General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload: SBA business acquisition loan data
97 SBA 7(a) loans since FY2018 financed the purchase of an existing business classified as General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload (NAICS 484121), totaling $160M. Median loan $1,102,500, 71% higher than the all-acquisition median.
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The median SBA loan to buy trucking companies was $1,102,500 across 97 acquisition loans (FY2018 to FY2026), 71% higher than the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions. GBank, Celtic Bank Corporation and Readycap Lending, LLC made the most of them. Of 36 seasoned loans (FY2018 to FY2021), 8.3% were charged off, 137% higher than the 3.5% average for all SBA acquisition loans.
Reading this industry's numbers
- Deal size. The loan excludes the buyer's equity and any seller note and may include working capital. A loan request far above $2,400,000 would be in the top quarter of SBA acquisition loans in this industry.
- Share of all acquisitions. This industry is 0.2% of all SBA-financed business purchases, ranking #98 of 300 industries tracked.
- Geography. California leads with 11 loans; the top five states account for 43% of the industry's acquisitions.
- Jobs. Lenders reported 2,175 jobs supported across these loans, about 22.4 per acquisition, a rough proxy for the size of business changing hands.
How the General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload industry compares
| Measure | General Freight Trucking... | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $1,102,500 | $645,250 |
| Middle half of loans | $667,300 to $2,400,000 | $283,000 to $1,465,000 |
| Average initial rate | 8.26% | 7.76% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years |
| Charge-off rate (seasoned loans) | 8.3% | 3.5% |
| Loans in sample | 97 | 48,902 |
The median for loans to buy trucking companies is $1,102,500, well above the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions nationally.
The middle half runs $667,300 to $2,400,000, against $283,000 to $1,465,000 nationally; the median term is 10 years, the same as the national median; the average initial rate is 8.26%, above the 7.76% national average.
Seasoned loans were charged off at 8.3%, well above the 3.5% rate for all acquisition loans.
Loan size distribution
| Loan size | General Freight Trucking... | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|
| Under $350K | 11% | 30% |
| $350K to under $1M | 29% | 33% |
| $1M to under $2M | 31% | 19% |
| $2M and over | 29% | 17% |
Most loans to buy trucking companies (60%) were $1M or more, and the largest single band is $1M to under $2M at 31%, against 19% of all acquisition loans.
Bands are fixed dollar ranges chosen for comparison. They are not SBA program limits.
Lender concentration
GBank made 8% of loans to buy trucking companies, and the top three lenders together made 20%. 8 of the 61 lenders involved made three or more. Repeat experience is spread across many banks. That is a rough guide to how many banks have seen this kind of deal before.
Recent activity
In FY2025 and FY2026 combined, 26 loans to buy trucking companies were approved. That is 7% fewer than the 28 approved in FY2023 and FY2024. The median was $1,280,000, above the $1,102,500 median across all years.
General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload acquisitions by year
| Fiscal year | Loans | Total approved | Median loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 4 | $3.9M | $1,098,500 | |
| FY2019 | 9 | $11.9M | $826,000 | |
| FY2020 | 13 | $15.1M | $692,500 | |
| FY2021 | 10 | $18.8M | $1,158,950 | |
| FY2022 | 7 | $10.8M | $1,102,500 | |
| FY2023 | 14 | $28.8M | $1,490,000 | |
| FY2024 | 14 | $29.5M | $1,710,950 | |
| FY2025 | 10 | $11.4M | $1,068,250 | |
| FY2026 | 16 | $30M | $1,350,000 |
How often do these acquisition loans fail?
Of the 36 General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload acquisition loans approved from FY2018 to FY2021 (the seasoned cohort, every loan at least about five years old), 3 have been charged off by the SBA, a rate of 8.3% by loan count and 6.6% by dollars. 21 have already been paid in full.
For comparison, the charge-off rate across all SBA 7(a) acquisition loans in the same cohort is 3.5%, so General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload is 137% higher than the acquisition-loan average. Non-acquisition 7(a) loans (every other stated purpose) approved FY2018 to FY2021 charged off at 6.2%.
