More and more people are taking advantage of home delivery options, allowing them to order items at better prices than in traditional markets - even from abroad! Due to the growing demand for transport services, many people are wondering whether starting a business in this sector is a good option. If you are one of these people, this text will show you how to start your own transport company.
The main task of a transport company is to transport goods or people, using its own means of transport. The company's responsibilities also include: keeping records of the shipments being carried out, organising their storage and warehousing, loading and unloading, collecting from the customer, and checking the contents of the transported courier service .
What conditions must be met to set up a transport company?
Those who would like to start a business in the transport industry should familiarise themselves with the conditions they must first fulfil. First of all, they need to know that freight transport services are regulated activities. This means that the appropriate licences and permits are needed.
If you have plans to set up a transport company, you need to meet several conditions:
- have a permanent office where the company will be registered,
- obtain a certificate of professional competence (this is a document that confirms your qualifications and the knowledge required to open a business in the road transport sector),
- be authorised to provide services related to the profession of transport operator,
- have a licence to carry out road transport tasks,
- have a financial contribution to enable you to start and run your business.
In addition, the person setting up the company must not have previously been convicted by a final judgment of a tax offence or an offence against property, the reliability of documents or in another field that is directly related to the practice of the profession.
How to set up a transport company?
To set up a transport company, there are several steps to follow:
1. choice of legal form
It is worth remembering that the choice of legal form affects the continued operation of the business. Therefore, all options should be analysed. The differences between them mainly concern the set-up costs, the waiting time for registration or social security contributions.
If you plan to set up a business on your own, you can register it as a sole proprietorship. This is a quick and easy way that is particularly attractive to budding entrepreneurs. By choosing this legal form, there is no need for start-up capital or exhaustive bookkeeping at a later stage of the business. In addition, a business run as a sole proprietorship can count on receiving a grant from the government.
When you plan to set up a company with partners, you can register it as a civil partnership. This form also requires no initial capital and the responsibility for its activities is equally shared between all founders.
If you already have your own business and would like to incorporate a newly established transport company, register the business as a commercial partnership or company. Remember that a company operating in this legal form must be registered with the National Court Register.
2 Choice of form of taxation
When setting up a transport company, you must choose one of three forms of taxation:
- general taxation,
- flat tax,
- lump-sum tax on registered income.
Choosing the first option is only beneficial if the income does not exceed the first threshold of the tax scale (i.e. PLN 85 528). In addition, it allows to keep all reliefs and deductions provided for entrepreneurs by tax acts. However, if the income is significantly higher, taxation will increase up to 32%.
Flat tax is calculated using a fixed percentage of 19%. Then, all allowances to which entrepreneurs are entitled in the case of general taxation are not retained with it. The flat tax on registered income imposes a tax of 8.5 per cent on the income received.
3. Social Security and PDK codes
When registering a company, it is necessary to provide PDK codes (Polish Classification of Activities) to describe the company's activity and to complete the CEIDG-1 application. What is more, up to 7 days after the establishment of a transport company, the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) should receive a form stating the insurance to which the entrepreneur will be subject.
4. setting up an accounting account for the company
In the next step, the entrepreneur should set up an account for the transport company and inform the Tax Office and Social Security. The owner can do all the bookkeeping himself.
If you decide to set up a transport company, make sure you have the right premises and apply for a road transport operator's licence. Be sure to set up a website to offer your services - good marketing is essential!
Transport companies also provide outsourcing services for other companies. An example of this is InPost's cooperation with subcontractors for the transport of parcels both between sorting centres and branches and within a branch between a branch and a Parcel Machine or pick-up person.
