Small trucks, real work, and building a towing business that fits the life you want to live.
I've come across a few conversations over the years where larger trucking operators seem to think those of us running smaller trucks, tow trucks, and local auto transport businesses aren't really truckers.
I have to admit, that gets under my skin a little.
Not because I have anything against big trucking. I have a lot of respect for the people who spend their days and nights hauling freight across the country. It's hard work, and there are plenty of things involved in running those operations that we don't have to deal with in ours.
But there's another side of the trucking industry that doesn't always get talked about.
The smaller companies. The husband-and-wife operations. The people running one or two trucks, moving vehicles between auctions and dealerships, transporting cars for customers, and doing the work that needs to be done in their own communities.
That's trucking, too.
And after years of running our own towing and auto transport business, I've realized something.
We didn't choose local auto transport because we couldn't do bigger trucking. We chose it because it was the kind of business that fit the life we wanted to live.
Big Trucking Wasn't What We Wanted
When Wayne and I started building Durrett Recovery in 2015, we weren't trying to create a large interstate trucking company.
We wanted to build a business around work we knew, work we enjoyed, and something we could operate without spending our lives away from home.
For us, that meant focusing on local and regional towing and auto transport.
We work with vehicle auctions, dealerships, and other customers who need vehicles moved. Some days involve multiple stops, different pickup and delivery locations, scheduling around auctions, and figuring out how to get everything where it needs to go.
It's not glamorous work.
You're dealing with traffic, weather, equipment, paperwork, customers, changing schedules, and all the little things that can turn a perfectly good plan upside down.
But it's work we know, and it's work we've built a business around.
One of the biggest reasons this type of trucking appealed to us was being able to come home.
I know that doesn't sound like a big deal to everyone, but it was to us.
We wanted to work, make a living, and still have time for our family, our home, and eventually the acreage we now spend so much of our time caring for.
We weren't interested in spending weeks away from home or building a business that required us to be on the road all the time.
That doesn't make long-haul trucking wrong. It just means it wasn't what we wanted for our lives.
And I think that's something people sometimes forget when talking about starting or growing a business.
The biggest opportunity isn't necessarily the best opportunity for you.
A Small Trucking Company Still Has a Lot Going On
I think one of the biggest misunderstandings about smaller towing and auto transport companies is that because the equipment may be smaller or the routes shorter, the business must somehow be easier.
I can tell you from experience that running a small operation doesn't mean you have fewer things to think about.
Sometimes it means you're the one thinking about everything.
In our business, I've spent plenty of mornings organizing loads, talking with customers, checking pickup and delivery information, dealing with paperwork, making changes to schedules, and trying to keep everything moving.
And that's before something unexpected happens.
A vehicle isn't ready when the driver arrives. A pickup location changes its hours. A customer needs something moved sooner than expected. Equipment needs attention. A driver calls out.
Now you're rearranging loads, making phone calls, and trying to keep everyone informed while figuring out how to get the work done.
In a larger company, there may be separate people handling dispatch, customer service, maintenance, billing, and management.
In a small business, you might be doing most of these jobs yourself.
And if you're an owner-operator, you may be doing all that before climbing into the truck and making the deliveries.
There are advantages to having a small operation, but there are responsibilities that come with it, too.
You still have to know your equipment, secure your loads properly, maintain your vehicles, follow the regulations that apply to your operation, keep your records straight, and take care of your customers.
A shorter trip doesn't make an improperly secured vehicle any safer.
And being a smaller company doesn't mean your customers are expecting any less from you.
There's More Than One Way to Make a Living Moving Vehicles
Something I've always found interesting about towing and auto transport is how many different directions you can take a business.
People hear towing and immediately think about roadside breakdowns or wrecked vehicles.
That's certainly one part of the industry, but it's far from the only one.
There are companies focused on roadside assistance and recovery. Others move vehicles for dealerships, auctions, repair facilities, rental companies, or individual customers.
Some specialize in local moves. Others travel regionally or across the country.
