Starting a Hauling Service for Work from Home Income

Any business that's easy to start is bound to attract a number of enterprising, hard-working "independents." Because a hauling ser­vice can be started with as little as an old station wagon and a willingness to get your hands dirty, you can expect that such a service is a pretty competitive business. So, to succeed in this low-investment service business you have to offer something that will attract customers to you rather than others who may have better equipment, or a long-established list of customers.

To get customers in your new business you have to be willing to work harder than the competition. Start with a free local classified ad at GladList.com that says something to the effect of, "Efficient Low-Cost Hauling. Our Prices Are The Best In Town. No Job Too Small. Call 555-5555 for immediate FREE estimate."

If the job you get requires a vehicle larger than a station wagon (although you'll be surprised how much you can fit in a wagon), you can rent a larger vehicle from Ryder or U-Haul (every town has at least one rental service). But you don't have to rent an ex­pensive truck for bigger hauling jobs. You can rent, or even build, a small trailer! No one really cares how you haul away whatever junk they want to get rid of, and no one will be checking the paint job on the vehicle you use. The point is to keep your costs as low as possible.

Helpers in the hauling business are easy to come by. High school students or virtually anyone who wants a few hours work are likely candidates at the going minimum wage. In addition to a classified ad, your promotion costs should be limited to business cards, a list­ing in the Yellow Pages (under "Trucking" or "Hauling") and a neatly lettered sign, with a telephone number, on your vehicle. Make a habit of talking up your service whenever possible, and leave cards with prospective customers and others who can dis­tribute them casually.

Your rates should be stated to customers in terms of a flat fee (usually never less than $20, no matter how small the job). When figuring your fee calculate the time necessary for the job, the salary to your helper, if needed, gas, wear and tear on your vehicle, rental charges for a vehicle and any dumping fees you may have to fork over at the town dump. Then take those basic costs and add another 50 percent as your profit. With reasonably steady work you could be making a profit of $200 a week in a relatively short time Collect your fee after you load your vehicle, before you leave your customer's property. You should have little difficulty doing this since your job is done at that point, at least as far as the customer is concerned.

As your business grows, you can acquire your own larger vehicles (or even lease them on a long-term basis). You can easily branch out into the moving business, and even the salvage business by sav­ing and restoring broken items that others have hired you to dis­card.