numerous things to do, information to obtain, and decisions to be made. Here are some tips for the best way to ensure that you get your dump truck business operational and do it in a successful manner.

• Conduct a Feasibility Study

Hopefully if you have gotten this far, you have determined that you can drive commercial dump trucks and that it is the business that you want to pursue. Your next step is to do some research. Check your prospective operating area for other commercial dumping truck companies and determine the potential competitiveness in establishing another one in that area.

If there are companies that are already established in that area, conduct a study on what are the needs that are not met by those companies and how your business will serve to meet those needs. Being competitive in this line of work could mean your willingness to sacrifice personal time for more work at flexible hours; it will undoubtedly mean that you will need to be available to respond as quickly as possible to urgent project needs. You will need to make at least an initial determination as to whether you will do contract work for another company or seek work strictly on your own.

Also include here at least an initial determination of financing, both what you have and what you will need. You cannot conclude financing needs right now but it will certainly give you an idea if this is financially feasible for you.

• Name Your Business and Apply to Become a Legal Entity

Naming your business is always important. You want your name to stand out for those seeking the services of commercial dump trucks. Likewise, once you have made a name determination, you want to become a legal entity in your state of residence or operation.

• Write a Business Plan for Your Company

As a start, you should determine where you are when you begin and where you want to be within a certain period of time. Make a mission statement, statement of purpose, etc. for use by potential lenders and investors to determine if your company has the potential for being a solid investment.

• Determine all Governmental Requirements Needed

This need is for yourself, your vehicle(s) and your company. For yourself, make certain that you have the correct driver’s license for your job. For your vehicle, ascertain that it is properly registered with the state DMV as well as what permits may be required. For your company, determine if the business itself needs any special licenses or permits.

• Get a Quote For Commercial Insurance

You will not be able to even get the truck you need without being able to offer evidence of insurance for the vehicle. You also need to obtain commercial insurance for your company to protect both its assets from liability claims as well as the physical building at your chosen business site.

• Choose a Location For Your Business

This will hopefully be one location for both an office-type building and a garage in which to store the commercial dump trucks that you purchase. If at all possible, plan ahead for expansion needs so that you do not have to re-locate in the near future to allow your business to grow. You will have to check into city and/or county ordinances to determine if your type of business can be located at the site you have chosen.

• Make a Study of Maintenance Costs

This should most likely be done perhaps earlier than where this is included in this list, as the costs of maintenance on your commercial trucks is a very important consideration in deciding to open up a business of this nature. You also have to consider fuel costs. With prices rising and fluctuating a great deal in the fuel cost area, this by itself could determine how feasible it is for you to open this type of business.

• Obtain Necessary Final Financing

At this point, you should have completed most of the preliminary work to start a commercial dump trucks business, should know the financial needs to accomplish this, and know how much financing you will need to open the doors to your business.

• Advertise Your Business

Congratulations! You are now ready to open the doors of your business! Be sure to spend some time and money on proper advertising. Along with the normal advertising venues, do not overlook the huge potential to have a website and an SEO campaign to jump-start your new business. Internet marketing is one of the best ways to spend your advertising dollars, especially when you are the ‘new kid on the block’ and want to get your name to as many potential customers as possible. It will also allow you to ‘network’ with other similar businesses that may need some help on a worksite; it will help you get off the ground with your new business!

Hopefully this list has not been overwhelming. Starting any business is certainly a major undertaking and you need to be committed to all of these steps before you begin. Hopefully, your commercial dump trucks will be always busy helping you achieve your business goals!