What does it take to start a logistics franchise?

Starting a logistics franchise business can provide you with a career and life upgrade with unlimited earning potential. Logistics is a recession-resistant industry and owning your own franchise allows you to create a work-life balance that is defined by you.

Before partnering with a logistics company and starting your own business, there are many things you should consider before making a decision. Luckily for you, Unishippers is here to help! We are an industry-leading third-party logistics (3PL) provider with an award-winning franchise program that includes 200+ franchise owners.

Here, we outline what it takes and costs to create the career and life you want with a logistics franchise business.

Logistics Franchise Experience

The first thing you need to know is that logistics experience is not always required to start a logistics franchise. Instead, logistics companies often look for individuals that have a strong B2B sales background and are interested in helping companies ship smarter.

Additionally, here are five things you should bring to the table:

• Passion for helping customers
• Leadership skills
• Entrepreneurial spirit
• Collaborative personality
• Ability to follow a proven system

Learn more in our 10 Traits You Need to Start a Logistics Franchise.

Researching Logistics Companies

As with any business venture, researching your logistics franchise opportunity is paramount. There are multiple companies to franchise with, but not all offer the same resources and financial opportunities. That's why it's important to find the one that best fits your desired outcome. Here are five examples of what you should look for in logistics companies:

• Industry expertise to help you succeed as a franchise owner
• Full suite of shipping solutions including parcel and freight
• Advanced training opportunities for short and long-term growth
• Office and account management support so you can grow your logistics franchise
• Unlimited earning potential with no geographic barriers.

Want to learn more? Check out our 8 Ways a 3PL Supports Its Logistics Franchises.

Cost To Start a Logistics Franchise Business

How much will it cost to start a franchise? This is the big question that most potential logistics franchise owners have. There is no one answer since costs can vary across franchise opportunities. However, it is important that your franchisor is transparent about what it will cost to start your business. That will help avoid any surprises down the line. Below, we outline what it costs to start a Unishippers franchise:

• Initial franchise fee — The initial Unishippers franchise fee is $30,000, with incentive programs and options for financing for qualified candidates.
• Additional costs — Beyond the initial franchise fee, the average investment to open a Unishippers franchise can vary greatly but is estimated to be between $19,565 and $233,300. This includes funds for things such as office space,computers, business licenses, utilities, and insurance.
• Living expenses — You should plan to cover your living expenses for the first six months while you build your business or have another source of income to sustain you during this time.

Learn more about Unishippers franchise costs and how we provide assistance through our incentive programs.

Application and Startup Process

This is the relatively easy part, but it's still important to understand what will happen when you begin communications/conversations with a logistics franchise company. Here's how it works at Unishippers:

• Submit a franchise inquiry form
• Begin preliminary discussions and exploration
• Submit a franchise application and related documentation
• Receive an award decision
• Sign an agreement and start setting up your Unishippers franchise
• Begin training!

At Unishippers, we make it easy. Our franchise team will be with you the entire way. Learn more about becoming a Unishippers franchise owner.

Setting Up Your Logistics Franchise Business

At this point, you are almost there. You will have to take a couple more steps to set up your business and ensure that you are ready to operate. These are typical tasks for starting most businesses and there are easily accessible resources if you need help. Here are a couple of the things you will need to do:

• Setup business entity
• File for Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• File a Doing Business As (DBA) application
• Create a business bank account
• Get commercial business liability insurance

There are a couple more tasks aside from these that you will have to fulfill to start your Unishippers franchise. We are always here to help you and answer questions that you have!

Training

Now, not all logistics franchise business opportunities come with thorough training. But at Unishippers, we believe that our success relies on you. We are completely committed to making sure you receive training in the short and long term. Here is what you can expect from us as you begin your franchise journey:

• Initial training: Unishippers will provide the information and resources needed for new owners to ramp up quickly. We begin with the fundamentals and create a foundation that can be built upon for years to come.
• Supplemental training: Training sessions will be held after the initial three weeks of training to cover content and resources to help set you up for growth.
• Ongoing training: Throughout the year, Unishippers also hosts basic training for new franchise owners throughout our network. In addition to live training, we also have a resource library of recordings, guides and documents that are available and continually developed.

Ready to start your own logistics franchise business? Contact Unishippers!

You owe it to yourself to research the best logistics franchise opportunities on the market and make the decision that is right for you. To succeed as a logistics franchise owner, you should franchise with a 3PL that offers top shipping solutions, technology offerings and training opportunities.

Unishippers is an industry-leading 3PL that is part of the largest non-retail authorized reseller of UPS^® in the nation and offers a carrier network of 75+ less-than-truckload (LTL) and 85,000+ full truckload (FTL) carriers. We also provide innovative technology and unlimited growth potential for those seeking logistics franchise opportunities. Interested in learning more? Reach out to our franchise team today.

Want to hear from our franchise owners directly? Check out our testimonials.