Hurtful things to consider before starting a commercial Transport business.

Are you trying to start a Commercial car Transport business? Then you need to  consider the following very careful before starting.

Transport Business In Ghana

Ghana is fast growing economy with increasing population, meaning the transportation sector will have to be one of the considered sectors when one is considering a business.

Ghana has a transportation deficit, when it comes to the rail way sector nothing much can be said, even though the

government is putting few things in place but its still far from good.

The Economy one way or the other lies on the transport industry to boom but little or not enough is done.

These creates a large Business opportunity for private entities to make lots of money.

The Transport deficit affects,

Workers who needs to get to work early,

Farmers who need to bring their produce to the market,

Students who need to go to school,

Market women who need to bring their stuff to the market and to their clients.

Foreigners who want to explore the country…

During our search to write these article, one person we interviewed explained to us the commercial transport business is the one that can make you quick money but comes with a high risk.

How to start

As a newbie, here is what to do,

Visit someone who own cars and is involved in the business to make enquiries. If you need more information get to the stations and speak with some few other people including the station masters and Some few Drivers.

They are just to advice you, you don’t need to take their advice, go with your instincts.

Visit online shops to also check prices and the types.

Visit a Garage ( where they sell cars) to check the prices of the cars available to have an idea.

As a beginner, the amount for a fresh car maybe too much for you, you don’t need to worry.

You can always start from somewhere.

There are Bank schemes which can provide you with the amount to buy the car and pay later.

Some Garage may also provide you with the car and you pay later(work and pay)

The choice is yours.

Buying the car

In buying the car there are some few risk involved.  Some are

You may be duped.

A Teacher wanted to buy a car, saw and scan through various ones online, went to the Garage made enquiries but saw the online one to be favorable.

He then went to confirm his loan and set off to meet the person with the car with the money in his bag,

They met at a public place, for security reasons, they tested the car for him, asked him to test drive he did and felt all was okay with the car.

He then gave the money to the seller for counting when they asked him to move from the drivers seat to the passengers seat whiles they conclude everything. immediately he got down the other person with the seller sat behind the while and drove off. That was the end off his loan.

He had to toil for years to pay off that loan amount.

There Are so many ways you can be duped hence you need to be careful.

In starting a business there is the need to somehow trust people already in the business to help.

Tighten your security when purchasing the car.

Bank to Bank transfer is also available.

Do not use looks to judge if the seller is good or not.

In recent times people in big mansions with cars are also involved hence you can not also trust someone because he sent you to his house and he has cars in the house.

Usually go with someone in the business they can identify hidden faults and also identify fraudsters little better than you.

Car type/ type of Business

You have to know the kind of business you want to run with the car, mostly here are some few things you can do

Uber with your private small car

Sprinter for Trotro, or for carring goods, or for use as a school bus

Long trucks for carrying goods

Tipper Trucks for sand and stones

Tanker for, carrying fuel or water or human excreter.

Uber cars/ small cars

Small cars for business are usually good even though comes with its own challenges.

The small car can be used for a taxi or for Uber or other private/commercial transport services’

Here is what to know when buying the small car for such a use.

For taxi and Uber or its related jobs you must be ready to Drive yourself to be able to make your money. A lot of the Drivers are not honest. we will be discussing with you some of the hurtful things they do to car owners.
There are rare cases you can get one honest person to do the business with but before you find them well you can also be that lucky.

Most Ghanaian Commercial Drivers are not honest people and this is where the real deal is. For taxis and Uber cars being given to someone to drive for you, we will say it is not advisable. For the work they will work well but when its time for them to make sales that is when they go for rehearsals as to what they have to tell you.

Some might even block your line. For the small cars they may use it to work 24hrs and yet your daily sales will never come.

What most of them do it that, they work during the day and give the car to their friends to work at night. well if you even get a share of this deal, you will be glad, but even the daily sales you won’t get.

You would rather be blocked for calling too much or something else. Your own car can you imagine?

Bigger Cars

You can get bigger cars for Trotro or for other cargo transport or as a school Bus, this is little better than the small cars since during the night it would not be given to anyone for extra job but still some few still do it in Accra.

