How much does shipping your Freight cost?
Free Instant Online Calculator based on quotes from Trusted Freight Shipping Companies
Customer Images
7790 people shipped using A-1 Auto Transport last week

Joe brought me peace of mind. I can’t thank you enough for being so reliable and trustworthy

Joe brought me peace of mind. I can’t thank you enough for being so reliable and trustworthy

+2 million
Delivered
services
+190
Countries
served
97%
of customers
recommend us

Small Trucking Company

What's in this article?
  1. The Benefits Of Hiring A Small Trucking Company
  2. Small Trucking Companies Are Here To Stay
  3. Benefits Of Hiring A Small Trucking Company
  4. 1 You Are Family Too
  5. 2 It’s Easier To Run
  6. 3 You Can Negotiate
  7. 4 You Can Get To Know Them
  8. 5 They’re Flexible
  9. 6 You’ll Contribute To The Local Economy
  10. Small Disclaimer
  11. Choose A Company You Can Trust
Benefits Of Hiring A Little Trucking Company

The Benefits of Hiring a Small Trucking Company

Everyone seems to believe that small trucking companies don't have what it takes to make it in this overly competitive market. And it’s easy to see why: industry giants tend to take the spotlight all to themselves. But the numbers paint an entirely different picture: an estimated 90% of trucking companies operate only six or fewer trucks in the United States.

Small, family-owned companies are the backbone of our nation's economy. If you still have your doubts about whether to work with a small company versus a giant, we’re here to make a case for the little guys and tell you what you’ll get if you sign a contract with a family-owned trucking business.

Small Trucking Companies Are Here to Stay

A lot of people wrongly assume that small trucking businesses don’t stand a chance in the face of corporate entities. After all, they lack the resources, workforce, and even drive to do so. Clients prefer to work with large companies because they see them as more stable while they perceive small businesses as unable to stay afloat. Those who do manage to survive, don’t turn a pretty profit.

Of course, if you want to cherry pick, then you can find plenty of examples of businesses that fail. But at a macro level, small trucking companies aren’t going anywhere. Over the years, they have only grown in market share, became more efficient and competitive, and currently, hold an essential place in the industry.

And it’s all due to their size. Remember, trucking is a unique industry since all of its revenue depends on the loaded miles driven. The only way for a business to grow revenue is to increase the number of loaded miles. Big companies do it by increasing the size of their fleet. They add more trucks, hire more drivers, all to respond to the constant pressure of getting a return on their investment and growing their revenue.

You can argue that this obsession with growth makes big companies ignore one key aspect, which small businesses took and used it to their advantage.

‘It runs in the family.’

Small trucking companies don’t focus on growth, at least not in the beginning. They focus on finding, hiring and training drivers. In these businesses, the drivers become part of the family, and there is a lot more care and effort that goes into making sure everyone is happy.

It’s a form of driver-centric business model, and most of the decisions also take into account how it could impact the driver since they are the primary source of revenue. This model works because decisions aren’t made based on numbers, estimations, and other non-pragmatic elements. However, the same model becomes impossible to maintain once these companies grow, add more trucks and more drivers.

A-1 Auto Transport Ships Worldwide.

Get a Free, No Obligation to Buy, Freight Shipping Quote.

Get my free quote now

or call us to do it for you:

Hiring A Small Trucking Company Will Provide A Lots Of Benefit

Benefits of Hiring a Small Trucking Company

So, we’ve established that small, family-run trucking companies aren’t going extinct. On the contrary: their unique selling points will keep them afloat for decades to come. Now’s the time to look closely at what a small trucking business can offer you and make you forget all about the industry giants.

1. You Are Family too

The basis of these small businesses is that everyone is part of the family, which automatically extend to you, the client.

With larger firms, you can talk about hundreds of different clients on a weekly basis, possibly even more. At one point, clients become a number, which doesn’t happen in small businesses.

In a family-run business, all jobs are treated with importance and priority, because they can’t afford to lose a client. As a new member of the family, your needs are heard, and the company will do its best to meet your expectations.

2. It’s Easier to Run

Big companies may have a lot of red tapes you’ll have to get through. In a way, they have to impose specific rules and regulations because otherwise, they lose control. In a small business, there’s no need for that, as the owner can be kept in the loop (and can keep you in the loop) at all times.

With less red tape, the process can move on smoothly and quickly, which is extremely important particularly if your transport is time sensitive and you can’t afford to wait around for the higher-ups to greenlight the shipment.

3. You Can Negotiate

Coming back to the “big companies think your just a number” argument, they also don’t budge on the price. Because they have a lot of jobs to juggle, they establish fixed rates for their services. It’s uncommon to see them come at the negotiation table with an open mind. It’s take it or leave it with them.

With small trucking companies, however, you can negotiate the final price. Don’t expect them to do the job for free, but if you’re a customer coming in with a long-term contract, they’ll most likely be more than happy to make you a good deal.

You Can Ask Them Everything In Detail

4. You Can Get to Know Them

If you’re working with a family-run company, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be in direct contact with the business owner to discuss the terms, and not with a small-time representative of a big, faceless entity.

