Best Grants For Trucking Companies, Truckers, Or Trucking Startups

When considering financing options for your trucking business, grants may not be the first thing to come to mind. Compared to loans, lines of credit, or investors, grants are unique in that they do not need to be paid back. This is a major perk for businesses with limited cash or collateral.

But free money can sometimes come at a cost. Grants for owner-operators are few and far between in the trucking industry. Applying and completing required reports can be time-consuming. Additionally, grant terms can be fairly strict, particularly about how recipients use their funding.

To make things easy, this guide breaks down where trucking businesses and startups can find grant opportunities and outlines eligibility requirements for each.

Is It Possible For Owner Operators & Other Trucking Companies To Get Grants?

For trucking companies, grant eligibility and availability depend on several factors, including geography, number of employees, and a business owner’s demographics.

Aside from eligibility requirements, grant proposals often require similar documentation and information for loans or traditional financing. Funders want to know that their grant is making an impact, so demonstrating preparedness through a business plan is usually one essential component of an application.

Best Trucking Grant Opportunities

Finding grant opportunities takes time and research. Between federal and state governments, private foundations, and nonprofit organizations, it can be difficult to know where to start. These resources are a helpful place for trucking businesses or startups to begin their grant search.

USDA Rural Business Development Grants

The USDA Rural Business Development Grant program provides funding and technical assistance for rural small businesses with fewer than 50 employees and less than $1 million in gross revenue. Rural areas are defined as communities outside the urbanized periphery of any city with a population of 50,000 or more.

Funding can be used for a variety of purposes relevant to trucking companies, including a revolving loan fund for startups, equipment acquisition, and leadership training.

Although grant funding is used to support small businesses, private companies cannot apply directly to the USDA for funding. Instead, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, state agencies, higher education institutions, and federally recognized tribes must apply to distribute funding to businesses in their community.

Local Initiatives Support Corporation

In partnership with Lowe’s, the Ford Foundation’s Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) periodically offers funding between $5,000 to $20,000 for eligible enterprises through Rural Relief Small Business Grants.

Applications are accepted according to periodic rounds, so it’s worth regularly checking the website for updates to avoid missing out on grant opportunities.

Similar to the USDA Rural Business Development Grant program, eligible applicants must be located in a community with a population of 50,000 or less. For mobile businesses like trucking companies, the address where the vehicle is stored will be used to determine eligibility.

LISC prioritizes companies located in historically underserved communities with limited access to affordable capital.

National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE)

Many trucking business owners are self-employed unless they have formed a corporation. If you’re a member of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) in good standing, you may apply for a Growth Grant for your trucking company.

Winners are chosen each month and awarded $4,000 to expand their business venture. New NASE members are eligible to apply 90 days after joining.

Candid

Although Candid’s network of libraries, community foundations, and databases caters primarily to nonprofits, their resources may include limited information on small business grant opportunities.

Upon searching “small business grants,” results included details on small business funding through the State of New Jersey and private companies like Facebook, Visa, and Wells Fargo.

Instead of sorting through a quick Google search, trucking businesses or startups can use Candid to save time and locate relevant grant opportunities and financial assistance.

Other Financing Resources For Trucking Companies

Grants can be a helpful source of capital for starting or growing a business, especially if you’re wondering how to start a trucking company with no money.

However, most trucking companies will likely need additional financing to buy equipment, hire new employees, and take their business to the next level. Let’s take a closer look at some options and when they may be a good fit for a trucking business.

SBA Loans

The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers several loan and financial assistance programs that can work for trucking companies. Generally, SBA loans have low interest rates, long repayment terms, smaller down payments, and limited restrictions on how money is spent compared to private lenders.

The SBA 7(a) Loan program is a popular option, as well as the Express loan, which offers an SBA response within 36 hours.

If your capital needs aren’t exorbitant, an SBA Microloan is another option to consider. A trucking company would need to apply through an SBA-approved intermediary (typically a nonprofit lender) to receive up to $50,000.

SBA Contractor Assistance

The federal government employs programs to ensure that small businesses are awarded a minimum percentage of federal contracting dollars each year. The SBA provides contracting assistance to small businesses through several programs, including the following:

• Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting program: Guarantees that at least 5 percent of contracts are awarded to women-owned companies.
• Service-disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business program: Sets aside a minimum of 3 percent of contracts for eligible small business owners.
• 8(a) Business Development program: Targets socially and economically disadvantaged small business owners for contracting, according to SBA criteria.
• All Small Mentor Protégé program: Matches small businesses with experienced contractors to provide mentorship.
• HUBZone program: Focuses on small businesses in historically underutilized areas.

Eligible trucking companies can pursue these opportunities to secure federal contracts, which can serve as a reliable revenue stream.

Fuel Cards

Truckers have frequent expenses, like filling up at the pump and repairing vehicle wear and tear. To access rebates and earn points on these costs, trucking companies can utilize fuel cards (sometimes known as fleet cards) to complete payments for vehicle maintenance and fuel.

This form of payment is accepted at thousands of gas stations across the United States. The best fuel cards accrue rewards totaling several cents per gallon with minimal or no monthly fees.

Business Loan Matchmakers

Small businesses have numerous options when it comes to loans. Yet, sorting through many options to find a loan that best aligns with your business can be challenging and time-consuming.

To compare multiple lenders at once, trucking businesses and startups can use a free loan matchmaking service. After filling out just one application, businesses are matched with several lenders based on their needs and eligibility. Lendio, for example, aggregates more than 300 funders to create a one-stop solution for small business financing needs.