Equipment Financing
Standard for tractors and trailers an operator intends to own — the lien rides on the title until payoff.
Industries · Transportation
Transportation equipment financing
A truck earns by the mile and ages the same way. Financing in this industry follows the asset — model year, mileage, title — as closely as it follows the balance sheet.
The work
Equipment reality
Freight runs on titled iron that depreciates by the odometer. Tractors, trailers, and straight trucks trade on well-established used markets, and every operator — from a single owner-operator to a hundred-unit fleet — replaces equipment on a cycle set by engine hours, warranty windows, and maintenance cost per mile. Refrigerated trailers add a second clock: the hours on the reefer unit itself.
Financing structures for transportation equipment include term loans on tractors and trailers, leases used by fleets that turn units on a fixed schedule, and sale-leasebacks on owned equipment. Because the assets are titled, the lien is recorded on the title rather than by UCC filing alone — a paperwork difference more than a structural one. Requests are typically reviewed against the unit's age and mileage, the operator's revenue history, and, for carriers, operating authority and insurance standing.
Eligible equipment
What typically qualifies
- sleeper and day-cab semi tractors
- dry van trailers
- refrigerated trailers
- flatbed and step-deck trailers
- lowboy and heavy-haul trailers
- tanker trailers
- dump trucks
- box trucks
- delivery vans
- terminal tractors
- tow trucks and rollbacks
- auxiliary power units and liftgates
Qualification
What lenders typically weigh
- Time in business and the driving or fleet history of the principals.
- Unit age and mileage — used trucks are the norm, weighed against the term length.
- Revenue consistency, including the mix of contract freight versus spot loads.
- Existing truck and trailer debt.
- Down payment — first-time buyers typically see more weight placed here.
- Insurance and operating authority in good standing.
Descriptive, not a promise — factors and weightings vary by file.
Checklist
Documents to have ready
- Recent business bank statements — several months is typical
- Business tax returns, typically the last two years
- Driver's license and CDL for the operating principals
- Truck or trailer spec sheet, dealer invoice, or purchase order
- Operating authority details, for regulated carriers
- Current equipment and debt schedule
- Insurance agent contact
Questions
Asked and answered
The structure is the same; the paperwork differs. With titled vehicles the lien is recorded on the title, so title work and registration are part of closing. The economics — term, payment, payoff — work like any other equipment loan.
Used trucks are the bulk of this market, and mileage is expected. Reviews typically weigh age, mileage, and maintenance history against the requested term — older units generally see shorter terms or larger down payments rather than a flat no.
Both request financing in this category. Owner-operators are typically reviewed with more weight on personal credit, down payment, and driving history; fleets are read more on business financials and the age profile of the existing equipment.
Trailers stand on their own as financeable equipment — dry vans, reefers, flatbeds, tankers. On refrigerated trailers, the reefer unit is part of the asset, and its engine hours are read alongside the trailer's age and condition.
Related industries
Run the numbers. Then decide.
The calculators and the eligibility check show results on the page — no email required, no contact details collected. When the structure makes sense, the application asks for the equipment, the amount, and your timeline. Terms arrive in writing before anything is owed.