ProfitDrawer's one-truck trucking guide gives an example budget of about $7,850 if you lease onto a carrier with a truck you own, up to $63,000 under your own authority with a financed truck. A truck down payment (up to $25,000), trailer deposit (up to $8,000), insurance down payment ($2,000 to $8,000), first month of fuel ($3,000 to $7,000) and a repair buffer are the big lines. These are example ranges; your costs will differ.
Example budget (your costs will differ):
| Item | Low (own truck, leased on) | High (own authority, financed) |
|---|---|---|
| Truck down payment | $0 | $25,000 |
| Trailer down payment or lease deposit | $0 | $8,000 |
| Insurance down payment | $2,000 | $8,000 |
| FMCSA operating authority fee | $0 | $300 |
| Plates, UCR, Form 2290 tax, fuel tax, state permits | $500 | $3,000 |
| Business registration and EIN | $50 | $500 |
| Phone, tablet and logging device | $300 | $1,200 |
| First month of fuel | $3,000 | $7,000 |
| Cash buffer for repairs | $2,000 | $10,000 |
| Total | $7,850 | $63,000 |
Leasing onto a carrier uses that carrier's authority and is the lower cost way to learn the business. Running your own authority means filing for a USDOT number and operating authority and buying the insurance FMCSA requires before you haul.
Know your cost per mile before you take a load. In the guide's example month, 10,000 miles cost $12,340, about $1.23 a mile. Avoid truck payments you cannot cover in a slow month, and run your own quotes through the free startup cost calculator.
Source: How to Start a Trucking Business with One Truck (ProfitDrawer guide) · Updated
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General information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Check the rules for your state and your situation.