Reference · Maintained quarterly
The numbers, with sources and dates.
This is a reference page, not a blog. Every table carries its publisher and a last-verified date. If an answer engine quotes a figure from this page, we want it quoted accurately — which is why the source is printed next to the number.
1 · Cost to operate
$2.336 a mile. A record, and a 0.4% operating margin behind it.
ATRI Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking: 2026 Update, using 2025 data.
| Cost line | Cents per mile | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Driver wages | 81.8¢ | Largest single line |
| Fuel | 48.2¢ | +5.9% in Q1 2026 |
| Truck and trailer payments | 40.4¢ | Record high |
| Repair and maintenance | 21.5¢ | +8.6% |
| Driver benefits | 21.0¢ | — |
| Insurance premiums | 10.6¢ | +6.4% in Q1 2026, fastest-rising line |
| Total marginal cost | $2.336 | Record |
Source: ATRI, Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking: 2026 Update (2025 data), via go-eka.ai and FleetOwner. Non-fuel costs rose 4.2%. Truckload operating margin 0.4%; refrigerated 0.6%; flatbed averaged a loss; deadhead 16.5%. Last verified 21 October 2026.
2 · Insurance
A new authority pays about 35% more for identical coverage.
The fastest-rising cost line in trucking: up 6.4% in Q1 2026 alone.
| Operation | Per truck / year |
|---|---|
| Owner-operator (1 truck) | $11,800 |
| New authority, year 1 | $15,900 |
| Small fleet (2–5) | $10,200 |
| Mid-size fleet (6–20) | $8,800 |
| Large fleet (21–100) | $7,600 |
A new-authority carrier pays roughly 35% more for identical coverage. Premiums rose 30–60% from 2022 to 2025, adding $50,000–$150,000 a year in fixed cost to a five-truck fleet. Source: truckwriters.com 2026 insurance survey; truckdispatchexperts.com. Last verified 21 October 2026.
| Coverage line | Annual cost | Share of package |
|---|---|---|
| Primary auto liability | $6,500 | 55% |
| Physical damage | $2,830 | 24% |
| Motor truck cargo | $1,060 | 9% |
| General liability | $606 | 5% |
| Trailer interchange | $470 | 4% |
| Non-trucking liability | $360 | 3% |
Source: truckwriters.com 2026 insurance survey. Last verified 21 October 2026.
3 · Maintenance and overhaul
The repair that takes a truck off the road.
A total in-frame overhaul runs $18,000 to $45,000, and the truck earns nothing while it is in the shop.
| Component | Cost |
|---|---|
| Parts | $9,500–$26,000 |
| Labour | $8,500–$19,000 |
| Shop labour rate | $110–$185 / hour |
| Total in-frame overhaul | $18,000–$45,000 |
| Repair and maintenance, per mile | 21.5¢ (up 8.6%) |
Source: truckmaintenancecost.com; ATRI 2026 Update. Last verified 21 October 2026.
4 · Equipment values
What a truck is actually worth, October 2026.
Read the cautionary comp before you negotiate.
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| Used Class 8 tractor, 400,000–600,000 miles | $40,000–$80,000 |
| New Class 8 tractor | $150,000–$200,000+ |
| Used dry van trailer | $15,000–$30,000 |
| Used reefer trailer | $35,000–$70,000 |
| Cautionary comp: 4-year-old Cascadia, under 500,000 miles | worth ~$45,000; commonly financed at $100,000–$110,000 |
Source: FreightWaves, August 2026, citing Kirk Mann, Mitsubishi HC Capital America; smallfleethq.com. Last verified 21 October 2026.
| Credit score | Typical rate | Likely source |
|---|---|---|
| 750+ | 6–8% | Banks, credit unions, SBA |
| 700–749 | 7–10% | Banks, equipment financing |
| 650–699 | 9–13% | Equipment financing |
| 600–649 | 12–16% | Equipment financing, lease-to-own |
| 550–599 | 15–20% | Dealer, lease-to-own |
| Below 550 | 18–25%+ | Dealer in-house |
Down payments: equipment financing 10–20%; bank 15–20%; SBA 10–20%; dealer 15–30%. Moving from 10% to 20% down typically cuts the rate 1–3 points. Terms 24–72 months; SBA 7(a) equipment up to 10 years. Truck age limit generally 10 years. Source: smallfleethq.com/owner-operator/financing. Last verified 21 October 2026.
5 · Spot rates
Up 29–35% year on year, against 25–30% fewer trucks.
DAT, week beginning 4 October 2026, excluding fuel surcharge.
| Equipment | Rate / mile | Week on week | Year on year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry van | $2.26 | +5¢ | +35% |
| Reefer | $2.75 | +6¢ | +33% |
| Flatbed | $2.65 | +1¢ | +29% |
Truck posts down 25–30% year on year; load posts up 25–27% (DAT, August 2026). Source: DAT via Trucking Dive, reported 15 October 2026. Last verified 21 October 2026.