You can build a business around different types of equipment, customers, and services, depending on what you want to do and what your operation is properly equipped and authorized to handle.
We've spent much of our time in the auction and dealer transport side of the business.
And one thing we've learned is that dependable relationships can matter just as much as finding the next load.
When customers know they can call you, that you'll communicate with them, and that you'll do your best to get their vehicles where they need to go, those relationships become an important part of your business.
You don't necessarily have to spend every day searching load boards or traveling across several states to find work.
There are opportunities closer to home, too.
We've also put together a guide called From Setup to First Load that shares different types of towing and auto transport opportunities, places to look for work, and what to have ready before reaching out to potential customers.
Of course, that doesn't mean every local market has enough work for every new operator. You still need to research your area, understand the demand, know your expenses, and figure out how you'll find customers.
But I think it's worth knowing that long-haul trucking isn't the only way to get into this industry.
Smaller Equipment Doesn't Mean No Regulations
One thing I want to make clear, especially for anyone thinking about starting a business like ours, is that operating a truck and trailer below CDL thresholds doesn't mean you can simply buy some equipment and start hauling vehicles for money.
There's a lot more involved.
You need to understand your truck and trailer weight ratings, what you're actually hauling, which driver's license is required, and what state and federal regulations apply to your operation.
If you're considering starting this kind of business, our Beginner's Guide to Non-CDL Towing walks through these early decisions, along with equipment, safety requirements, and official resources to help you get started.
We also have free towing and transport checklists available in our Free Starter Resources if you'd like a little help getting organized.
Depending on your equipment and how you operate, you may still need DOT registration, commercial insurance, inspections, and other licenses or permits.
And crossing state lines can introduce additional requirements.
Some of those requirements also apply to intrastate operations, so it's important not to assume that staying local automatically exempts you from them.
We've learned a lot of those lessons over the years, and it's one of the reasons I believe people should spend time understanding the business before buying equipment or accepting work.
But there can be real advantages to choosing a smaller operation.
You may be able to start with less expensive equipment than a large commercial tractor-trailer operation requires. You may have fewer employees, less equipment to maintain, and a simpler day-to-day business structure.
That doesn't mean it's cheap or easy. It means you're choosing a different kind of operation, with different costs and responsibilities.
And those differences matter when you're deciding what kind of business you want to own.
Bigger Doesn't Always Mean More Successful
Over the years, we've tried different ways of growing our business.
We've added equipment, worked with employees, taken on contracts, and experienced what happens when the operation becomes more complicated.
And I can tell you that bringing in more revenue doesn't automatically mean you're making more money.
More trucks can mean more maintenance, more insurance, more repairs, more fuel, and more expenses.
More employees can mean more work to coordinate, more responsibility, and more things that need your attention.
Sometimes those things are worth it. Sometimes they're exactly what a business needs to grow.
But sometimes you can spend so much time managing everything around the work that you hardly get to enjoy the work itself anymore.
We've experienced that. I've shared more about that part of our experience in We Didn't Build a Business Just to Work All the Time, because growing a business and building a life you have time to enjoy aren't always the same thing.
And it's one of the reasons we've been making some changes to how we operate.
We still love the towing and auto transport business. Wayne still enjoys being out in the truck, and I enjoy being involved in the work, especially when we're working together.
What we don't necessarily want anymore is all the extra responsibility that comes with trying to make the service side of our business bigger and bigger.
We've reached a point in our lives where having time for our family, taking care of our home and acreage, and being able to enjoy the things we've worked for matters more than adding another truck simply because we can.
That doesn't mean we don't want to make more money or continue building our business.
We absolutely do.
But we've learned that there are different ways to measure whether a business is doing well and even inside a small business there are even more different roads you can take to grow.
And sometimes the number of trucks sitting in your yard isn't the most important one.
Being Home Matters to Us
One of the things I appreciate most about our kind of work is that we can spend a day out on the road and still come home to our own place.
We have our home and acreage to take care of, dogs that are always happy to see us, and a family we want to spend time with.
