A bucket truck puts a worker in the air safely, and that one capability opens up utility subcontracts, tree care, sign and lighting work, and municipal maintenance. Most of the bucket truck buyers we talk to already know the work. They have been running a bucket for someone else and are ready to bill the customer directly. If bad credit has kept the bank from saying yes, that is exactly the situation we were built for.
Reviewed by Hard Money Truck Loans Team | Updated October 11, 2026
Every application is reviewed on its own facts. Credit is reviewed, but it is not the deciding factor. Low scores, collections, charge-offs and late payments are workable. No bankruptcy or repossession within the last 5 years.
The lender reviews the specific truck as part of the transaction, including year, make and model, mileage, truck type and specifications. On a bucket truck the aerial device, boom height and body are part of those specifications.
Bucket trucks price across the $21,000 to $145,000 window depending on the chassis and the lift. An established business is 30% down and a startup is 40% down with 2 years of industry experience.
The truck must be purchased from a licensed dealer and there is no minimum credit score. The line work, tree care and lighting examples on this page are educational context only, so you can independently confirm the truck fits the work you plan to perform.
Line clearance, tree care and lighting work pays well, but storm seasons and slow paying general contractors can swing income hard. That swing is how a lot of experienced bucket operators end up with collections. Banks and equipment captives decline them. We do not stop at the score.
There is no minimum credit score. Collections, charge-offs and late payments are workable. A bankruptcy or repossession within the last 5 years disqualifies the file.
We specialize in credit challenged commercial truck and trailer buyers, including many borrowers with scores around 500. Credit is reviewed, but it is not the deciding factor. Low scores, collections, charge-offs and late payments are workable.
Example based on 20 working days at $900 per day on tree care, sign and lighting jobs. Expenses include fuel, insurance, boom inspections and maintenance, tires and safety gear. The truck payment is not included because your payment depends on the price, term and rate quoted to you.
Money left on the table before any truck payment, while you keep applying and hearing no.
We will be straight with you. Because we lend to credit challenged buyers, you put more money down than a bank would ask for and you pay a higher rate than a bank would charge. That is the honest cost of getting approved when the bank already said no.
The difference is that a bank decline earns you nothing. A bucket truck that is working earns money every month. Used wisely, that income covers the payment, pays down the collections on your credit and builds the track record that gets you better terms on your next truck.
Keep the bucket truck earning. Revenue is what makes everything else possible.
Make every truck payment on time. That history is proof you perform.
Use part of your profit each month to pay or settle collections, oldest and smallest first.
With collections handled and a clean payment record, you are in a better spot for your next truck.
A tree climber with eight years in the trade has a score in the low 500s after an injury kept him off work for months. He finds a forestry bucket truck at a licensed dealer for $72,000.
At 30% down he brings $21,600 and finances $50,400. With his own bucket he bids residential and storm work directly, and pays down the accounts that went to collections while he was hurt.
This shows how the numbers can work. It is not a specific customer.
Different truck, same kind of credit problem. These are real loans funded for our customers, and the credit situations look a lot like what bucket truck buyers bring us.
$47,000 purchase price, $14,100 down (30%)
5 collections totaling $21,450. Lost his job and exhausted his savings during several months of unemployment, causing multiple accounts to go into collections.
$52,000 purchase price, $15,600 down (30%)
4 collections totaling $9,300. Lost several delivery routes, forcing him to rely on credit cards for living expenses and eventually miss payments.
All applications are subject to review and approval.
See All Recent LoansYes. There is no minimum credit score, and collections and charge-offs are workable. You need the down payment and a truck from a licensed dealer. Approval is not guaranteed.
Yes. The boom and bucket are reviewed as part of the truck and included in the financed amount.
Banks lend to borrowers with clean credit and decline everyone else. We lend to credit challenged buyers, so the risk is higher and the terms reflect it: 30% down for an established business, 40% down plus 2 years of industry experience for a startup, and a rate higher than a bank would charge. The tradeoff is that you get the bucket truck working and earning instead of waiting on a yes that may never come.
No bankruptcy or repossession within the last 5 years. The bucket truck must also be purchased from a licensed dealer and the purchase price must fall between $21,000 and $145,000.
It can, if you use it that way. The income from the bucket truck can be used to pay or settle collections and keep your personal accounts current, and a clean payment history on your truck loan shows the next lender you perform. Results depend on your own habits and are not guaranteed.
Same day approvals may be available. Funding can occur in as little as 3 days. Timing depends on how quickly the dealer and you provide what is needed.
Reviewed by the Hard Money Truck Loans Team. Last updated October 11, 2026.
Program terms on this page come from our current lending program. Recent loan examples are real funded deals. Read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
Credit score is only one part of a truck financing transaction. Here are the HMTL program facts worth checking first.
Read MoreA startup with damaged credit can still be considered when it fits the HMTL startup program.
Read MoreSend us the truck you found at the dealer and we will tell you where you stand. No obligation.
Banks won’t touch you, but guess who will!?