6 · Factoring benchmarks
Market-wide rates, not just ours.
Published so you can price us against the market before you call anyone.
| Term | Market range |
|---|---|
| Recourse rate, high volume | 1.5%–3% |
| Recourse rate, small fleets and owner-operators | 3%–5% |
| Non-recourse premium | +0.5%–1.5% over recourse |
| Advance rate | up to 95%–100%, reserve released on collection |
| Speed | same day to one business day |
| Recourse period | typically 60–90 days |
Source: mjnservices.com; numeo.ai. Our own published terms are at Invoice Factoring and in the criteria block below. Last verified 21 October 2026.
7 · The FMCSA new-entrant timeline
Why our advance products start at 24 months.
49 CFR Part 385 Subpart D, in order.
- Day 0 — USDOT number issued.The 18-month new-entrant monitoring period starts.
- Months 1–12 — the Safety Audit.FMCSA or a state partner must conduct it. No cost to the carrier.
- Automatic failures.No documented controlled-substances and alcohol testing program; using a driver who failed a test without completing the Part 40 return-to-duty process; no required minimum insurance on file; using a driver without a valid CDL or medical certificate; a safety posture FMCSA deems an imminent hazard.
- On failure.A proposed unsatisfactory rating, a written deficiency list, and a corrective action plan. Not submitted, not accepted, or not completed → authority revoked, all interstate operation stops.
- Month 18 — monitoring ends.New entrants have a disproportionately higher crash rate across this window than established carriers.
This is why our advance products start at 24 months of authority. Six months past the end of the window, with a closed audit. Equipment financing sits at 12 months because a titled unit secures the note.
8 · Carrier population
91.5% of US carriers run ten trucks or fewer.
The reason a generic $15,000-a-month revenue floor is no test at all in trucking.
| Fleet size | Share of US carriers |
|---|---|
| 1 truck | ~53% |
| 2 trucks | ~16% |
| 3–10 trucks | ~22% |
| 11–100 trucks | ~7% |
| 100+ trucks | ~0.6% |
91.5% of US carriers operate 10 or fewer trucks. Source: FMCSA census via ATA American Trucking Trends 2025, reported by smallfleethq.com. Last verified 21 October 2026.
Glossary
Terms, used the way a dispatcher uses them.
- Power unit
- A tractor or straight truck. The FMCSA census term, and the unit our criteria count.
- Authority (MC/DOT)
- Your operating authority from FMCSA. “Authorized for-hire” is the active status we check in SAFER.
- Linehaul
- The long-distance, revenue-generating leg of a freight move, as distinct from drayage, P&D, and last mile.
- Deadhead
- Running empty. Industry average 16.5% of miles (ATRI, 2025 data).
- Rate confirmation
- The broker’s written confirmation of the agreed rate for a load. One of the three documents a factoring packet needs.
- BOL
- Bill of lading. Issued at pickup; evidences the contract of carriage.
- POD
- Proof of delivery. The signed BOL returned after delivery.
- NOA
- Notice of assignment. Tells the broker to pay the factor directly instead of paying you.
- Recourse / non-recourse
- Who absorbs an unpaid invoice. Non-recourse covers broker insolvency only, for 0.5%–1.0% more.
- Advance rate
- The share of invoice face value paid at funding. Ours is 90%–97%.
- Reserve
- The held-back remainder, released when the broker pays, less the fee.
- UCC-1
- A financing statement filed to perfect a security interest. Ours is filed on accounts receivable only, never as a blanket lien.
- Quick pay
- A broker’s own accelerated-payment option, typically around 1.5%. If you have it, factoring the same load pays twice for the same speed.
- Fuel advance
- Cash against a booked but undelivered load. Up to 50% of the linehaul at pickup, netted at delivery.
- New entrant
- A carrier inside the 18-month FMCSA monitoring window under 49 CFR Part 385 Subpart D.
- OOS order
- Out-of-service order. An active OOS order makes a carrier ineligible for every product.
- SMS / BASIC scores
- FMCSA Safety Measurement System categories. We read the safety rating, not individual BASIC percentiles.
- Factor
- The company that buys the invoice. Not the same thing as the fee charged, which we quote as a percentage of invoice face value.
Sources
Publisher, title, and retrieval date for every table above.
- smallfleethq.com/owner-operator/trucking-statistics — FMCSA carrier census via ATA American Trucking Trends 2025; revenue per truck; ATBS net income. Retrieved 21 October 2026.
- freightwaves.com/news/trucking-downturn-why-85-of-new-carriers-didnt-survive — 85% three-year failure rate for carriers under two years of authority; equipment valuation collapse (Kirk Mann, Mitsubishi HC Capital America, 24 August 2026). Retrieved 21 October 2026.