"Charged off" is the SBA's final loss action on a defaulted loan after collection efforts. It lags default by a year or more, which is why only older cohorts are measured. It is not the same as a delinquency rate, and loans still outstanding can still fail. See charge-off in the glossary.
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Top states
| # | State | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 11 | 11.3% | $17.4M | |
| 2 | Florida | 10 | 10.3% | $23.7M | |
| 3 | Illinois | 7 | 7.2% | $12.9M | |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 7 | 7.2% | $9.7M | |
| 5 | Michigan | 7 | 7.2% | $7.3M | |
| 6 | Ohio | 6 | 6.2% | $7.3M | |
| 7 | Texas | 4 | 4.1% | $10.1M | |
| 8 | Minnesota | 4 | 4.1% | $7.3M | |
| 9 | Washington | 4 | 4.1% | $4.5M | |
| 10 | New York | 3 | 3.1% | $6.6M |
Most active lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GBank | 8 | 8.2% | $7.6M | |
| 2 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 7 | 7.2% | $12.3M | |
| 3 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 4 | 4.1% | $10.6M | |
| 4 | The Huntington National Bank | 4 | 4.1% | $7.4M | |
| 5 | First Internet Bank of Indiana | 3 | 3.1% | $9.8M | |
| 6 | Byline Bank | 3 | 3.1% | $8.5M | |
| 7 | Pathward National Association | 3 | 3.1% | $7M | |
| 8 | Pinnacle Bank | 3 | 3.1% | $6.6M | |
| 9 | First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | 2 | 2.1% | $3.1M | |
| 10 | WesBanco Bank, Inc. | 2 | 2.1% | $2.8M |
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Franchise brands in General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload
1% of acquisition loans in this industry involved a franchised unit. Brands with the most SBA-financed resales:
| # | Brand | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The UPS Store | 1 | 100.0% | $460K |
Questions buyers ask
How much is a typical SBA loan to buy a business in General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload?
Median $1,102,500 across 97 acquisition loans (FY2018 to FY2026); the middle half ran $667,300 to $2,400,000. That is 71% higher than the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions.
Which lenders finance the most General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload acquisitions?
GBank (8), Celtic Bank Corporation (7), Readycap Lending, LLC (4), The Huntington National Bank (4), First Internet Bank of Indiana (3).
Are businesses in General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload often franchised?
Rarely. Only 1% of acquisition loans in this industry involved a franchised business; most are independent operators.
How risky are SBA loans for buying a business in General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload?
Of 36 seasoned loans (FY2018 to FY2021), 8.3% charged off, 137% higher than the 3.5% benchmark for all SBA acquisition loans.
What loan terms are common for General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload acquisitions?
Median term 10 years, average initial rate 8.26% at approval (blended across years and fixed/variable structures). Terms longer than 10 years usually indicate real estate was included in the purchase.
How much do you need down for an SBA loan to buy a trucking company?
The SBA requires the buyer to make an equity injection, commonly 10% of total project cost, and a lender may ask for more. The SBA file does not record injections, so the figures here are the financed portion: the median for loans to buy trucking companies was $1,102,500, and the middle half ran $667,300 to $2,400,000.
How long does an SBA acquisition loan take?
For a change-of-ownership 7(a) loan, 45 to 90 days from application to close is typical. It varies by lender and by how quickly third-party reports, such as the business valuation and appraisal, come back. The SBA file records approval dates, not application dates, so this site cannot measure it. Lenders approved 26 loans to buy trucking companies in FY2025 and FY2026.
Which banks make SBA loans for a trucking company?
By loan count, FY2018 to FY2026: GBank (8), Celtic Bank Corporation (7), Readycap Lending, LLC (4), The Huntington National Bank (4), First Internet Bank of Indiana (3). GBank made 8% of loans to buy trucking companies. Counts show past approvals only and do not predict whether a lender will approve a particular deal.
Terms signed in the LOI shape the purchase agreement that follows.
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Cite this data
SBA Acquisition Data, "General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload: SBA acquisition loan data", https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/industry/general-freight-trucking-long-distance-truckload-484121 (data as of September 30, 2026). Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loan file, data.sba.gov. Aggregated by SBA Acquisition Data.
The figures on this page are also published as JSON at https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/data/industry/general-freight-trucking-long-distance-truckload-484121.json.