Trucking: Starting 3/4 Car hauler business, dealer transfers, brocure

Question
Im about to start a car hauling business in a few more weeks and to start business, i was thinking about going to the 15 most closest auctions around me. Any advice u can give would be appreciated cause i know nothing about the industry except from research

Answer
Hi Chris.

If you have that many auctions near you, that should keep you busy full time.  I've never been to an auto auction before, but I know that many have boards that you can put a flyer on.  Make flyers and have a lot of business cards in hand.  Pass them out to anyone there.  Other places would be, of course, car dealers.  New cars are under contract with manufacturers, but they also carry USED cars.  The big dealers are who you want to haul for.  They pay the best.  "Joe's Buy Here-Pay Here" won't pay you beans to haul his cars (most likely).  Try to get in with the big name dealers.  Stop by these dealers and find out who is in charge of shipping the used vehicles and dealer to dealer transfers.  You may have to get past the "gatekeeper" as I call them.  This person is usually the secretary that tells you the person you need to talk to is busy.  It's part of business.  Get that person's name and try to make an appointment.  Do whatever you can to meet that person.  Face to Face time sells so much better a brocure.  Of course, you don't need to wear a suit, but wear something nice.  I bet you'll be the first person to do that and it WILL impress the dealer.

A trick I've used, when the person in charge of shipping is always gone, is the "personal" envelope sales pitch.  Once you find out that you need to John Roman, and he never is available, then use this trick.  Put your flyer and business card in a blank envelope.  Also, put a note that you "want to be his carrier" and to give you a chance to quote him.  Then on the envelope, put "Personel" and "John Roman".  Nothing else.  Stop by and give it to his "gatekeeper".  Don't say what's in it, who you are or anything.  Just give it to them and leave.  It's really an old sales trick and one that sounds goofy, I know, but I've gotten a couple of great paying accounts that way!

I would also hit up high-end, car repair shops.  Places that service Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, etc.  They have a lot of customers that don't want to put the miles, or time, driving their car to the repair shop for service.  That's where you come in.  I know one guy who hauls nothing but Ferraris around Florida taking them to either dealers for service, or high-end repair and collision shops.  There is always a niche market.

Between all of this, you should be too busy to keep up.  

Good luck!

Bob Stephens