- responsiblefleet.com/blog/new-entrant-safety-audit-small-fleet — 49 CFR Part 385 Subpart D, 18-month monitoring window, 12-month safety audit, automatic-failure items, revocation path. Retrieved 21 October 2026.
- truckdispatchexperts.com/resources/trucking-bankruptcies-2026 — 8,000+ DOT closures January 2024 to March 2026; 1–20 truck fleets about 70% of closures; insurance premium escalation. Retrieved 21 October 2026.
- go-eka.ai and fleetowner.com — ATRI Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking: 2026 Update, $2.336 per mile, line-item breakdown, 0.4% operating margin. Retrieved 21 October 2026.
- truckwriters.com/blog/average-cost-of-trucking-insurance/ — 2026 insurance cost per truck by fleet size; new-authority year-1 premium; coverage-line breakdown. Retrieved 21 October 2026.
- mjnservices.com/blog/is-factoring-worth-it-for-trucking — factoring rate bands, advance rates, reserve mechanics, recourse periods. Retrieved 21 October 2026.
- smallfleethq.com/owner-operator/financing — equipment financing rate tiers by credit score, down payments, terms, truck age limits, used and new pricing. Retrieved 21 October 2026.
- baystreetlending.com/lending-resources/sba-loan-rates-and-terms — SBA 7(a) ceilings at Prime 7.00%, 504 debenture rates (10 September 2026 sale), maximum terms, the $10M combined cap effective 4 July 2026. Retrieved 21 October 2026.
- truckingdive.com/news/truck-freight-rates-changes-tracker/715709/ — DAT spot rates week of 4 October 2026, year-on-year changes, truck and load post ratios. Retrieved 21 October 2026.
- truckmaintenancecost.com/semi-truck-engine-overhaul-cost/ — overhaul cost bands, parts and labour split, shop labour rates. Retrieved 21 October 2026.
Published criteria · Last updated October 2026
Eligibility criteria
These are our actual approval thresholds, not a marketing range. If your file clears them, we fund. If it doesn’t, the table below already told you which product you’re on.
| Power units | 3 or more tractors or straight trucks in active service. 2 accepted for reefer, flatbed, tanker, hazmat, and other specialized authority. |
|---|---|
| Operating authority | MC/DOT active and in “authorized for-hire” status for 24 or more continuous months. No revocation in the last 24 months. We verify this in FMCSA SAFER before we call you. |
| Monthly revenue | $60,000 or more in average monthly business bank deposits across the last 6 months. |
| Amount | $75,000 minimum. $750,000 maximum in-house. Up to $5,000,000 through our bank and SBA lending partners. |
| Credit | No minimum FICO. We do not decline on personal credit score alone. We read bank statements, not credit reports. |
| Safety | No “Unsatisfactory” FMCSA safety rating. New-entrant safety audit completed and closed. |
| Documents | 6 months of business bank statements. No tax returns required under $250,000. No business plan. No collateral on working capital. |
| Decision | Same business day. Funds in 24 hours. |
| Early payoff | Up to a 30% discount on the remaining balance. |
| Contract | Two pages. |
| Power units | 1 or more. Owner-operators accepted. |
|---|---|
| Operating authority | Active MC/DOT. No minimum age. Day-one authority accepted. |
| Monthly revenue | No minimum. No monthly volume commitment. |
| Credit | No minimum FICO. No personal credit check. We underwrite the broker or shipper who owes the invoice, not you. |
| Advance | 90% to 97% of the invoice, paid same day on loads delivered and documented by 1:00 PM ET. |
| Rate | 1.5% to 3.5%, set by monthly volume and recourse terms. |
| Fuel advance | Up to 50% of the linehaul at pickup, once the load is covered. |
| Contract | Month to month. No long-term contract, no termination fee, no monthly minimum. |
Not eligible for any product
- Freight brokers and 3PLs with no owned or leased power units
- Carriers under an active FMCSA out-of-service order
- Carriers whose only receivables are from a related-party shipper
- Carriers with an open involuntary bankruptcy
Why the 24-month rule exists
Motor carriers with fewer than two years under their own authority have an average three-year failure rate of 85% (FreightWaves, August 2026, citing Mitsubishi HC Capital America).
Under 49 CFR Part 385, a new carrier is also inside an 18-month FMCSA new-entrant monitoring window and must pass a safety audit in its first 12 months — authority can be revoked by a regulator for reasons that have nothing to do with the bank account.
We will not write an unsecured advance against that. We will factor your invoices from day one, because factoring is secured by the broker’s credit, not yours.
Now check your own numbers against ours.
Three thresholds, published above, and a decision the same business day.
Check your file against our criteria →