This Is Why You're Here
Why Auto Transports Come to Us Instead of Their Bank
Your 7-car hauler trailer needs new hydraulic ramps — $14K. Without working ramps, you can only load 4 cars. That’s $600/load in lost revenue on every trip.
A dealer network wants you to handle 50 units/month — guaranteed volume. You need a second truck and trailer ($130K total) to handle the contract. The first loads ship in 4 weeks.
Peak season is here — snowbirds moving cars south. You need $20K for fuel advances, tolls, and driver expenses to capitalize on 6 weeks of premium rates.
Your enclosed carrier's lift gate motor burned out — $9,200 repair. Without it you can't load the top deck. That drops your capacity from 6 cars to 3 and you've got a dealer shipment of luxury vehicles worth $600K waiting.
An auction house wants you to handle 80 units/month from 3 locations. You need a third driver ($5K/month), CDL training reimbursement ($4K), and $8K in additional cargo insurance before they'll sign the contract.
Dealer network offered me 50 units/month but I needed a second truck and 7-car hauler. $130K financed at 8.5% in 7 days. First load shipped 3 weeks after the phone call.
Victor L., Auto Transport Carrier, Jacksonville, FL
Auto Transport Financing
Get Your Auto Transport Business Funded in 60 Seconds
Slide the calculator to see your estimated approval range. Then answer 3 quick questions to lock it in. No documents needed. Soft-pull pre-qual.
See What You Could Qualify For
Slide to your average monthly bank deposits.
Estimated Approval Range
Based on 100-150% of monthly revenue
Soft-pull pre-qual · No obligation · Estimate only
Built for Your Business
Why Auto Transport Businesses Choose Basecamp
Car Hauler Trailers Are Specialized and Expensive
A 7-car open hauler runs $80K. Enclosed carriers hit $120K+. Banks don't have a category for car hauler financing. Our lenders finance them every week with the trailer as collateral.
Broken Ramps Cost $600 Per Load in Lost Revenue
Your hydraulic ramps need $14K in repairs. Without them you load 4 cars instead of 7. That's $600 less per trip, every trip, until it's fixed. We fund the repair in 24 hours.
Snowbird Season Waits for Nobody
Six weeks of premium rates hauling cars south. You need $20K for fuel advances and tolls right now. Miss the window and you miss 40% of your annual profit. We fund seasonal capital fast.
Dealer and Broker Payments Lag 30-45 Days
You delivered 30 vehicles last week but the dealer pays net-45. Your fuel, tolls, and insurance are due now. We bridge that cash gap without factoring away your margins.
Bobby's Take
Bobby's Playbook for Auto Transport
Most auto transport operators walking into a bank for an $85K used 7-car carrier have only ever seen one type of underwriting — the kind built for a passenger pickup. Banks evaluate auto transport loans like they're financing an RV, then wonder why dealer-shipper net-30 pays and per-vehicle insurance riders don't fit their model. Here's what specialist auto transport lenders actually look at — and how to position your transaction so the right specialists see it first.
Three things determine whether an auto transport transaction closes: dealer relationships and Central Dispatch volume, your cargo insurance limits, and per-load revenue. Not your personal FICO. Not your time in business. Specialist auto transport lenders care about whether your monthly per-load revenue supports a $1,500-$2,500/month equipment payment — and whether your insurance limits and claim history qualify you to haul for the dealer groups and brokers paying premium rates.
The biggest mistake auto transport operators make: applying without separating dealer-direct revenue from broker-board revenue. Lenders see mixed deposits and assume all revenue is broker-board (which is more volatile). The fix: provide a brief breakdown showing dealer-direct percentage. Specialist auto transport lenders price dealer-direct work as much more stable. Generalist lenders just see freight income with no nuance.
dealer-load revenue lost when a carrier can't add capacity
Where this gets interesting at scale: an auto transport operator adding a second rig doesn't need ONE loan. They need an equipment loan for the new carrier + a working capital line for fuel and the per-vehicle insurance float + sometimes invoice factoring for the longer net-30 dealer pays. Three products, three lenders, one application — that's how single-rig auto transport operators scale to two or three units without burning out reserves on insurance and fuel during the ramp.
The auto transport operators who land the best dealer contracts aren't the ones who waited for the bank to come around. They're the ones who had a second carrier ready when a regional dealer group offered a 12-month manufacturer-to-lot run. Turning down dealer volume because you can't add a unit is $10,000-$20,000 a month in lost loads. Run the numbers in 60 seconds — see what 70+ specialist lenders will offer your auto transport business this week.
Bottom line:
Auto transporters get the best dealer contracts by separating dealer-direct revenue from board work. Banks blend it, price for board volatility, and the dealer goes to a competitor with the rig already on the road.
