Trucks We Finance

Trailer Financing

Your own trailer lets you stop renting, stop running power only for someone else and start choosing the freight that pays you the most. If your credit took a hit and the bank or the trailer dealer finance desk said no, you are not out of options. We finance credit challenged buyers on the trailer itself and the business behind it.

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Reviewed by Hard Money Truck Loans Team | Updated October 11, 2026

Trailer Financing At A Glance

Common purchase price: $21,000 to $145,000
Types financed: Dry van, reefer, flatbed, step deck, lowboy, dump
CDL required: Class A to pull it with a tractor
Reefer unit: Included in the financed amount
Purchase price financed: $21,000 to $145,000
Down payment: 30% of the purchase price
Minimum credit score: None
Credit specialty: Credit challenged buyers welcome, with no minimum credit score
Where you can buy: Licensed dealer purchases only
Approval timing: Same day approvals may be available

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.

Trailers We Finance

Dry van trailers, 48 and 53 foot
Refrigerated (reefer) trailers
Flatbed and step deck trailers
Lowboy and equipment trailers
End dump and belly dump trailers
Used trailers from a licensed dealer inventory

What Operators Use Them For

Over the road and regional van freight
Temperature controlled food and produce loads
Building materials, steel and lumber
Moving heavy equipment between job sites
Aggregate, sand and demolition hauling

What Matters On A Trailer Deal

The lender reviews the specific trailer as part of the transaction, including year, make and model, trailer type and specifications. On a trailer the length, deck or body type, axle setup and any reefer unit are part of those specifications.

Trailers financed through our program fall inside the $21,000 to $145,000 purchase price window. An established business is 30% down and a startup is 40% down with 2 years of industry experience.

The trailer must be purchased from a licensed dealer and there is no minimum credit score. The freight examples on this page are educational context only, so you can independently confirm the trailer fits the work you plan to perform.

Bad Credit Trailer Financing

Bad Credit Is Not The End Of The Road

Owner operators who need a trailer come to us after freight rates dropped, a broker never paid or a slow stretch put their cards into collections. The bank sees the score and stops reading. We look at the whole deal: your time behind the wheel, the trailer you picked out at a licensed dealer and the down payment you have saved.

There is no minimum credit score. Collections, charge-offs and late payments are workable. Bankruptcy or repossession in 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.

What We Can Work With

Low credit scores, including around 500
Collections
Charge-offs
Late payments
No minimum credit score

What Stops A Deal

Bankruptcy within the last 5 years
Repossession within the last 5 years
A private party (non dealer) purchase

What A Trailer Can Earn vs. Waiting On A Bank That Says No

Example based on 10,000 loaded miles per month hauling your own van freight at $0.40 per mile more than power only, plus no more trailer rental. Expenses include trailer insurance, tires, brakes and maintenance, and registration. The truck payment is not included because your payment depends on the price, term and rate quoted to you.

Your Own Trailer, Working

Estimated monthly revenue: $5,200
Estimated operating expenses: - $1,100
Left before your truck payment: $4,100

What Waiting On A Bank Can Cost You

Money left on the table before any truck payment, while you keep applying and hearing no.

3 months of waiting: $12,300
6 months of waiting: $24,600
12 months of waiting: $49,200

Yes, The Down Payment And Rate Are Higher. Here Is Why It Can Still Pay Off.

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 trailer 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.

Funding Example: $35,000 Trailer

Purchase price: $35,000
Down payment, established business (30%): $10,500
Amount financed: $24,500

A Simple Plan To Rebuild Your Credit With Your Trailer

1
Put it to work
Keep the trailer earning. Revenue is what makes everything else possible.
2
Pay the truck first
Make every truck payment on time. That history is proof you perform.
3
Clear the collections
Use part of your profit each month to pay or settle collections, oldest and smallest first.
4
Come back stronger
With collections handled and a clean payment record, you are in a better spot for your next truck.

Case Study

An owner operator buying his own dry van

An owner operator with five years over the road owns his tractor but has been renting trailers and running power only loads. After freight rates dropped he fell behind on two cards and his score slid into the 560s. He finds a 53 foot dry van at a licensed dealer for $35,000.

At 30% down he brings $10,500 and finances $24,500. He stops paying trailer rental, books his own van freight at better rates and uses the extra margin to settle his collections.

This shows how the numbers can work. It is not a specific customer.

Real Trailer Loans We Funded

These are real loans funded for our customers, credit problems and all.

Credit Score568

2020 Wabash Dry Van Trailer

$23,000 purchase price, $6,900 down (30%)

2 collections totaling $3,450. Lost income when freight rates dropped, causing him to fall behind on credit cards and household expenses.

All applications are subject to review and approval.

See All Recent Loans

Trailer Financing Questions

Can I finance a trailer with bad credit?

Yes. There is no minimum credit score and collections and charge-offs are workable. The trailer must be purchased from a licensed dealer and fall inside the $21,000 to $145,000 window. Approval is not guaranteed.

Do I need to own a tractor to finance a trailer?

Tell us how you plan to pull it in your scenario. If you need the tractor too, send us both units and we will tell you where you stand.

Why is the down payment and rate higher than a bank on a trailer?

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 trailer working and earning instead of waiting on a yes that may never come.

What disqualifies me from trailer financing?

No bankruptcy or repossession within the last 5 years. The trailer must also be purchased from a licensed dealer and the purchase price must fall between $21,000 and $145,000.

Can owning a trailer help me rebuild my credit?

It can, if you use it that way. The income from the trailer 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.

How fast can a trailer deal fund?

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.

The Honest Terms, In Plain English

Purchase prices from $21,000 to $145,000, licensed dealer purchases only.
30% down for an established business. 40% down plus 2 years of industry experience for a startup.
Your rate will be higher than a bank rate because we lend to credit challenged buyers.
No minimum credit score. No bankruptcy or repossession within the last 5 years.
Every application is reviewed on its own facts. Approval is never guaranteed and nothing on this page is a commitment to lend.

Who Wrote This Page

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.

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