Are you looking for transportation business ideas and opportunities but not sure which one to start? If YES, find here a list of selected most profitable transportation and logistics businesses with low investment for starters.
Transport business opportunities are emerging globally nowadays. Transportation is one of the world’s largest industries. Different types of specific demands with changing lifestyle habits have introduced several innovative and profitable startup opportunities in the transport industry.
33 Transport and Logistics Business Ideas
#1. Air Cargo Transportation
Air cargo is the most popular and effective way of sending shipments long-distance fast. Any individual can start an air cargo shipment company. Prior experience is a must. This is a capital-intensive business.
#2. Aircraft Maintenance
Aircraft maintenance service is a self-rewarding white-colored business sector in the transportation industry. As the aircraft population is increasing, the demand for good quality maintenance services is also growing.
#3. Ambulance Service
The ambulance service business intends to provide emergency and non-emergency transportation for people to hospitals, physicians, physical therapy clinics, and outpatient centers. This business can be initiated in urban and suburban areas. Proper marketing planning is required to get more customers.
#4. Auto-Body Store
The auto-body store business is providing services of the auto body repairing and new bodybuilding as well as selling spare parts and accessories related to the vehicle body. As the number of vehicles is growing, the business opportunity for an auto-body store is also increasing globally.
#5. Auto Detailing
The Auto detailing business is a great way to make extra money with low investment. Startup costs are low and earning potential is very high. Creative marketing is the key to achieving success in this business. You must not promote your services beyond your operational reach.
#6. Battery Reconditioning
The battery reconditioning business is providing the service of restoring energy-less batteries to their full original capacity. It can be done by adding some chemicals and using some simple methods. As the vehicle population is growing and consumers are becoming more cost-conscious, the potential of increasing this business is obvious.
#7. Car Rental
For a person living in a strategic place with a high-density population, business centers, and tourist destinations, the car rental business would be a lucrative and profitable venture for him. The primary operation would involve scheduling customer reservations and supplying the rental car.
#8. Car Parking
The car parking business is simply providing parking spaces to vehicle owners. The primary criteria are, that you must have a vacant low-cost storage space to offer. Providing safety and security is a must during car parking.
#9. Charter Bus Transportation Service
The charter bus generally serves institutional community clients. Such as factories, offices, schools, education institutes, and clubs. The business is capital-intensive.
#10. Cold Chain Logistic Transport Company
Cold chain logistics is an uninterrupted series of storage and distribution activities that maintain a given temperature range. It is used to help extend and ensure the shelf life of products such as fresh agricultural produce, seafood, frozen food, photographic film, chemicals, and pharmaceutical drugs.
#11. Courier Service
The secret of a successful courier service business is providing services not available from comparatively bigger companies. This is a management-intensive business. Creating a trustworthy brand value is a must.
#12. Double Decker Bus Tour
A double-decker bus tour is very attractive for fun-loving tourists. You can start a double-decker bus tour company with a sightseeing facility. The key to success in this type of tour business is to make sure the tour business is operated in a busy tourist area.
#13. Driving School
Driving school business can be initiated in metro or suburban cities on a small-scale basis. Any individual with good knowledge about driving can initiate this venture with moderate capital investment.
#14. Driving Service For Seniors
This is one of the most innovative transportation business ideas for startups. Driving services for seniors is providing some more services than normal driving services. It includes taking them shopping, to doctor’s appointments, to social events, etc.
#15. Dropshipping Transportation Service
Dropshipping is an eCommerce fulfillment method. In this operation, a store doesn’t keep the products it sells in stock. Instead, when a store sells a product, it purchases the item from a third party and has it shipped directly to the customer. Starting a dropshipping company is a profitable business.
#16. Gas Filling Station
A gas filling station with allied services like car-washing and repairing is a profitable business to start with substantial capital investment. Demand depends on the volume of consumer and commercial driving. The profitability of individual companies depends on the ability to secure high-traffic locations, generate high-volume sales, and buy gas at the lowest possible cost
#17. Logistics Transportation Company
The logistics company is one of the most profitable transportation business ideas to start with moderate capital investment. The area of operation is vast. Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation.
The primary focus area is providing the right item in the right quantity at the right time at the right place for the right price in the right condition to the right customer.
#18. Luxury Bus Rental
Starting and running a Luxury bus rental business demands initial aggressive advertising and marketing drive. An entrepreneur having experience in the travel business and a passion for traveling can initiate this venture.
