Best Working Capital Loans for Trucking Companies

The best working capital loan for your trucking company depends on your history and how urgent the need is. Merchant Fund Express is best for fast capital based on your deposits, from FICO 500; OnDeck fits predictable payments if you have a year and a 625 FICO; Bluevine offers a line of credit to LLCs and corporations, even with an ITIN; National Funding suits a fixed amount; freight factoring helps when you are waiting on load payments; and the SBA 7(a) is the lowest-cost route if every owner is a citizen or national.

Working capital is the money that keeps you moving between the day you spend and the day you get paid. In trucking that gap is long: you pay for diesel, tolls and drivers today and collect for the load weeks later. This guide helps you pick the right tool for that gap, using requirements each company publishes.

The best options, ranked

1. Merchant Fund Express (recommended funder). It reviews your sales and deposits, not just your credit, with decisions that often come back in 2 to 4 hours. Amounts from $5,000 to $5,000,000, credit from FICO 500 and, in most cases, no collateral. It is the option for when you need capital this week: a large insurance payment, driver payroll or a new contract that requires spending before you collect.
2. OnDeck (term loan or line of credit). Its term loan runs from $5,000 to $400,000 with terms up to 24 months, and its line of credit from $6,000 to $200,000 with 12, 18 or 24-month repayment. It asks for a year in business, $100,000 in annual sales, a 625 personal FICO and a business checking account. It says checking whether you qualify does not affect your credit (checked October 2026).
3. Bluevine (line of credit). Up to $250,000, with a decision in as little as five minutes according to its site. It asks for $10,000 in monthly revenue, a 625 FICO, 12 months in operation, an LLC or corporation and no bankruptcies. It does not serve Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota or the territories. It accepts an SSN or ITIN, plus an EIN (checked October 2026).
4. National Funding (working capital). From $5,000 to $500,000 for any business use, with daily or weekly payments and 4 to 24-month terms. It serves trucking; most of its customers have a FICO of 600 or higher (checked October 2026).
5. Freight factoring. You sell the invoices for delivered loads and receive most of the money in a day or two. The credit of your shippers and freight agents matters more than yours, which helps newer companies.
6. SBA 7(a) loan. The SBA allows 7(a) funds for short- and long-term working capital. If you qualify, it usually costs less than any online option, but the process takes weeks and, since March 1, 2026, requires 100% of owners to be U.S. citizens or nationals. More detail in SBA loans for trucking and logistics businesses.

How we chose

We do not give ratings or scores. We always use the same criteria: speed, minimum time in business, minimum credit, ITIN acceptance, documents, amounts and collateral. The OnDeck, Bluevine and National Funding facts come from their official sites, checked in October 2026; they change often, so confirm them before you apply. Read the full method in how we rank business funding options.

To work out how much you actually need, start with your operating cycle: how many days pass between fueling up for a load and seeing that load's payment in your account. Multiply your average daily operating cost by those days, add a cushion for one breakdown, and that is a sensible working capital target.

Comparison table

Which option fits your company

• Owner-operator with less than a year: the OnDeck and Bluevine lines ask for 12 months. Until you get there, freight factoring and sales-based funding are the realistic options. Our owner-operator startup example shows how to put together starting capital.
• Small fleet of 2 to 10 trucks with a solid history: a line of credit is the foundation. Use it for diesel and payroll, and pay the balance down as loads pay.
• Company with dedicated contracts and customers paying at 45 days: factor those invoices, or use a large line of credit if your numbers support it.
• Owner with an ITIN: Bluevine accepts ITIN plus EIN if you are an LLC or corporation and meet the rest. Our recommended funder also accepts applicants with an ITIN, no SSN needed. For anyone else, ask directly. This is not immigration advice; talk to an immigration attorney about your situation.
• Company planning for the long term: if every owner is a citizen or national and you can wait, a 7(a) for working capital gives you long terms and lower monthly payments.

The expenses that squeeze trucking working capital most

Knowing where your cash goes helps you ask for the right amount, not too much:

1. Diesel. The biggest and most volatile expense. A price spike can eat your margin in a week. Discount fuel cards help; financing fuel with expensive money does not.
2. Driver payroll. Drivers get paid every week; your customers do not. That mismatch is the classic working capital gap.
3. Insurance. Down payments and renewals are large. Put them on your calendar months ahead.
4. Maintenance and tires. A maintenance reserve keeps every breakdown from turning into an emergency.
5. IFTA, permits and plates. Quarterly and annual payments many owners forget until they are due.

A practical rule: borrow working capital for what covers the gap between spending and collecting, plus a cushion for one breakdown, not for everything you might want. If you prefer a revolving option, compare with a business line of credit for trucking.

Common mistakes when borrowing working capital for a carrier

• Using short-term capital to buy trucks. A truck is paid off over years; a 12-month loan to buy one leaves you with payments that do not fit. That is what equipment financing is for.
• Depositing load payments into personal accounts. If customer payments land in your personal account, no funder sees them as business sales.
• Waiting until you are desperate. The best terms come when your numbers are strong, not after three bad weeks.
• Stacking daily payments from several funders. Every daily payment you add cuts the cash you operate on. Before taking a second one, try to lower the payment on the first.
• Ignoring seasonality. Many lanes slow down in January and February, and agricultural freight shifts with the harvest. If you borrow in peak season, make sure the payment still fits when rates fall and loads thin out.
• Not comparing offers in writing. Get the total cost, payment frequency and penalties from each option and compare them side by side.

Documents you will be asked for

• Business bank statements for three to six months, with customer payments visible.
• MC number, USDOT number and how long your authority has been active.
• Owner ID, SSN or ITIN depending on the funder, EIN and LLC or corporation documents.
• Proof of current insurance.
• A list of receivables and your main customers.
• Recent tax returns, especially for a bank or the SBA.

When diesel and payroll will not wait, our recommended funder reviews your sales and deposits, offers Spanish-speaking support, and applying is free with no impact to your credit: you can apply with Merchant Fund Express. Leer en español.