Home-Based vehicle transport broker

Private sellers and buyers, families relocating interstate, online car buyers, and small dealers or auctions without their own transport.

You charge the customer one price and pay the carrier a lower rate, keeping the margin, or you charge a booking fee or commission on each job.

• Clear communication and follow-up
• Negotiating rates with carriers
• Organised and good with paperwork
• Basic online marketing

• Check insurance cover: the carrier's goods in transit cover and your own public liability or professional indemnity cover
• Be clear in your terms about who is responsible for damage and delays
• Rely on carriers you have checked, as one bad delivery lands on your reputation
• Check whether GST registration applies once your turnover reaches the threshold
• If you work from home, check whether your council needs approval for a home-based business

Startup costs are typically around $500 to $3,000, depending on your booking tools, website, marketing and insurance. These are estimates, and a home-based setup helps keep costs at the lower end of that range.

Monthly revenue is typically around $800 to $4,000, depending on how many jobs you book, the margin you add to carrier rates and how much time you put in. The estimate assumes at least about 8 hours a week.

Check the carrier's goods in transit cover and your own public liability or professional indemnity cover. Be clear in your terms about damage and delays, check whether GST registration applies once turnover reaches the threshold, and check whether your council needs approval for a home-based business.