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Trucking Business Start-Up: Surprise Costs

By November 27, 2021January 11th, 2022Trucking Business Start-up, Trucking Insurance
Trucking Business Start-Up- Surprise Costs - A Truck With Straps and Hoses on the Back of a Flatbed Truck

Now that you have figured out (and possibly paid for) all the upfront costs to get your trucking business off the ground, it’s time to start purchasing all the little miscellaneous items that you may not have thought about. Truck drivers working for a company often take for granted that the cost of the chains they used to secure a load or the tarps they used to cover the steel or lumber on their flatbed didn’t come out of their pockets.

As a business owner, you are responsible for making sure that you or your drivers have everything they need to make a haul. Depending on what you are hauling and the type of trailer, you may need way more equipment than you have thought about…and the costs may surprise you if you’ve never had to buy your own. Although you can buy many of these items used, here is a list of items you may need, and the average price if you buy them brand new.

  1. Tarps – You may need 2 sets of tarps (steel and lumber tarps.) $2,100 per set. That’s a lot of money, but absolutely necessary if you are pulling a flatbed trailer.
  2. Chains and Binders. $1,200 This is a must-have for most trucks.
  3. Corner boards, bungees, ratchet straps, moving blankets, tire chains, D-Rings. $800 These are the small miscellaneous items that can really add up.
  4. Power Inverter – $300 You may need one to power your microwave, television, air conditioner, heated blanket, portable fridge, and laptop.
  5. Refrigerator – $250 A must-have for, if nothing else, your caffeinated beverages.
  6. TV – $150 Unless you are an avid reader, you will need a tv to pass the time while you are waiting or trying to fall asleep.
  7. CB Radio – $100 Keep in touch with other drivers while you are on the road.
  8. Printer – $60 You may have to print certificates, documents, or invoices on the fly.
  9. GPS – $150-700 You may already have an ELD with GPS, but if not, you will have to buy a stand-alone GPS.
  10. Safety Equipment – Boots, safety vest, cones, etc. $500 It is important to have all the safety equipment you need for when you are loading/unloading, or even on the side of the interstate with a blown tire or mechanical break-down. Safety first.

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