A distribution center's throughput lives and dies by its lift-truck fleet. Not by the WMS software, not by the conveyor system, and not by the dock doors. By the trucks. When a counterbalanced forklift goes down in a busy cross-dock, pallets stack up at receiving while outbound lanes stall waiting for product. The math on that outage adds up fast, and it adds up in cases-per-hour, not in maintenance-line-item dollars.
We financeforklift fleetsfor warehousing and distribution operations of every size, from the single-shift regional DC running eight trucks to the multi-shift fulfillment operation with forty units spread across three buildings. The minimum is $50,000. The sweet spot is $100,000 to $150,000 and up. We fund purchase, lease, refinance, and sale-leaseback on new and used equipment, and completed forklift packages usually fund inside seven to fourteen days. B and C credit is fine. We underwrite the operation.
Warehousing and distribution is what we know. The equipment on your floor, the shift patterns it runs, the duty cycles that shorten a truck's useful life, and the refresh timing that keeps your cost-per-hour in line, we have seen all of it. Bring us the fleet count, the building layout, and the machines you are looking at, and we will structure the paper to match the operation.
The Right Iron for a DC Floor
Most distribution operations run a mix, and financing the full mix as one deal is faster and cleaner than stacking individual applications. A typical mid-size DC might finance counterbalanced trucks for dock work,reach trucksfor the racking lanes, and walkie pallet jacks for staging, all under one structure with one monthly payment schedule.
Reach trucks are the high-runner in narrow-aisle racking environments. A well-spec'd reach truck with a 45-foot mast can access rack positions that a counterbalance never touches, and in a facility where you are squeezing storage density out of every square foot, that matters. A full two-pallet-deep configuration needs adouble-deep reach truck, which runs higher per unit but unlocks density that partially offsets the cost. We finance both configurations, new or used, from manufacturers including Toyota, Crown, Raymond, and Jungheinrich.
For high-throughput pick operations,order pickersare often the volume chokepoint. The trucks themselves are relatively modest in price, but a fleet of eight to twelve of them adds up fast, and aging units with weak battery systems slow pick rates. Financing a refresh of the order-picker fleet is one of the faster ROI calls a DC manager can make.
Outdoor receiving and yard operations call for pneumatic-tire counterbalance units, sometimes LPG-powered for the runtime. Indoor narrow-aisle work needs cushion-tire electrics. We can structure the full mix under one application.
New or Used: How Most DC Operators Choose
The reach trucks in a busy DC log three to four shifts per day in some operations, and after three to four years the battery packs, mast seals, and drive systems start showing the wear. A used reach truck with 8,000 hours on the clock is not the same asset as a used counterbalance with the same hours, because the duty cycle on a racking truck is harder on electronics and hydraulics.
That said, used equipment finances well here and most of our warehouse operators use it strategically. A counterbalanced IC unit that runs one shift per day and mostly handles inbound pallets at the dock can run used for years without a throughput penalty. A narrow-aisle reach truck that runs two shifts may be worth buying new to get the warranty coverage and known battery health. We fund both and help you think through the structure based on what you are buying.Used equipment financingcarries the same terms as new in most cases: same credit flexibility, same funding timeline.
Sale-Leaseback: Cash from the Fleet You Already Own
If your warehouse owns its lift-truck fleet outright, that iron is sitting equity. Asale-leasebackconverts that equity to cash while the trucks stay exactly where they are, running your operation. We buy the fleet from you and immediately lease it back on terms you approve before we close. The trucks never leave the floor. Your people keep using them on the same schedule. You get cash in the account, typically within seven to fourteen days of application.
Distribution operators use sale-leaseback proceeds for a range of purposes: capital improvements to the building, deposit on a new lease, purchasing additional inventory for a peak season, or simply strengthening the cash position going into a slow quarter. There is no restriction on how you use the capital. The lease payment replaces the zero payment you had on owned trucks, but the net position is cash in hand now against a known monthly cost going forward.
How the Process Works
Applications under $400,000 are app-only, meaning no tax returns and no P&L statements. We need recent business operating statements and the completed application. That is the file. Credit decisions come back fast, typically within one business day on straightforward deals, and funding follows in about seven to fourteen days after documentation is signed.
Larger deals or multi-building fleet packages may need additional documentation, but even on a $2 million fleet refinance we move faster than a bank. We do not have a committee that meets on Thursdays. We have underwriters who know what a 3,000-pound sit-down electric is worth used and can close the file without an appraisal delay.
If you are on alease structure, the end-of-term options are clear up front: buy the equipment at fair market value, extend the lease, or return the units. No ambiguity at lease-end. If you want to own the iron outright at the end, a dollar-buyout structure or a loan is the right call, and we can show you both payment structures side by side before you decide.
Common Questions from Warehouse Operators
Get a Quote for Your Fleet
Tell us the fleet count, the equipment types you are looking at, and the building configuration. We will have a quote back to you the same day in most cases. Our minimum is $50,000, and there is no ceiling on fleet size.Fleet financingfor distribution operations is what we do all day.