# Trucking and transportation funding cheat sheet

URL: https://cheapcheapwebsites.com/cheat-sheets/trucking-transportation-funding/
Updated October 16, 2026. Funding offered by Merchant Fund Express (https://merchantfundexpress.com/industries/); Cheap Cheap Websites builds websites and does not lend.

## The short answer
Trucking and transportation businesses usually need cash for fuel, repairs, insurance and the gap while customers pay freight bills. Common tools are invoice factoring, merchant cash advances, working capital loans and equipment financing. Many funders restrict long-haul trucking, so approval for long-haul operators is never promised. Merchant Fund Express reviews requests from $5,000 to $5,000,000, considers scores from 500, and looks closely at deposits, existing positions and the type of hauling you do.

## 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

## Who 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. Illustrative example 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.

## 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 .

## Frequently asked questions
**Why do many funders restrict long-haul trucking?** Long-haul operations carry heavy fuel and insurance costs, uneven revenue and thin margins, so many funders treat them as higher risk. It does not mean every file is declined, but approval is never promised and the review is stricter.

**Can a moving company get funding?** Yes, moving companies are commonly reviewed for advances, working capital and truck financing. Residential moving is paid by consumers, so factoring usually does not fit; commercial moves billed to businesses on terms can be factored.

**What freight bills can be factored?** Real, undisputed invoices owed by business or government customers, usually due in 30 to 90 days. Loads that are disputed, unbilled or paid at delivery by a consumer do not fit factoring.

**How long can a truck loan run at MFE?** Equipment terms are matched to the truck's useful life and never exceed 60 months at MFE. A vendor quote or invoice is required, the business is often 6+ months old, and a down payment may be asked.

Apply with Merchant Fund Express: https://merchantfundexpress.com/current-application.html?utm_source=cheat-sheet&utm_campaign=trucking-transportation-funding