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SBA Loans for Trucking & Freight: The Real Numbers

Lenders approved 2,895 SBA 7(a) loans worth $837.8 million to trucking & freight businesses in fiscal year 2025. This is what they borrowed, what it cost, how long they got to pay it back, and which institutions said yes.

Not the SBA. Goldspur Capital is not the U.S. Small Business Administration and is not a government agency. This page analyses public SBA data; it is not published or endorsed by the SBA. Lenders are named because the SBA publishes them, for identification only.
2,8957(a) loans · FY2025
$97,700Median loan
$574,400Top 10% of loans exceed
20,500Jobs reported supported

How much trucking & freight businesses actually get

The median approval was $97,700 against a national 7(a) median of $166,850. One in ten approvals in this sector exceeded $574,400, so the ceiling is a long way above the typical deal — but the typical deal is the honest expectation to plan around.

Loan size7(a) loansShare
Under $50K83128.7%
$50K-$150K93232.2%
$150K-$350K64622.3%
$350K-$1M2829.7%
$1M+2047.0%

The median term approved was 120 months — about 10.0 years. Term is the lever that decides whether a payment is survivable; two lenders can offer the same money at the same rate and produce wildly different monthly numbers.

What it cost

Median initial rate at approval: 10.25%, with the middle of the market between 8.74% and 12.5%, and 89.4% written on a variable rate. Historic, recorded at approval, across FY2025 — never a quote.

Can a new one get funded?

23.5% of these approvals went to businesses SBA classified as new — startups or under two years old — against 29.8% across all 7(a) lending. So the odds favour an operating business here, though new ones still got funded in volume.

The lenders most active in this sector

LenderLoansMedian sizeTotal approved
The Huntington National Bank631$55,000$73.5 million
Northeast Bank478$100,000$72.3 million
Lendistry SBLC, LLC260$150,000$45.8 million
TD Bank, National Association185$35,000$11.7 million
Wells Fargo Bank National Association120$15,000$5.1 million
Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company115$50,000$7.9 million
JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association67$150,000$13.4 million
U.S. Bank, National Association45$50,000$13.4 million
KeyBank National Association44$40,400$7.7 million
Zions Bank41$100,000$13.7 million
Fifth Third Bank34$54,300$2.9 million
Celtic Bank Corporation33$150,000$21.2 million

Listed because the SBA publishes them; not a recommendation and not a guarantee of approval. Goldspur Capital is not affiliated with any lender named.

Which states this money went to

StateLoansMedian loan
Ohio301$76,000
Illinois300$91,850
California281$150,000
Florida173$133,000
Texas167$150,000
Michigan162$50,200
New Jersey116$66,250
Pennsylvania113$50,000
New York107$62,000
Washington98$97,200

The business types inside this sector

Business type (SBA NAICS description)LoansMedian loan
General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload1,009$89,900
General Freight Trucking, Local839$75,000
Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Local238$100,000
Freight Transportation Arrangement197$150,000
Motor Vehicle Towing149$150,000
Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance119$75,000
Used Household and Office Goods Moving106$150,000
General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Less Than Truckload86$50,000

Four-year trend

Fiscal yearLoans approvedTotal approvedMedian
FY20233,125$765.6 million$72,000
FY20243,020$740.8 million$79,250
FY20252,895$837.8 million$97,700
FY2026 (partial)997$368.2 million$100,000

The 504 side

129 of these businesses used a 504 loan instead — the program for buying premises or long-life equipment at a long fixed rate — totalling $179.0 million at a median of $969,000. If your plan is to buy the building you operate from, that is usually the cheaper structure.

What to do with this

Take the median, not the maximum, as your working number. Check whether the lenders above match your size of deal before you apply anywhere — a $60,000 request at a bank whose median is $900,000 is a decline that says nothing about your business. And if SBA timelines do not fit what you are trying to do, the same file usually places faster on a term loan, a line of credit or equipment finance. Compare the programs.

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan data (data.sba.gov), files as of 30 June 2026, read on 1 September 2026. Figures cover loan APPROVALS, not disbursements, and the files contain no declined applications — so no approval rate can be calculated from them. Fiscal year 2026 is partial (1 October 2025 to 30 June 2026). Aggregated by Goldspur Capital; borrower-level records are not published. Sector figures are aggregated from the NAICS code recorded on each loan. Program guidelines shown are our lending partners' published minimums as of September 2026 and can change. They are qualification floors, not an offer.

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Straight answers

Trucking & Freight: straight answers

How much can a trucking & freight business borrow with an SBA loan?
The median SBA 7(a) approval for trucking & freight businesses was $97,700 in fiscal year 2025, and one in ten approvals exceeded $574,400. The program ceiling is $5 million, but the median is the realistic planning number.
How many SBA loans go to trucking & freight businesses?
2,895 SBA 7(a) loans worth $837.8 million were approved for trucking & freight businesses in fiscal year 2025.
Can a new trucking & freight business get an SBA loan?
23.5% of SBA 7(a) approvals in this sector went to businesses classified as new — startups or under two years old. Lenders look for an equity injection, relevant management experience and collateral in place of trading history.
What rate do trucking & freight SBA loans carry?
The median initial rate recorded at approval was 10.25%, with most between 8.74% and 12.5%. Historic rates at approval across the year, not a current quote.