#19. Mobile Carwash
Running a mobile car wash business is a smart way to make a lot of money without taking much risk of capital investment. The business also eliminates the requirement for a retail business location.
#20. Mobile Oil Change
A person having a passion for the automobile industry and years of experience can start a mobile oil change service business to make money out of it. You can start this business with low capital investment.
#21. Petrol Pump/ Fuel Station
The petrol pump or fuel station is a capital-intensive business. The operation of allied services is a lucrative proposition for new entrepreneurs. Check the rules and regulations of your state before starting.
#22. School Pool Car Services
Student Pool car service is a popular transport business for beginners across the globe. Parents, college, and school authorities are always on the look for trustable pool car services for their students. You can start this service even with a single cab or van.
#23. Transport Blogging
A niche blog focused on transportation is a perfect digital business. You can earn from advertising revenue and affiliate selling.
#24. Travel Agency
One of the most sophisticated transportation business ideas for entrepreneurs. A full-fledged travel agency has a lot of responsibilities. The right business plan with the right operating procedure is crucial in this business.
#25. Tire Store
Running a successful tire store business demands full control of inventory and adequate knowledge about different types of tires. It generally comes with different unique numbers. One can start this business in a metropolitan city or in a small town.
#26. Vehicle Towing Transportation Service
Initiating a vehicle towing service is perfect for those who have years of experience in the automotive sector and are passionate about working with automobiles like cars, trucks, etc.
#27. Vulcanizing Service
Vulcanization is a chemical process for converting natural rubber or related polymers into more durable materials via the addition of sulfur or other equivalent curative or accelerators. Vulcanizing store with allied services is one of the most profitable transportation business ideas in the retail industry.
#28. Trucking Business
Trucks play a vital role in delivering essential goods from one corner to the other corner of a country. These heavy-duty vehicles help deliver a wide variety of products to wholesalers and retailers from manufacturing godowns, shipping ports, and airport godowns. If you have sound financial resources, the trucking business has the potential of fetching you high returns.
#29. Start a Transport Business with Single Van
If you are with a small budget, you can still start a profitable transport business even with a single van. You can scale up and add more vehicles as profit starts coming in.
#30. Starting a Boating Charter Transport Business
If you live in a coastal region, opening a boat charter business can fetch you good returns. here are various types of boat charter businesses one can start. It can be sea-dive charters, luxury vacation fleets, event-based like corporate and weddings, and fishing charters. However, you must procure the necessary certificates and permits to operate the charter boat business.
31. Non-Emergency Medical Transport Services
The demand for non-emergency medical transport or popularly called NEMT services is growing in the last few years. Senior and disabled people are more and more looking for comfortable and safe medical transport services. The charges for NEMT services range from $25 to $70 per hour depending on the circumstances.
32. Shipping Transport
Shipping is another profitable transport business. However, you need to understand the shipping trade before plunging into the business. If you live in coastal areas and have the capacity to invest in owning shipping vessels, starting a shipping transport business can fetch high returns.
Read: Best Aviation Business Ideas
33. Freight Forwarding Agency Business
The job of a freight forwarding agency is to plan and organize the movement of cargo on behalf of shipping companies. It is generally done across domestic and international seaports. If you have the required experience, starting a freight forwarding service business is worth considering.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Start a Transport Business?
It is essential to know more about the local demand and trends transport industry. However, you need to follow some basic steps before actually starting a transport business. Some of them are listed below.
- Create a Business Plan
- Select the Transport Business Model
- Make your Transport Business Legally Compliant
- Arrange Funds
- Buy/ Rent Transport Vehicle
- Hire Manpower
- Get Clients
What are the 4 types of transportation?
The three major ways of transport are Air, Road, Sea, and Rail in the logistics industry.
Is Transport a Good Business?
The transportation and logistics sector is growing rapidly worldwide. Over recent years, globalization placed intense new demands on the transportation and supply chain sector. The success of transportation and logistics companies depends decisively on the quality and qualifications of their employees. Broadly, aviation, shipping & ports, land transport, and road freight & logistics are the major sectors.
Business and technology trends have driven immense changes in the transportation sector over the past three decades. The information age, with its introduction of sophisticated databases that can track inventory levels and shipments on a global basis via the Internet, has created vast transport and logistics efficiencies.
Editorial Team at 99BusinessIdeas is a team of experts led by Rupak Chakrabarty with over 25 years of experience in starting and running small businesses. Started in 2010, 99BusinessIdeas is now one of the largest free small business resources in the industry.
