The business in one offer
Who it serves
Small and midsize manufacturers or distributors that ship several full truckloads of palletized, non-hazardous goods each week, often on the same regional lanes. Their logistics person is usually also the office manager, and they pay a broker to stop making a dozen calls each time a load needs a truck.
What to sell first
Full truckload dry van brokerage on one shipper's two or three most frequent regional lanes: a lane quote within an hour, a vetted carrier, a written rate confirmation, pickup and delivery check calls, and a proof of delivery with the invoice. Excluded: refrigerated, hazmat, flatbed, less-than-truckload, cross-border freight, and warehousing.
Repeating the same lanes lets you build a short list of carriers who already know the docks, the appointment rules and the typical rate. That makes quoting faster, reduces the risk of a no-show truck, and gives the shipper one contact who understands their freight instead of a general marketplace.
What could it cost to start?
This is an original example budget for the limited pilot described above. It is not a researched market average or a complete quote for every location.
| Item to price | Example allowance |
|---|---|
| FMCSA broker authority application fee | $300.00 |
| Surety bond premium, first year (varies with credit) | $2,200.00 |
| Process agent filing | $100.00 |
| Contingent cargo and general liability insurance deposit | $1,400.00 |
| Load board and transportation management software, three months | $600.00 |
| Carrier vetting and credit check subscriptions, three months | $300.00 |
| Business formation and broker-shipper contract review | $900.00 |
| Example total | $5,800.00 |
What this assumes—and excludes
Assumes you already understand trucking operations and have a computer and phone line. Excludes the working capital to pay carriers before shippers pay you, office rent, owner pay, factoring fees and state-level registrations. Bond premiums depend on personal credit, so get quotes from several surety agents and an insurance broker.
Collect actual supplier, insurance and local-authority information. Add a reserve for delays and unexpected costs; the example total is not a funding recommendation.
How the unit economics work
At an assumed $2,200.00 per load and $1,880.00 in direct costs, contribution is $320.00 before monthly fixed costs, owner pay and taxes. With 3 all-in working hours per unit, that is $106.67 per delivery hour before those deductions. These inputs illustrate the arithmetic; they do not establish a market price or expected earnings.
The example also allows $650.00 in monthly fixed costs. Include unpaid acquisition and administrative time when deciding whether the offer is worthwhile.
Try your own numbers
These are editable planning assumptions, not prices we have verified. Calculations stay in your browser.
Operating result = (price − direct cost) × units − monthly fixed costs. Before owner pay, taxes, financing and startup recovery. At these inputs, delivery requires 30 hours per month, plus any work not included in your per-unit estimate. Sales volume is a scenario, not a forecast.
How to find the first customers
Test a small offer before scaling traffic. Record the source of each enquiry, whether it fits the offer, and whether the buyer pays.
- List manufacturers within a few hours of your base that ship palletized goods, using industrial park directories and trade association member lists. Call the shipping manager, ask which lanes cause the most trouble, and record each lane in a sheet.
- Ask a prospective shipper for one difficult load as a trial rather than asking for their whole book. Send a written quote, a rate confirmation copy and live updates so they can judge how you handle problems.
- Attend a regional manufacturing or supply chain association meeting and offer short, specific help, such as explaining how appointment scheduling affects detention charges. Collect business cards only from people who hand them over.
- Build a small carrier network before you sell by calling owner-operators who already run your target lanes. Verify each one's authority and insurance, note their preferred lanes, and keep that file current.
What to validate before spending more
- Read FMCSA guidance on broker registration, financial security and process agents, and confirm the current fee and bond amount on the agency site. Record the date you checked, because rules and fees can change.
- Quote three lanes using public load board averages and call five carriers for each to see whether you can cover them at a margin. If the spread is under ten percent, choose different lanes.
- Ask an attorney to review a broker-shipper agreement and a broker-carrier agreement that cover liability for cargo loss, payment terms and double brokering before your first load.
- Model six weeks of carrier payments against a shipper paying net 30 or net 45. If your cash runs out before the first invoice clears, line up factoring or a smaller load count first.
The operational catch
Carrier fraud is the expensive surprise. Scammers impersonate real carriers with stolen authority numbers, accept a load and then re-broker or steal it. Call carriers on the phone number listed in their federal record rather than the number in an email, confirm insurance directly with the insurer, and stop any load where the truck or driver details change after booking.
A practical way to fund the first step
Keep the first step small: pay the authority fee, bond premium and a few months of software, and broker loads only for shippers who agree to net 15 terms during a trial period. Some brokers start as an agent under an established brokerage, which avoids the bond and working capital until they have their own shippers.
Separate cash already available from money still to earn. Count only proceeds after direct expenses, and do not spend customer funds needed to fulfill their existing orders.
Questions before you start
Can I start as a freight agent instead of a broker?
Yes. An agent works under another brokerage's authority, bond and software and splits the margin with that company. It costs less up front and teaches the work, but read the agent contract carefully for non-compete terms and who owns the shipper relationship if you leave.
What margin should a broker target?
It depends on the lane, freight and service level, and spreads move with the market. Track your actual margin per load rather than relying on a rule of thumb, and drop lanes where carrier costs regularly eat most of the spread.
Who is liable if cargo is damaged?
The carrier is usually primary, but shippers sometimes pursue brokers, especially when carrier selection was careless. Your contracts, contingent cargo insurance and documented vetting all matter. Ask an attorney and an insurance broker to explain your exposure before you haul.
Source-backed checks
These references support the specific checks below. They do not endorse this business idea or substantiate the example prices, costs or demand.
The SBA notes that businesses may need federal licenses and permits when their activities are regulated by federal agencies, in addition to state and local permits. U.S. Small Business Administration: Apply for licenses and permits.
The SBA describes general liability and other business insurance types that protect a company against claims and losses. U.S. Small Business Administration: Get business insurance.
The IRS explains that purchases, sales, payroll and other business transactions generate supporting documents that should be recorded in the books. Internal Revenue Service: Recordkeeping.
- Apply for licenses and permitsU.S. Small Business Administration · Reference checked September 8, 2026
- Get business insuranceU.S. Small Business Administration · Reference checked September 8, 2026
- RecordkeepingInternal Revenue Service · Reference checked September 8, 2026
Turn this into your own plan.
Start with this offer, then add your actual budget, skills, weekly hours and location. Your generated plan starts private.
Plan this business →