FleetFile (working name)

Idea status: Idea stage · Target: an MRR ladder ($1k → $50k by month 24) instead of one fixed number · Verdict: No as described. Go, small, as DOT paperwork for private trade fleets (landscaping first), with a day-45 kill test. · Last updated: 30 Sept 2026

Start here → WHAT-TO-DO-AND-AVOID.md: odds at each MRR level (with conditions, ~15 hrs/week vs full-time: $1k ~45% / 60%, $5k ~18% / 30%, $10k ~8% / 16%, $20k ~3% / 7%), customer math, 12 do's, 14 avoids, checkpoints.

Where this idea came from: the 30 Sept 2026 micro-SaaS idea catalog, idea E5 (../_research/2026-09-30-micro-saas-idea-catalog.md): "DOT/fleet compliance for small carriers". The named evidence is Whip Around (~$10M ARR in Oct 2024, a Latka estimate). The suggested solo start was DQ-file automation for 1–20 truck fleets, or non-trucking DOT holders such as landscapers and HVAC firms, sold through the Geotab and Samsara marketplaces. This assessment tests both and picks the second, for reasons verified in research/10.

"FleetFile" is a working name. Check trademark and domain before using it publicly.

Research was run on 30 Sept 2026, with a confidence level on each claim. It includes counts pulled directly from FMCSA's Company Census File. See research/10-verified-research.md.

Folder layout

fleetfile/
├── WHAT-TO-DO-AND-AVOID.md      ← final analysis and decision (read first)
├── README.md                    ← this index
├── analysis/                    ← the investor-style assessment
│   ├── 00-one-page-brief.md
│   ├── 01-verdict.md
│   ├── 02-market-reality-check.md
│   ├── 03-feature-scrutiny.md
│   ├── 04-expanded-feature-catalog.md
│   ├── 05-pre-mortem.md
│   ├── 06-fundability.md
│   ├── 07-gaps.md
│   └── 09-assumptions-and-open-inputs.md
├── plans/                       ← execution plans
│   ├── 08-90-day-plan.md
│   └── 11-24-month-gated-roadmap.md
└── research/                    ← verified, cited evidence
    └── 10-verified-research.md

File numbers match the other ideas in this portfolio, so cross-references like "doc 08" work the same way.

Documents

#	Document	What it answers
—	WHAT-TO-DO-AND-AVOID.md	Final decision: MRR ladder, Tier A/B, founder-only conditions, customer math, 12 do's, 14 avoids, checkpoints
00	analysis/00-one-page-brief.md	The whole assessment on one page
01	analysis/01-verdict.md	MRR ladder for each segment and time commitment, Tier A/B, fundable yes/no
02	analysis/02-market-reality-check.md	Four segments scored, carrier counts from the FMCSA census, competitors and prices, vitamin vs painkiller, market size
03	analysis/03-feature-scrutiny.md	The idea's four stated features classified for the chosen segment
04	analysis/04-expanded-feature-catalog.md	About 45 features small fleets ask for, classified and prioritised
05	analysis/05-pre-mortem.md	Top 3 causes of death, their warning signs, whether each is fixable
06	analysis/06-fundability.md	Would I invest, the skeptic's questions, proof points, bootstrap vs raise
07	analysis/07-gaps.md	Gaps to pay, renew and refer, plus liability, regulation, marketplaces and team
08	plans/08-90-day-plan.md	First 90 days, week by week, for both time commitments
09	analysis/09-assumptions-and-open-inputs.md	Assumptions made, and the inputs that would change the verdict
10	research/10-verified-research.md	Cited research with confidence levels, census method, what's still unverified
11	plans/11-24-month-gated-roadmap.md	Month 0–24 phases, gates, revenue path, budget guardrails

Caveat

Team, access to trade owners and hours per week available were not provided. The assumptions are in analysis/09. Still unverified:

whether trade owners know the 10,001 lb rule applies to them, and what makes them act;
each state's intrastate weight threshold for Part 391;
Samsara and Geotab marketplace fees or revenue share (neither publishes them);
FCRA and DPPA duties if the product orders MVRs;
owner complaints on Reddit and trade forums, which weren't searched.

See research/10.