Moving Company Pro Forma Template

After setting volume and pricing assumptions, fill in the startup costs section of the Cash Flow sheet. The two largest items are usually truck acquisition and working capital. A used 26-foot box truck in good mechanical condition runs $30,000–$60,000; a new truck runs $90,000–$130,000. Blankets, dollies, straps, and floor runners add $5,000–$12,000 depending on truck count. DOT registration, FMCSA authority (required for interstate moves), and state permits typically run $2,000–$5,000 including the costs of a process agent and UCR registration. Your first-year insurance premium — covering cargo, general liability, and workers comp — is often the biggest surprise for new operators; a single-truck operation can expect $8,000–$18,000 per year depending on coverage levels and driving history. Set your working capital reserve at a minimum of 3 months of projected operating expenses, because moving companies can run 8–10 weeks with minimal revenue during the winter slow period.

The capital structure of a moving company is dominated by two things: trucks and insurance. A single used 26-foot box truck represents $30,000–$60,000 in capital, and insurance on that truck plus cargo coverage and workers comp for crew runs $8,000–$18,000 per year for a basic operation. These costs exist before the first job is booked, which means break-even analysis at startup is a critical planning exercise. For a one-truck operation with $4,000–$6,000 in monthly fixed costs (truck payment, insurance, base admin labor, and marketing), break-even requires roughly 20–30 jobs per month depending on average job value. Reaching that job volume takes most new operators 6–12 months, which is why working capital sizing matters — you need enough reserves to cover the gap between fixed costs and actual revenue during the ramp period, plus the winter slow season that follows.