There are plenty of days when we come home tired. Some days are long, and sometimes the work follows us home through phone calls, paperwork, or things that still need to be handled.
Running a local business doesn't automatically mean you have a perfect work-life balance.
You have to work at that part, too.
But having the opportunity to come home at the end of the day is something I've always valued.
And as we've gotten older, I've come to appreciate it even more.
There are things I want to do around our property. There are people I want to spend time with. There are things I want to learn and experience that have nothing to do with making money.
I don't want to spend the rest of my life putting all those things off until the business reaches some imaginary point where we finally have enough time.
We've already spent too many years doing that.
So when I hear people talk as though bigger trucks, longer routes, or a larger operation somehow make someone more successful, I can't help but think about how differently we might define success.
Because the kind of business that gives one person freedom might take freedom away from someone else.
There's Room for All of Us
I have a lot of respect for the people who run large trucking companies.
They deal with challenges, expenses, and responsibilities that come with operating at a much bigger scale. And the drivers spending days or weeks away from their families are doing important work.
But I have just as much respect for the person running one rollback, one truck and trailer, or a small family-operated transport company.
They're out there doing important work, too.
They're moving vehicles, serving customers, maintaining equipment, following regulations, and trying to make a living.
Some are just getting started. Some have been doing it for decades.
Some want to grow into large companies, and others are perfectly happy running one truck and going home every evening.
There's room for both.
And I think we'd do a lot more good encouraging people to find the right way to build their businesses than making them feel as though there's only one legitimate way to do it.
Because what works for one person may be completely wrong for another.
What Kind of Business Do You Actually Want?
If you're considering getting into towing or auto transport, I'd encourage you to think about more than just what equipment you want to buy or how much money you might be able to make.
Think about what you want your everyday life to look like.
Do you want to travel across the country, or would you rather work locally and come home at night?
Do you want to manage a fleet and employees, or would you rather operate a truck yourself?
Do you enjoy working with customers, managing schedules, and handling the business side of things?
Are you trying to build something you can eventually expand, or would you be happy creating a dependable small business that provides a good living for your family?
There's no single right answer.
And you don't have to make those decisions based on what somebody else thinks a trucking company is supposed to look like.
You do need to understand the work, the costs, the regulations, and the responsibilities before you get started.
But you also need to understand yourself.
We've spent years figuring out what works for us, sometimes by doing things the hard way and discovering what we didn't want.
And I can tell you that building a business that fits your life is just as important as building one that makes money.
Maybe even more important, because you're the one who has to live with the decisions you make along the way.
We chose local towing and auto transport because it gave us a way to work in an industry we enjoy while building a life outside the business, too.
It hasn't always been easy, and we've certainly made our share of mistakes.
But I wouldn't trade the experience we've gained, the people we've met, or the life we've built for the idea that we needed to become a bigger trucking company to prove we belonged in this industry.
Small trucks. Real work. A business built around the life we want to live.
That's trucking to us.
Keep going, trucking, and building. 🌾
— Brenda
Thinking About Starting a Small Towing or Auto Transport Business?
We've put together two guides based on our years of experience running Durrett Recovery.
The Beginner's Guide to Non-CDL Towing covers the early decisions, including understanding vehicle weights, choosing equipment, identifying licensing and registration requirements, and preparing to operate legally and safely.
From Setup to First Load focuses on what comes next, including different types of towing and transport work, places to look for opportunities, getting organized, and preparing to work with customers.
Both are designed to help you understand the process and avoid some of the mistakes we've made along the way.
If you're exploring this kind of business, you can find them along with our free checklists and other resources in Helpful Resources.
And if you'd like to keep following what we're building around the axles and acres, you can join The Axles & Acres Dispatch, our weekly email with stories, useful information, and updates from our life and work.
Want to explore more? Browse our journal for more stories from life around the axles and acres, or visit our shop to see the guides, products, and resources we've created.
Read More From Our Journal — Link to your main Axles & Acres journal page.
Explore the Axles & Acres Shop — Link to your new Shop hub page, where visitors can browse everything you've created.