Bobby Friel
Founder, Basecamp Funding
What You're Up Against
The Real Challenges Auto Transports Face
Pricing Transparency
What Auto Transport Funding Actually Costs
Rates and terms depend on credit, revenue, time in business, and lender. Every business is unique — see what 70+ lenders will offer you in 60 seconds. Soft-pull pre-qual.
These are industry averages. Your actual rate depends on your revenue, credit profile, and time in business — it could be lower. Run your specific numbers in 30 seconds.
Calculate Your Real Cost →Tax Strategy
Section 179 Breakdown for Auto Transports
Finance the equipment. Keep your cash. Take the deduction. Your 7-car carrier trailer costs $75,000 after taxes and you never touched your reserves.
Bobby Friel
Founder, Basecamp Funding
How It Works
From Application to Funded in 5 Steps
No paperwork avalanche. No bank lobby. No guessing.
60-Second Intake
Tell us about your operation, truck count, and monthly deposits. No load history upload yet.
Soft Credit Screen
We screen options with no impact on your FICO or your authority's commercial credit.
Trucking-Specialty Lenders Compete
70+ lenders who fund OTR, owner-operators, hotshot, and fleets review your file in parallel.
One Specialist, Multiple Term Sheets
Your funding specialist walks through equipment finance, working capital, and factoring alternatives.
Choose Your Offer, Sign, Get Funded
E-signature. Funds hit in time to fuel up, repair the rig, or onboard the next truck.
Auto Transport Capital Uses
What Auto Transport Businesses Use Funding For
Truck & Trailer Purchase
Semis, reefers, flatbeds, box trucks, trailers. Finance your next unit without a massive down payment.
Fuel & Operating Costs
Diesel, DEF, tolls, permits, lumper fees. Bridge the gap between delivery and payment.
Fleet Expansion
Add trucks, hire drivers, take on bigger contracts. Scale without draining your reserves.
Maintenance & Repairs
Engine rebuilds, tires, DOT inspections, breakdowns. Keep your trucks on the road, not in the shop.
Insurance & Permits
Liability, cargo, physical damage, MC authority, IFTA. Cover the costs that never stop.
Driver Hiring & Payroll
CDL drivers, owner-operator settlements, office staff. Fund payroll while you wait on broker payments.
Full Transparency
What Kills Your Qualification (And What Doesn't)
Most lenders won't tell you this upfront. We will.
✅ These Won't Stop You
These Can Be Deal-Breakers
Need commercial insurance for your auto transport business?
Trucking insurance runs $12K-$25K per truck per year. InsuranceService365.com covers trucking companies across 29 states — liability, cargo, physical damage, authority compliance.
Don't Wait Until You Need Funding to Get Funded
Brokers pay net-30/45/60. Fuel is COD. Insurance is monthly. The operators who scale pre-qualified BEFORE the broker payment stretched to net-60. By the time you're scrambling for fuel money, your numbers look stressed; before, they look fundable. Pre-qualify when the loads are steady.
Ready?
See What Your Auto Transport Business Qualifies For
Slide the calculator, answer 3 questions, and a specialist pulls your options within the hour.
See What You Could Qualify For
Slide to your average monthly bank deposits.
Estimated Approval Range
Based on 100-150% of monthly revenue
Soft-pull pre-qual · No obligation · Estimate only
Other Trucking Companies Specialties We Fund
Click any specialty for tailored financing options.
Recommended Products
Recommended Funding for Auto Transport Businesses
Working Capital
Cover fuel, repairs, and insurance while waiting on brokers to pay.
Learn More →Equipment Financing
Finance trucks, trailers, and fleet additions — asset-backed rates.
Learn More →Business Line of Credit
Revolving access for fuel, maintenance, and operating expenses.
Learn More →Invoice Factoring
Get paid on loads today instead of waiting 30-45 days.
Learn More →FAQs
Auto Transport Business Loan FAQs
Auto Transport Business Loans & Car Hauler Financing — $10K to $20M+
Look. A dealer network just offered you 50 units a month. Guaranteed volume. But you need a second truck and 7-car hauler — that's $130K — and the first loads ship in 4 weeks. Your bank sees a $130K equipment request from a carrier with 2 years of history and wants to think about it until the opportunity is gone. Meanwhile your competitor with worse rates picks up the contract because he had the trailer.
And auto transport has problems nobody else faces. Your hydraulic ramps need $14K in repairs — without them you can only load 4 cars instead of 7. That's $600/load in lost revenue on every single trip. Snowbird season hits and you need $20K for fuel and tolls NOW to capitalize on 6 weeks of premium rates. Brokers pay net-30 on $4,000 loads while your fuel card needs $800/day. We've funded $130K truck-and-trailer packages, $14K ramp repairs, and $20K seasonal advances. One application. No hard pull.
Stop Watching Loads Pass You By. Get Your Auto Transport Operation Funded Today.
60 seconds. Soft-pull pre-qual. No obligation.
See What You Qualify For →Soft-pull pre-qual · Free to check · Nationwide