Because of this, you can get to know the company you’re hiring, ask them questions and expect valuable information in return (because who knows a business better than its owner?). That may not seem like such an important selling point, but trust us, it is as it affects the very way you communicate with them.

You can be more open about the job, discuss your worries, and get the information you need to rest assured the shipment will reach its destination on time and unharmed.

5. They’re Flexible

Sometimes, the terms of the shipment may change, even after you shook hands on a deal with a trucking company. And that’s a big problem if you’re working with a big firm, because of all that red tape we mentioned earlier.

If the time of shipping, location, or any other terms of the job change, the transport is placed on hold, and you’ll most likely have to go into another meeting to renegotiate. Not to mention the fact that they may not have a driver available for the new terms of the transport if they’re handling a heavy schedule.

But, if you’re working with a small company, one that you’ve gotten to know and trust, they can be a lot more flexible with these changes, and you won’t have to delay the shipping.

6. You’ll Contribute to the Local Economy

Whether you’re a business owner yourself, or an individual in need of a trucking company, you can see the importance to contributing to the local economy, particularly if it’s the one you live in at the moment.

Working with a small company is like making a direct contribution to the local community, and you can feel its impacts on a variety of different levels.

Small Disclaimer

While we’ve made a case for small trucking businesses, and we do believe they’re great, it wouldn’t be fair to anyone not to acknowledge one obvious downside: they might not be the right one for you.

It’s important to choose the trucking company you work with based on the particularities of what your transportation needs are. The truth is that, in some cases, family-owned businesses might lack the resources to complete the shipping. Even if you’d rather work with them, you should look at their services first, and see if they are the right one for you.

For instance, do they ship nationally, or do they have the right trucks to move your cargo? Some do, while others may not. But since you’re contracting someone’s services, you have to put your needs first to ensure you get what you want.

Choose A Services Whom You Can Trust

Choose a Company You Can Trust

In the argument of big trucking companies versus small trucking companies, everyone’s a winner, really. It’s tough to asses which one offers the better service unless you dive into the subject and start comparing based on the particularities of the company, and not the size of it.

That said, we have one final piece of advice: choose a company you can trust to get the job done right. Look at their reputation, referrals, and experience in the business before making a decision. It’s the only way you can rest assured you’ve made the right choice.

And if you want a trucking team you can trust, we’re always up for the task. A-1 Auto Transport has decades of experience in the business of trucking, so call us now and let’s see what we can do to help you.

Share this content on social media
for a chance to get up to 15% off your next shipment.
Copy link

Joe Webster always knew the auto transport industry would be a great career option. And with decades of experience, Joe is now an established consultant for A1 Auto Transport.

Joe was born in Santa Cruz, California. During high school, Joe worked as a mechanic; a job continued to work part-time during his bachelor's degree.

Email Me


Testimonial
Mylene Rutllant
It’s my number one pick in auto shipping to this day.
★★★★★

...my choice in terms of auto transport has to be A1 Auto Transport. It’s in the name, but also in the quality with which they do their jobs. I’ve never had a problem with this company.

Testimonial
Luis Rodriguez
You have my full support and recommendation!
★★★★★

A1 Auto Transport... From the get go, they were very different from my past options. Their website was very professional and up to date, full of useful information. I requested a quote using their online form, and I got an email response within an hour. Surprisingly fast!

Testimonial by Cristine Benoit
Cristine Benoit
I can safely say this is a legit company that will get the job done.
★★★★★

There are a lot of options for auto transport these days, which surprisingly makes it harder to find a good company. I received more than 10 offers to ship my car, but I couldn’t decide on any of them... Fortunately, I made the right choice with A1 Auto Transport.

Testimonial
David Osallo
We give A1 Auto Transport a big 10 out of 10!
★★★★★

We give A1 Auto Transport a big 10 out of 10! We chose them to move our car from California to Vermont, since we needed professionals.

Visit our social, and see what our clients are saying about us

Ship Your Vehicle With A-1 Auto Today
Get an instant free Quote Now

Or Call Us Today and Speak Directly to Our Sales Team:

Our Partners:

Better Business Bureau Accredited
FMCSA Member
INC. 500 Member
VeriSign Secured
AMSA Member

A-1 Auto Transport is a disclosed agent for the following shipping companies:

Trans Global Auto Logistics, Inc.
3401 E Randol Mill Rd
Arlington, TX 76011
NO. 018191NF
CFR Rinkens
15501 Texaco Avenue
Paramount, CA 90723
NO. 013055NF
ABC Worldwide LLC
2840 NW 2nd Ave #105
Boca Raton, FL 33431
NO. 025472F
CSI Logistics
435 Division Street
Elizabeth, NJ 07201
FMC 22206
Intl Cargo
45 Campus Drive
Edison, NJ 08837
NO. 17858N
ShipYourCarNow LLC
1160 South Rogers Circle Suite 1
Boca Raton, FL 33487
NO. 025646
Merco Air & Ocean Cargo, Inc.
6 Fir Way
Cooper City, FL 33026
NO. 021869F
Copyright © 1988-2023, A-1 Auto Transport - All Rights Reserved.