Dispatched · Topic
Equipment Financing
Equipment financing is how truckers buy their next tractor, trailer, or specialized unit without writing a six-figure check up front. This topic covers semi-truck loans, box-truck financing, balloon payments, down-payment strategy, lease-vs-buy math, refinancing, SBA loans for owner-operators, and the bad-credit and no-money-down programs that actually fund. Built for owner-operators and small fleets making the most expensive purchase of their career — with the diligence the truck dealer is not going to do for you.
Glossary terms
- Balloon Payment — Large lump-sum payment due at the end of a loan term, with smaller monthly payments throughout the term; common in equipment financing.
- Equipment Loan — Term loan secured by the financed vehicle (truck, trailer, or other equipment); standard structure for buying Class 8 tractors and trailers.
- MACRS Depreciation — Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System — IRS depreciation method for business assets; semi trucks depreciate over 3 years on a 200% declining balance.
- Section 179 — IRS provision allowing immediate expense deduction of up to $1.16M (2026) on qualifying business assets in the year placed in service.
- UCC-1 — Uniform Commercial Code financing statement filed by a lender or factor to publicly establish a security interest in business assets.
Blog posts
- Building business credit as an owner-operator — Most new owner-operators run on personal credit. Building separate business credit unlocks better financing terms — but only if you do it deliberately. Here's the path.
- Equipment buyback offers: when to take them and when to walk — When a dealer offers to buy back your truck, or a lease-purchase carrier offers a "settlement," the offer almost always undervalues your equity. Here's the math that tells you whether to take it.
- How much down payment do you actually need on a truck? — Most operators put down too little or too much. The right down payment depends on three variables — and the difference can mean $20K+ in total interest over the loan.
- Lease-purchase vs financing: the math the carrier doesn't show you — Lease-purchase looks like the easy path to owning a truck. The carrier doesn't show you the failure-adjusted math. Here it is.
- Refinancing your truck loan: when it actually saves money — Refinancing a truck loan can save $5K-$20K in interest — or cost $2K-$5K in penalties. The difference depends on three variables most operators don't track. Here's the math.
- SBA loans for owner-operators: eligibility, timeline, and the trade-off — SBA 7(a) and SBA 504 loans offer commercial financing rates 3-7 points lower than non-SBA alternatives — but the application process takes 60-90+ days. Here's when it's worth it and when it isn't.
Calculators
- How Much Can I Borrow for a Truck? — Estimator for truck financing amount across credit, down payment, authority age, and revenue inputs.
- Lease vs Buy Calculator — Side-by-side math for leasing a tractor versus financing a purchase across the full ownership cycle.
Verticals & money pages
- Bad Credit Truck Financing — Truck financing programs that approve on revenue and authority strength when FICO is the obstacle.
- Box Truck Financing — Financing for Class 3-6 box trucks and delivery vehicles for owner-operators and small fleets.
- Equipment Financing — The Dispatched matching flow for commercial truck and trailer financing.
- New Authority Truck Financing — Financing programs for carriers in the FMCSA New Entrant Safety Assurance Program (first 18 months).
- No Money Down Semi-Truck Financing — Zero-down programs for qualified owner-operators — the math, the trade-offs, and which lenders actually fund.
- Owner-Operator Financing — Financing programs sized to single-truck and small-fleet owner-operators.
- Semi-Truck Financing — Class 8 truck financing for owner-operators and small fleets, from first-time buyers to established carriers.
- Truck Repair Loans — Emergency capital for major truck repairs — engine, transmission, after-market — to keep the truck earning.
Ready to put it to work?
This topic page indexes everything Dispatched has published on equipment financing. If you are ready to move on financing, factoring, or insurance, start the matching flow.