TOW TRUCK BUSINESS PLAN SAMPLE
Are you interested in making money by running a towing business? A towing business as with all businesses can be challenging as well as rewarding, especially when a solid foundation for its success is put in place.
With stranded motorists usually not possessing legal tow permits and at the same time, auto repair shops not maintaining tow trucks as part of the auto repair shop; it presents a great investment gap for entrepreneurs to fill in.
Independent car towing companies come to the rescue of stranded passengers as auto repair shops largely rely on their services to bring damaged vehicles to them.
Get a License
In North America, getting a license to operate a towing business is very difficult and challenging due to heavy regulation. Some operators of towing companies have devised a means of going around this problem.
They contract their services to property managers and car dealerships to carry out this work (towing). But this is fraught with risks as they are not covered by proper towing business liability insurance.
The solution to this is to purchase this license from an already established franchise towing company, but this comes at a high cost. Purchasing a license and tow truck can cost as much as $200,000! But if the buyer can get a license and tow truck at a fair price, the possibility for an increased profit margin is unlimited after buying a towing truck business for sale.
Your Target Market
Your target market consists of areas where your services are much in need and putting this in context, there are several thousands of car breakdowns on highways and off highways, vehicles parked illegally in private spaces or property, improperly parked outside public spaces such as roadsides need to be towed.
To enable customers to recall your company/business, a serious and aggressive marketing campaign needs to be carried out to register your business in the memories of potential clients for use whenever they are in a fix. To achieve this, a catchy name and phone number can do the trick. All these should be well captured in your towing business plan.
Startup Procedure
What do I need to start a towing business? What are the requirements for a towing company? There are procedures or steps to take when starting a towing business and among these procedures, filing the necessary paper works with the state or the authorities is required.
Also, it is best if the business is registered as a limited liability company or a corporation because these legal structures protect businesses to a large degree as compared to businesses registered under sole proprietorship. Also, inquires about business permits and other documentation need to be made.
What Cars Make up Your Fleet?
What are the costs of running a towing business? Depending on how large or small a tow business may be, functionally tow trucks or wreckers have to be put in place. The number of towing businesses using the flatbed model of two trucks is on the rise, and you will do well to have one. This is because they can tow badly-damaged vehicles, unlike the hooked wreckers where the rear-wheel axle of the damaged cars needs to be in good shape, including the tires to enable easy towing.
As your towing company expands, more tow trucks and equipment are inevitably needed, and hence, for example, instead of a single cell phone call to the tow driver, a dispatch system would provide easy management and mobilization.
Holding Yard
A secured parking lot is crucial to the smooth operation of a towing company. Impounded cars whose owners are unable to pay for their release are kept in such secure yards pending when their owners offset their bills.
These holding yards can hold vehicles for days and even weeks. Having this is very invaluable to the smooth running of a towing business as it presents another way of generating critical income.
Market Access
To gain a fair share of market access, tow companies both new and old need to make their presence felt by both the authorities and potential customers. How may this be achieved? You may ask, by simply making contact with the local police jurisdictions for your tow company to be included in their roster of accident responders.
Also, you can visit local auto shops around to strike a mutual referral agreement. Also, your towing business company must have an online presence where customers can easily make a tow request if you wish to have a fair share of the local market.
Colorful towing company business cards should be spread across strategic locations such as bulletin boards, auto repair shops and also in local bars. This serves to register your presence and create awareness in the minds of your potential customers about the availability of this service.
Employees/Drivers
For your business to move smoothly, only drivers with good track records of driving and also possessing commercial driving licenses should be hired. They must be polite and helpful and also, they must also possess clean driving records.
Purchase High-Quality Equipment
What are some basic towing business start-up costs? A good and functional tow truck is crucial to tow business success, hence, investing in one or several as your financial strength may allow is necessary.
When buying a tow truck or trucks, the services of an independent vehicle inspector should be enlisted. This is to enable him/her carry out examinations on the car to find out if it is worth buying and would serve the purpose or not.
Commercial Liability Insurance
This is so important to towing business survival as it provides coverage, protections, and insurance against sudden damage or accidents involving either the client’s car or your tow truck. The minimum required coverage as spelled out by the state should be provided or made available and costs should be prepared from your annual towing business income.
