Medical Equipment Transport

First 30 days

Set up a clean cargo van or box truck with liftgate access if possible, padded equipment, straps, ramps, and cargo insurance. Build a compliance-minded operations packet: COI, handling checklist, photo documentation, chain-of-custody notes when needed, and damage protocol. Target home medical equipment providers, physical therapy clinics, dental offices, outpatient surgery centers, and used medical equipment dealers. Sell precision and documentation, not muscle.

Days 31-60

Run pilot jobs for two or three providers at a fair but not cheap rate. Ask what their current mover breaks, delays, or refuses to carry. Build pricing by item type, distance, stairs/elevator, two-person requirement, and urgency. Add landing pages for “exam chair transport,” “hospital bed delivery,” and “medical equipment pickup.”

Days 61-90

Formalize recurring pickup days with suppliers and clinics. Train helpers on wrapping, loading, photos, and patient-home etiquette. Add white-glove placement, old-unit removal, and after-hours clinic moves. Keep a maintenance log and claims-free record because that becomes part of the sales pitch. The boring paperwork is the moat.

Typical operators report $150–$500 for local durable medical equipment deliveries, $400–$1,200 for multi-item clinic moves, and higher rates for urgent, after-hours, or two-person equipment transport. A small operator might complete 6–15 jobs per week while building provider relationships. Costs include insurance, vehicle payments, fuel, helper labor, padding/straps, background checks when required, and claims risk. Net margins commonly sit around 20%–40% when operators price for care and avoid underinsured general moving work. The best accounts care less about the lowest bid and more about not explaining a damaged exam chair to accounting.

• Clean cargo van or box truck: $10,000–$45,000
• Liftgate or powered loading ramp: $2,000–$10,000
• Medical-grade moving pads and straps: $300–$900
• Dollies, hand trucks, and stair climber: $400–$2,000
• Cargo and liability insurance: $250–$900/mo
• Photo documentation app: $20–$100/mo
• Background checks/uniforms: $100–$500

Make a list of 30 home medical equipment suppliers, used equipment dealers, and small clinics. Call operations managers and ask one question: “Who handles overflow deliveries or pickups when your team is full?” Offer a first job with full photo documentation, insured handling, and a narrow arrival window. Drop off a printed COI and rate sheet to the top 10 prospects. The fastest first customer is usually a supplier with more orders than drivers and a storage room full of equipment nobody wants to move twice.