Most 'start a trucking company' budgets on the internet are fantasy - they price the paperwork and forget the six weeks nobody pays you. Here's the honest number: getting one truck rolling under your own authority costs $25,000-$45,000 of accessible money, and the single biggest startup killer is spending all of it before the first invoice clears.
The real budget, line by line
Insurance is the number nobody warns you about: new-authority premiums run $12-20K+/year and the down payment alone can rival your truck down payment. Get insurance quotes BEFORE you buy anything.
| Item | Cost | Financeable? |
|---|---|---|
| Authority, MC/DOT, BOC-3, UCR | $900 - $1,600 | No - budget cash |
| Insurance down payment (the shock) | $8,000 - $16,000 | Partially - premium financing exists |
| Truck down payment (used, financed) | $7,000 - $20,000 | The loan covers the rest |
| Plates, IFTA, permits, ELD | $2,500 - $4,500 | Mostly cash |
| Working capital until money flows | $8,000 - $15,000 | Yes - factoring closes most of it |
The financing stack that makes it work
- Finance the truck (obviously) - 10-25% down as a first-timer, keep the rest liquid
- Factor from load one - approval rides on your brokers' credit, and it kills the 30-60 day payment gap that sinks new authorities
- Premium-finance the insurance - spreads the huge down payment over months
- Keep $8-15K untouched - not for fuel, not for 'one more chrome piece.' It's your survive-month-two fund.
Why most new authorities fail by month six
Not rates. Not fuel. Timing: they deliver loads in week one and get paid in week seven, having budgeted zero for the gap. Factoring exists precisely for this - it's not a cost, it's the bridge that makes the whole model function at startup.
60-Second Funding Check
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What do you need funding for?
We fund new authorities on purpose
Truck financing with first-timer programs, factoring that approves on your brokers' credit, working capital as settlements build - Dealerun's trucking partners handle the whole startup stack from one application.
Build your startup stack
Tell us where you are in the process - get the truck, factoring and capital pieces priced together.
FAQ
Can I start a trucking company with $10,000?+
Under your own authority - it's very tight and usually means leasing on with a carrier first (which needs far less: roughly the truck down payment plus a small buffer). Lease on, run 6-12 months, build settlements, then get your authority with real financing behind you.
Is it better to buy the truck or lease on with my own truck first?+
Leasing your truck onto an established carrier first is the lower-risk path: their insurance rates, their freight, your truck building payment history. Move to your own authority when your numbers (not your feelings) say the freight you can book beats the carrier's cut.
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