The more new the vehicle is the better and higher the sales, it does not matter if its big or small.

The whole Business the number one Benefactor is the Driver not the Car owner. They make more than double of what you make yet they won’t bring your sales, Crazy Bastards (some of them).

Hurtful things Car owners face.

You would not get the full sales every week or everyday for no reason.

There is a sprinter 5 seats carrying 21 passengers we gave to someone to work with. Here are some of the challenges we faced and we are still facing.

The Driver during the first week we gave the vehicle to, brought the sales in full.

The following week he said he was sick two days so could not go to work nd hence made that deductions.

The following week he said the break is not working properly hence went to repair it coupled with other things he did so deducted half of the sales.

The following week he didn’t bring any sales and our numbers were blocked if you use an unknown number he picks and tell you he will send it but he didn’t till the following week and he sent half of the weeks money and for the previous week nothing is said about it.

We observed he works from Monday to Sunday yet he is to make sales for just Monday to Saturday and he wouldn’t.

The next week we expected that he will bring full sales since we got closer to monitor him, He brought one day sales at the end of the week and his excuse was  he gave some of the money to his child for school and his grandfather was also not well.

We decided to take take  the vehicle from him since we can no longer bear the nonsense.

We find a New Driver to come for the vehicle, he agrees to use the vehicle to work, he goes for it and packs it somewhere we have to go for it ourselves, You call him and you never hear from him again just for you to see him working somewhere else.

We went for our Vehicle and realize all the fault the former driver deducted money that he has done are all there genuinely but not done with the break not even working. We Quickly sent it to the mechanic for repairs and everything is intact once again.

We got someone who came to beg us to give the vehicle for him to use, He brings people to testify he is a good man for us to trust him, we did put some fuel in the vehicle, gave him some money to start work.

Two days time we were called to come for our vehicle. The problem is that he came to pack the car there that the fuel in the car is finished and we are to provide him with more fuel before he come to take the vehicle. Hmmm.

They are serial liars and you must be careful.

Some are thieves. They will steal things from your car and sell it out and come and tell you they parked it and someone came to steal for you to buy new one. Fake people.

Transport Business is  good business if you drive yourself. And since we can all not drive ourselves we need to get trusted people to work with.

Most of these Drivers will come and beg you for an opportunity but you will regret it.

How to get a good Driver

Not all beggars are true Beggars. Trying to pity someone to give him your vehicle to work with is the last mistake you want to commit.

According to one experienced person in the field he advised you look for someone who is younger and a little responsible who has something to lose should you take your vehicle, they are little fearful and will do the right thing but the old ones rather that you may think are sensible enough will disappoint you.

Try to know the person, knowing the person is not by just seeing him with someone you know. If possible get their license and other IDs.  In conducting interview for the drivers, do not think you are smart, in fact they are smarter, they know what you want to hear and they will give it to you but immediately the vehicle reaches their hand then you become a beggar they have to feed always. The car is theirs now.

Knowing the person is very important. One of our colleague who stopped the transport business, what happened was he gave the car to someone he though he knew, the person run away with the car, It was extremely difficult tracing him but by the time they got the car he has damaged it and packed it somewhere and left.

Doing Business is all about taking risk and all these are part of the risk taking. You must be extra vigilante if you want to do this business. It gives you more than double of your money in the shortest possible time.

But you must consider all these before you get in. Right from Buying the car the duping starts.

Buying Spare parts for the car

If you buy the car, there are some few things you must be doing yourself no matter how busy you are.

Changing of the Car’s engine oil must be done under your supervision, they will take the money and will not change the oil damaging the engine for you. Mind you he does not care that, that is what is feeding him, he will damage it and pack it for you.

Buying of spare parts, like tires must be done by you. They will take an old one from a friend and bill you for a fresh one. They are terribly bad.

You must also get a mechanic you will call from  time to time to check the vehicle for you. If not you are doomed.

If you are not driving yourself then you must be extra vigilant. Its a worthy Business that also helps society.

source; www.seekersnewsgh.com