Here is a sample business plan for starting a towing company.
TOW TRUCK BUSINESS PLAN EXAMPLE
Here, I will be sharing a sample of how a tow truck business plan should look like. It is expected that you already understand how the business is operated so I don’t need to go into that.
One of the very important documents of all businesses is the business plan which should not be taken for granted when you are about to launch your business.
Business Name: Safe Towing Truck Services
- Business Overview
- Executive Summary
- Products and Services
- Vision Statement
- Mission Statement
- Target Market
- Competitive Analysis
BUSINESS OVERVIEW
A tow truck is also known as a recovery vehicle or wrecker that is used to move broken down vehicles, improperly parked or damaged vehicles away from the road to avoid obstruction of traffic. Tow truck companies also include incidental services in their services such as emergency road repair services and storage for profit maximization.
Reports have shown that over five years, the age of vehicles and the number of vehicles on roads has increased making the number of repairs and towing services increase. The fact that the higher the number of vehicles the higher the need for towing services is very true.
Therefore, the towing industry is a successful and thriving industry in the world, it is one of the major sectors of the economy and is responsible for the employment of a large number of people including staff members and professional drivers.
Starting and managing a tow truck business can be challenging and tasking but at the same time rewarding. The business is open for both aspiring entrepreneurs and big-time investors.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Safe Towing Truck Services is a towing truck company based in South Dakota. This is a standard towing truck business that will provide essential services in South Dakota and United States as a whole by moving broken down, indisposed and improperly parked cars away from the road to avoid obstructing the free flow of traffic and also town both light and heavy vehicles over long and short distances depending on the agreement.
The company’s services will focus majorly on the following cities: South Dakota, Memphis, Chicago, St. Louis, North Dakota, Western Kentucky, Tennessee, Nashville, Evansville, and Missouri.
The business as already being registered and licensed. All licenses and permits required to operate in the United States have been secured and we will ensure that all rules and regulations guiding the industry are obeyed.
The goal of the business is to become one of the leading towing truck company within the first few years of operation.
This is a family business owned by David Steve and his immediate family.
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
The company is determined and set to deliver brilliant services to customers by helping them move their broken-down vehicles from one place to another. This is because we want to be known and seen as a company that has its clients at heart.
The following are the products and services that will be offered to customers:
- Towing of motor vehicles
- Emergency road repair of vehicles
- Towing of trucks
- Towing of light-duty truck
- Towing of a passenger car towing
- Motor vehicles wrecking services
- Roadside assistance services
VISION STATEMENT
The vision statement of the company is to become one of the leading and best companies whenever people are talking about tow truck companies and their services in the whole of the United States.
MISSION STATEMENT
Safe Towing Truck Services’ mission is to have the best and very reliable towing truck drivers to boast of and also to establish a towing truck company that will operate well in the whole of the U.S.
BUSINESS STRUCTURE
Safe Towing Truck Services’ business structure will be designed in a way that both full time and part-time employees will be able to work there. The company intends to start the company with many full-time employees and qualified truck drivers. There will also be adequate provision and packages for full-time employees.
Below is the business structure of the company:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Admin and H.R Manager
- Transport Manager
- Sales and Marketing Manager
- Accountant
- Professional Towing Truck Drivers
- Customers Service Executive/ Front Desk Officer
TARGET MARKET
The target market of the company majorly is transportation and haulage companies and every individual with cars in the United States. The towing will be done within short distances and long distances, that is, both intra and interstate.
The company has a list of people and organizations that we intend to do business with and they are:
- Vehicle Owners
- Haulage Companies and
- Transportation Companies.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
We are fully aware of the fact that the towing industry is highly competitive and the company is ready to compete with other players in the towing industry favorably. The major competitive advantage we have is the industry experience, good business structure and solid reputation of our owner, David Steve who happens to have adequate knowledge about the industry.
Also, some of the basic factors that will give our company a competitive advantage are: good network, honesty, trust, excellent relationship with customers, direct access to major highways, and having a well-qualified and trained management team.