Trash trucks are route equipment. Most garbage truck buyers we see are already working a route, whether that is a municipal contract, a subcontract under a larger hauler, or a residential subscription book being taken over. Whether the work supports the truck you are buying is a business question for you to work out independently.
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. The packer body and hydraulics are part of those specifications on a refuse truck.
Refuse trucks run at the top of the $21,000 to $145,000 range, so plan the cash at closing accordingly. 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 route, contract and recycling examples on this page are educational context only, not HMTL underwriting requirements.
Independent refuse haulers run on route density and municipal or commercial contracts that can pay 30 to 60 days out. That gap is where credit gets damaged. Banks look at the score and the collections and decline. We look at the operator, the route experience and the truck.
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.
Example based on 21 route days at $1,000 per day on commercial and residential pickup. Expenses include fuel, tipping fees, insurance, hydraulic maintenance and tires. 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 trash 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 trash 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 driver who has run commercial routes for a regional hauler for six years has a score near 500 after a period of unemployment. He finds a used rear loader at a licensed dealer for $120,000.
At 30% down he brings $36,000 and finances $84,000. He picks up subcontract routes and small commercial accounts, and rebuilds his credit with every on time truck payment.
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 trash truck buyers bring us.
$139,000 purchase price, $41,700 down (30%)
3 collections totaling $16,850. Several commercial customers delayed payments, creating cash flow problems that caused him to fall behind on personal credit obligations.
All applications are subject to review and approval.
See All Recent LoansYes. There is no minimum credit score and collections are workable. The truck must come from a licensed dealer and fall inside the $21,000 to $145,000 window. Approval is not guaranteed.
Rear loaders, front loaders and side loaders can all be reviewed. The specific truck is part of the transaction review.
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 trash truck working and earning instead of waiting on a yes that may never come.
No bankruptcy or repossession within the last 5 years. The trash 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 trash 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.
Send 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!?
