The short answer
At a glance
| Typical amounts | $5,000 to $5,000,000 at MFE; varies with revenue, invoices and equipment |
|---|---|
| Revenue guideline | About $7,500/month for an advance; about $17,500/month for working capital |
| Time in business | Often 3+ months (advance), 6+ months (working capital, equipment) |
| Credit | Scores from 500 considered; stronger credit usually means better offers |
| Long-haul trucking | Many funders restrict it; local, regional and moving work is often easier to place |
| Factoring | Real, undisputed freight bills to business customers, usually net 30 to 90 |
| Equipment | Terms matched to the truck's life, never more than 60 months at MFE; quote or invoice needed |
| Speed | Same-day decisions are common on complete files; funding often next business day, never promised |
| Documents | 3 to 4 months of bank statements, ID, voided check, application; invoices for factoring |
Before you apply: checklist
- Describe your hauling honestly: local, regional, long-haul or moving
- Gather 3 to 4 months of business bank statements
- List open freight bills with customer name, amount and due date
- Get a written quote for any truck or trailer you want to finance
- List every existing advance or loan and its balance
- Know your monthly fuel, insurance and repair costs
- Have your ID and a voided business check ready
- Check that no freight bill is disputed before offering it for factoring
Check what your business qualifies for
Merchant Fund Express reviews trucking and transportation funding requests from $5,000 to $5,000,000. Scores from 500 are considered, and same-day decisions are common on complete files.
Check funding options with Merchant Fund ExpressWho this covers
This sheet covers trucking companies and owner-operators, transportation businesses such as local delivery, courier and hotshot work, and moving companies, both residential and commercial.
Cash in this industry moves in a lopsided way. Fuel, tolls, drivers and repairs are paid now. Customers often pay freight bills 30 to 90 days later. A truck that breaks down earns nothing until it is fixed.
Plain statement on long-haul: many funders restrict long-haul trucking because of fuel swings, insurance costs and thin margins. If you run long-haul, apply knowing an approval is not promised, and expect the review to look hard at your deposits and existing positions.
Matching the tool to the cash gap
- Factoring freight bills: you sell real, undisputed invoices owed by business customers and get most of the cash now. See the trucking business funding guide.
- Merchant cash advance: quick money for a repair or fuel spike, repaid from deposits.
- Working capital loan: fixed payments for insurance renewals or hiring drivers, commonly 6+ months and about 600+ credit.
- Equipment financing: trucks, trailers, liftgates and moving vans, with terms up to 60 months at MFE.
- Refinance: if you already carry advances, read the trucking MCA refinance guide before adding another.
Illustrative example: factoring a batch of freight bills
Assumptions: a regional carrier has $40,000 in undisputed freight bills owed by business shippers on net 45 terms. The factor advances 90% up front and charges an assumed 3% fee on the face value.
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Face value of freight bills | $40,000 |
| Advance at 90% | $36,000 |
| Reserve held back (10%) | $4,000 |
| Assumed fee at 3% | $1,200 |
| Reserve released after customers pay | $2,800 |
| Total received | $38,800 |
The carrier gets $36,000 now instead of waiting 45 days, and pays $1,200 for that speed.
These figures are illustrations, not offers. Real terms depend on the full file review.
Funding brings customers. Is your website ready for them?
Funding usually pays for growth: more stock, staff, equipment or marketing. Make sure the customers that growth brings find a website that explains what you do and makes it easy to call, book or buy. Cheap Cheap Websites builds professional sites from $399, with Website Care at $30/month.
Red flags
- Factoring disputed loads. Damaged freight or short pays will come back to you.
- A daily advance payment that ignores fuel days. Check the payment against your worst week, not your best.
- Financing an old truck over a long term. The loan should not outlive the truck.
- Stacking a third or fourth advance. Several existing positions point to a refinance instead.
- Calling long-haul work regional on an application. Funders check, and it can sink the file.
- Anyone promising approval for long-haul trucking.
How Merchant Fund Express handles this
Merchant Fund Express lists trucking and transportation on its industries page. MFE reviews advances, working capital, equipment financing and invoice factoring for business customers, and can review a refinance or buyout of an existing advance. Long-haul files are reviewed case by case and are never promised. Service is available in English and Spanish.
Have your statements, invoices and quotes ready, then apply with Merchant Fund Express.
Related
Cheap Cheap Websites builds websites. It does not lend or make funding decisions. Funding is offered by our funding partner, Merchant Fund Express, and every request is subject to its review and approval. Figures on this page are illustrations, not offers. Updated October 16, 2026.