Business funding for food trucks
The truck itself is the business, so when the engine, generator or flat-top goes down, revenue stops the same day. Festival and event seasons bring in most of the year's cash in a few months, which makes cash flow lumpy in a way most lenders can see clearly in the deposits.
- One application, several lenders
- No credit pull to see your options
- No fee to you, ever
Common funding needs
- Repairing an engine, generator or flat-top
- Buying a second truck or trailer
- Covering commissary and permit fees through a slow season
- Stocking up before a festival run
What usually fits
Products that usually fit
- Merchant cash advance for an urgent repair that has to happen before the next event.
- Equipment financing for a truck, trailer or kitchen build-out.
- Line of credit for permit fees and commissary rent between events.
- Working capital for stocking up ahead of a festival season.
How a merchant cash advance works for you, and when it is too expensive
Because food truck revenue is seasonal, an MCA holdback taken as a percentage of daily card sales rises during festival season and shrinks in the off months, which can feel manageable in July and tight in January. At an illustrative factor of 1.15–1.45, a $12,000 advance costs $13,800–$17,400 in total regardless of the season it is repaid in.
It is worth comparing that total against equipment financing on the truck itself or a line of credit sized to the slow months, since both can cost less over a full year of uneven revenue.
Compare term loans, lines of credit, cash advances and equipment financing side by side →
Separately, our sister company CELER Merchants offers card processing.
Illustrative example
A worked example
A food truck needs $18,000 to replace a failed generator and repair the flat-top before festival season. With equipment financing over 3 years at an illustrative 8–18% a year, payments come to about $564–$651 per month, or $20,306–$23,427 in total.
The same $18,000 as a merchant cash advance at an illustrative factor of 1.20–1.40 means paying back $21,600–$25,200 from daily card sales, usually within 6 to 9 months.
Illustrative example only, not an offer or a quote. Rates, fees and terms are set by each lender and depend on your business. Fees are not included unless stated.
Underwriting
What lenders look at
- Monthly card deposits, including how seasonal they are
- Commissary agreement and permits in good standing
- Age and condition of the truck
- Existing cash advances or daily debits
- Owner credit
Honestly
Who this is not for
- A truck that has not run a season yet: most lenders want deposit history
- Funding a route or market that consistently loses money
- Borrowing more than the festival season's revenue can realistically repay
If borrowing does not make sense, we will say so.
Are you a match?
Lender network minimums
Close but not quite there? Apply anyway and we will tell you honestly what is possible.
*Best available terms from lenders in our network. Every lender sets its own criteria; approval, amount and funding time are decided by the lender and not guaranteed.
| Time in business | 1 year+ |
|---|---|
| Monthly bank deposits | $20,000+ |
| Credit score | 500+ |
| Bank account | Business |
| Fee to you | $0 |
| Credit pull to start | None |
FAQ
Food trucks funding questions
Can a new food truck get funding?
It is harder without deposit history. Equipment financing on the truck itself sometimes works sooner than working capital does.
Do lenders understand seasonal revenue?
Yes, most look at 6 to 12 months of deposits so the seasonal pattern is visible rather than judging one slow month on its own.
Can I finance the truck and the kitchen build-out together?
Often, yes, as one equipment financing package, depending on the vendor and how the invoice is structured.
What if my truck breaks down before a big festival?
Speed matters more than rate in that moment. We can point you toward the fastest realistic option and show the total cost before you decide.
Guides
Guides for food trucks
Related
Similar businesses
Restaurants · Bars & pubs · Cafés & bakeries · Catering · Hotels & motels · Event venues
Where we work: all US states · all Canadian provinces
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