Start a Delivery Business
Start Your Own Delivery Service.
From Paperwork to First Paid Route.
PRIME is the go-to platform for launching a delivery business — licensing guidance, dispatch software, driver app, client booking, and payments in one place. Start with a single vehicle and grow at your own pace.
First Decision: What Kind of Delivery Business?
"Delivery" covers very different businesses. Your niche decides your vehicle, insurance, pricing, and licensing — pick the one that fits your market and budget.
Courier & Same-Day
Documents, parcels, and parts across town. Low startup cost, fast to launch, easy to win recurring business from offices, law firms, and clinics.
Last-Mile Contract Routes
Delivering for retailers, distributors, or route contractors on set daily routes. Predictable revenue — the work is steady once you win the contract.
Medical & Pharmacy Delivery
Lab specimens, prescriptions, and supplies. Higher rates and loyal clients, with extra requirements like HIPAA-aware handling and chain of custody.
B2B Scheduled Delivery
Auto parts, restaurant supply, print shops, furniture stores — local businesses that need a reliable delivery arm without owning trucks.
The Start-to-Finish Roadmap
Eight steps from idea to first paid delivery. Each one shows what you do — and where PRIME does the heavy lifting.
Pick your niche and market
Decide What You Deliver and Who Pays You
Every decision after this — vehicle, insurance, pricing, licensing — depends on your niche. Courier runs need a car; contract routes need a van or box truck; medical delivery needs compliance handling. We help you evaluate demand in your area and pick a niche with paying customers nearby.
Write a simple business plan
Know Your Numbers Before You Spend
Startup costs, monthly overhead, your rate card, and the break-even point: how many deliveries per week cover your costs. A delivery business usually prices per mile, per stop, per hour, or flat-rate by zone — we help you build a rate card that wins work and still makes money.
Form the company
LLC, EIN, and a Business Bank Account
Most operators form an LLC (typically $50–$500 in state filing fees), get a free EIN from the IRS, and open a business bank account. This protects you personally, lets you sign contracts, and keeps taxes clean. It takes days, not months.
Licenses and authority
Get Legal to Operate
A local business license is the baseline. If you run cargo across state lines or operate vehicles over 10,001 lbs GVWR, you will likely need a USDOT number and possibly MC authority. Intrastate rules vary — some states require their own carrier registration. This is the step people get wrong, so we help you figure out exactly which filings your operation needs.
Insurance
Commercial Auto, Cargo, and Liability
Personal auto insurance will not cover commercial delivery. Budget for commercial auto (roughly $200–$800/month per vehicle depending on cargo and radius), cargo insurance if you haul goods for others, and general liability. Bigger contracts often require a certificate of insurance before they sign.
Vehicles and equipment
Get the Right Vehicle for Your Niche
Start lean — many courier businesses launch with a reliable car they already own. Contract delivery usually needs a cargo van or box truck. Add the equipment your niche demands: dolly, straps, load bars, insulated totes for medical, a smartphone per driver.
Set up your operations platform
Dispatch, Drivers, Booking, and Payments — in One Place
This is where most new operators stall: jobs in texts, drivers on phone calls, invoices in spreadsheets. PRIME replaces all of it — a dispatch board to assign jobs, a driver app with navigation and proof of delivery, a booking page for your clients, and Stripe-powered invoicing and payouts.
Launch and find customers
Drivers, Marketing, and Your First Contracts
Hire drivers with your PRIME invite code — background checks, documents, and vehicle assignment built in. Then go get work: a listing in the PRIME fleet directory, Google Ads aimed at your city, and direct outreach to the businesses that need delivery every week. We help you launch your first campaigns.
What It Actually Costs to Start
Honest ranges, not hype. A courier service on a car you own can launch for under $2,500 — a box-truck contract operation runs $10k–$40k with a used vehicle.
Ranges are typical US figures — your state, vehicle, and niche will move the numbers. We build a real budget for your market on the free consultation.
The Go-To Platform
Everything the Business Runs On — Already Built
You do not need to stitch together five apps or hire a developer. The operations stack a delivery business needs ships with PRIME — you configure it, we help.
Dispatch Board
Assign jobs to the nearest driver and watch every delivery move in real time — no more phone calls and whiteboards.
Driver App & Onboarding
Invite drivers with a code, collect documents, run checks, assign vehicles. Drivers get navigation and proof-of-delivery capture.
Client Booking Page
Your customers book deliveries online under your brand — a professional storefront from day one.
Invoicing & Payouts
Charge clients and pay drivers through built-in Stripe payments. No chasing paper invoices.
Compliance & Documents
Vehicle records, driver files, proof of delivery history — organized for audits and client contracts.
Route & Cost Analytics
See which routes, clients, and drivers actually make money — so you grow the profitable parts first.
Directory Listing
A free listing in the PRIME fleet directory puts your new service in front of customers searching for fleets.
Guided Launch Help
Flat-fee, software-adjacent onboarding: we help configure your operation, booking funnel, and first ad campaigns.
A note on what PRIME is not: we are the software your business runs on — not a broker, not a carrier. You are the carrier of record, you set your own prices, and your contracts are between you and your customers. Our revenue is a subscription (with a free tier), flat-fee setup consulting, and optional featured placement — never a cut of your deliveries.
Delivery Business FAQs
Do I need a CDL or special license to start a delivery business?
For most courier and last-mile work — no. A regular driver's license covers cars and small vans. CDL requirements kick in for vehicles over 26,001 lbs GVWR or hazmat work. If you operate larger vehicles or cross state lines with cargo, you may need a USDOT number and MC authority — we help you figure out which filings apply to your situation.
How much does it cost to start a delivery business?
A courier business launched with a car you already own can start for roughly $500–$2,500 (LLC, insurance down payment, equipment, basic marketing). A box-truck contract operation is more like $10,000–$40,000 with a used vehicle. The breakdown on this page shows each line item.
How do I find my first customers?
Three channels work for new operators: a free listing in the PRIME fleet directory, Google Ads aimed at your city (we help you set up your first campaigns), and direct outreach to local businesses that need recurring delivery — pharmacies, auto parts stores, print shops, meal prep companies.
Is PRIME a broker? Do you take a cut of my deliveries?
No. PRIME is software — you are the carrier of record, you set your own prices, and every transport contract is between you and your customer. We charge a subscription for the platform (with a free tier), never a per-delivery commission.
Can I start with just myself and one vehicle?
Yes — that is how most delivery businesses start. PRIME's free plan covers a solo operator, and you can add drivers and vehicles as the work grows. The consultation is specifically for people figuring out how to start.
What about NEMT (non-emergency medical transport)?
Medical transport is a great niche but carries extra requirements — HIPAA-aware handling, sometimes state-specific NEMT credentials, and broker contracts. Check our NEMT compliance guide for the detail, and mention it on your consultation if that is your target niche.
Starting a passenger service instead?
Read the rideshare business guideGet the 90-Day Delivery Launch Plan
Tell us where you want to operate and we will send you a launch plan for your market — niche, pricing, licensing steps, and first-customer strategy.
Your Delivery Business Starts With a Free Conversation
Book a free consultation. We will talk through your market and niche, then show you the platform live over Zoom. If PRIME is not the right fit, you will still leave with a clearer plan.