Why do fleets run short even when the trucks are full?
A full fleet can still run short of cash because freight pays in arrears. A carrier running loads up and down the East Coast corridor spends money on every mile today and waits on shipper or broker terms to collect. The more loads you haul, the more cash sits in unpaid invoices, so growth in volume can widen the gap.
A typical cash cycle for an interstate fleet looks like this:
- Dispatch a load and cover road costs as the truck moves
- Deliver, collect the signed proof of delivery and invoice
- Wait through the customer's payment terms, plus any paperwork back-and-forth
- Detention, layover and lumper charges often get paid even later, if at all
Working capital fills the space between steps one and four. See how shipper and broker pay cycles differ.
What can a fleet use working capital for?
Fleets use working capital for everyday operating costs that come due before customers pay: road expenses on long runs, tolls along the corridor, lumper fees fronted at distribution centers, onboarding costs for a new lane and the fixed costs that keep running through slow weeks or storm shutdowns. Money for buying equipment usually belongs in a different product.
- Receivable gaps: carrying costs while a big shipper pays on net terms
- Accessorial lag: detention and layover billed but not yet paid. See detention and layover cash flow.
- Corridor costs: toll accounts and road expenses on East Coast lanes. See toll costs for East Coast fleets.
- Disruptions: fixed costs during port congestion or winter closures
| Option | Best for | Typical term |
|---|---|---|
| Working capital | One-time receivable or disruption gaps | Months |
| Line of credit | Recurring gaps that vary week to week | Revolving |
| Revenue-based financing | Fleets with strong, steady deposits | Months |
| Term loan | Planned projects with a clear cost | One to several years |
How do funders size working capital for a trucking company?
Many funders base the amount on your recent monthly bank deposits, then adjust for how steady they are, time in business, credit and payments you already make to other funders. Requirements vary by product and funder. Customer mix matters too, because a fleet with many paying customers usually looks steadier than one that depends on a single broker.
What helps a trucking application:
- Freight revenue deposited into one business account
- Few overdrafts or returned payments
- A mix of shippers and brokers instead of one dominant customer
- Clear explanations for lumpy weeks, like a storm shutdown or a big quick-pay deposit
Read about customer concentration for fleets.
How is working capital repaid?
Most working capital is repaid through fixed automatic debits from your business account on a daily, weekly or monthly schedule over a term of months. The offer shows the amount you receive, total repayment, payment size and frequency. For a fleet with uneven weekly settlements, a weekly or monthly schedule is often easier to plan around than daily debits.
Test the payment against your slowest recent month: a week of closed roads, a customer that paid late or a lane that went quiet. If the payment only works in a strong month, ask for a smaller amount or a longer term.
When is working capital the wrong choice for a fleet?
Working capital is the wrong tool when a lane loses money on every run, when the need is really long-lived equipment, or when existing payments already strain the fleet's cash flow. Borrowing short-term money to keep an unprofitable lane going only makes the loss bigger. Fix the lane, the rate or the customer first.
- Equipment: use equipment financing, matched to useful life.
- Recurring, variable gaps: a line of credit lets you draw only what each cycle needs.
- Unprofitable lanes: review East Coast lane economics before borrowing.
Freight factoring is an alternative some owners compare for receivable gaps.
How I-95 Funding helps fleets compare
I-95 Funding helps fleets get funded through our funding partners. We review your application, match it with funders that understand trucking deposits and customer terms, and explain every offer in plain language: amount, total repayment, payment size, frequency and term. Some approvals come within a day or two, depending on documents. You never have to accept an offer.
Have recent business bank statements, owner ID, your business details and a short note on what the money is for. Then start your application or read how it works.
What you’ll typically need
- Recent business bank statements
- Government-issued ID for each owner
- Business registration details and EIN
- Operating authority details
- A short explanation of how the funds will be used
Frequently asked questions
How much working capital can a fleet get?
It depends mostly on monthly deposits, how consistent they are, time in business, credit and existing payments. Requirements vary by product and funder. The safest amount is the one whose payment still works in your slowest recent month, not the largest amount a funder offers.
Do funders care whether my freight is broker or shipper-direct?
They often look at it. Your customer mix affects how quickly and reliably deposits arrive. A healthy spread of shippers and brokers usually reads as lower risk than one customer supplying most of your loads. Explaining your mix in a sentence or two helps.
Can working capital cover detention I have not been paid for yet?
It can bridge the cash while billed detention and other accessorials work through a customer's payment process. It cannot make unbilled or disputed charges collectible, so document your time carefully and bill promptly.
Is working capital better than freight factoring?
They work differently. Working capital is based on your fleet's deposits and profile and does not involve your customers. Freight factoring is an alternative some owners compare. It is tied to specific invoices and a factor, so compare total cost and how each one affects your customer relationships.
What does working capital cost?
Cost varies by funder, term, payment frequency and your fleet's profile, so there is no single figure. Compare offers by total repayment against the amount you receive. Shorter terms often cost more for their length, so match the term to how long you actually need the money.
Keep your fleet moving between paydays
Tell us about your lanes and customers, and we will show you working capital options from our funding partners.
Updated September 14, 2026 · I-95 Funding Team