Five trucks is not a fleet problem. It is five equipment loans. Fifty trucks is a fleet problem, and it requires a different kind of financing conversation than a line of unit-by-unit approvals that expires before you finish deploying. A fleet capital facility covers your full unit count in one approval, lets you draw as trucks are delivered, and handles mixed configurations, new and used, IC and electric, sit-down and reach, under a single master agreement. That is the difference between a fleet operation and a parts buyer who happens to own a lot of trucks.
We structure fleet financing from $50,000 on up, covering 5-truck refreshes and 200-unit fleet replacements alike. Master lines, draw facilities, and sale-leaseback programs for mature fleets that want to redeploy capital. B and C credit are evaluated on the strength of the operation. Multi-site operators and 3PLs are our frequent customers. One approval. One facility. Move the fleet.
How a Fleet Facility Works
A fleet facility is an approved credit commitment at a total dollar amount, against which you draw as trucks are delivered and accepted. Rather than applying for 10 separate loans every time a batch of trucks ships from the OEM, you draw down from the approved facility. Each draw produces a separate schedule under the master agreement, which means you have one relationship with one set of terms, not 10 separate lenders.
The typical fleet deal structure includes:
- A master credit facility in the range of $500,000 to $5 million covering the full fleet program
- Individual draw schedules that correspond to delivery batches or purchase orders
- Uniform or staggered term structures so units purchased at different times still mature on a coordinated cycle
- Interim billing or first-payment deferral if your fleet is being delivered in phases and you want payment timing to follow the delivery schedule
Mixed fleets, electric and IC together, sit-down and reach, new and used, can all be covered under one facility. The lender underwrites the fleet as a whole rather than evaluating each configuration separately.
Who Runs Fleet Financing Deals
The operators coming to us for fleet financing are running serious volume. Facilities with 25 or more trucks on the floor, includingthird-party logisticsproviders, large-format distribution centers, automotive parts distribution networks, andfood and beveragemanufacturers, need capital facilities structured for fleet-scale transactions, not retail truck loans.
Multi-site operators are a particularly strong use case. A 3PL with 12 facilities and 80 total forklifts across the network can run a single fleet facility that covers all 12 sites, with draws allocated by location as units are delivered. Individual site managers do not need to manage local financing. Corporate procurement handles the facility, and the sites get their trucks.
Fleet replacement programs are the other major use case. If your fleet average age is climbing past seven or eight years and maintenance costs are eating into your uptime economics, a wholesale fleet refresh financed over 48 to 60 months often pencils better than continuing to repair aging units one at a time. The monthly payment on a replacement fleet is predictable. A deteriorating old fleet's repair bill is not.
Fleet Sale-Leaseback: Pull Capital From the Iron You Already Own
If your fleet is substantially paid off and sitting on your balance sheet, afleet sale-leasebackis a capital recycling tool. The lender buys the fleet at appraised value and leases it back to you on a term that matches your operational needs. You keep running the trucks. You recover the capital tied up in the fleet. That capital goes to expansion, working capital, or the next phase of equipment investment.
Sale-leaseback on a fleet requires clear title (no other liens on the trucks) and a fleet appraisal that the lender uses to set the transaction value. On a 40-truck fleet of late-model Toyotas or Crowns with reasonable hours, a fleet leaseback can generate $400,000 to $1.5 million in capital depending on the fleet's age and condition. The monthly payments on the leaseback are predictable operating expense, and at end of term you decide to extend, return, or buy.
Operations that funded their fleet from cash or from a line of credit that they then paid down are the most natural fit for this product. The capital is in the steel. A leaseback gets it back in the bank without taking a single truck off the floor.
Terms for Fleet Deals
Fleet financing terms run 24 to 84 months depending on fleet composition and borrower preference. Electric trucks are often structured on shorter terms aligned with battery useful life. IC trucks can run longer terms. Mixed fleets can be structured with blended terms or with separate schedules by truck type under the same master facility.
Fleet deals above $400,000 require a financial documentation package: two years of business tax returns or financial statements, a fleet inventory list with VINs or serial numbers, and the purchase agreement or OEM quotes. For public companies, audited financials are preferred. For privately held businesses, corporate tax returns serve the same purpose.
Rate structures on fleet deals are generally more favorable than on individual unit purchases because the lender is deploying more capital in a single relationship, reducing their per-unit transaction cost. Fleet volume gives you negotiating leverage on terms and rate that a single-unit buyer does not have. Ask us specifically about fleet pricing when you submit the application.
For operations exploring a parallel option alongside fleet financing,equipment refinancingon an existing fleet is worth evaluating to understand the total capital position before committing to a new purchase facility.
Common Questions
Build the Facility Around Your Fleet
Give us the fleet count, the approximate unit mix, whether you are buying new or used (or both), and the total project budget. We will structure a master facility proposal in two to three business days. Fleet pricing is better than individual pricing. One approval covers the program. We move the fleet.