Business loans for courier businesses

Ardent Capital Group brings the same method to every client: execution and strategy, clear advice for smart lending, and long-term growth. That means the right lender, structure and timing, straight advice so you borrow with confidence, and today's deal built toward where you want to be tomorrow. We are specialists in helping business owners secure finance to purchase their own property, and we understand the complex structures that often sit around it, including multiple trusts, holding companies and self-managed super funds. Through that work we also understand what the business needs from its cash flow, and where an overdraft or line of credit fits for working capital. To a generalist bank desk a courier business can read as thin: light on property, heavy on vehicles and contractor payments, with income tied up in a debtor ledger that settles weeks after the work is done. We know the bank and non-bank lenders that fund transport and last-mile operators on the strength of their contracts and fleet, and we present your run rate and debtor terms so the trading is read for what it is. As your contracts, fleet and depot grow, we stay with the file. Every figure is subject to serviceability, lender appetite and approval.

It depends on how quickly you need it and what you are willing to offer as security. Unsecured facilities are assessed mainly on trading strength and can be arranged in days, which suits a limit of $100K to $500K for payroll and fuel. Secured facilities, backed by property or fleet, support larger amounts and price better, and make sense once you are funding a depot purchase or an acquisition. Most established courier operators end up with a mix, and we shape which sits where.

It depends on your trading, your structure and the purpose, but lending here commonly runs from $100K to well into seven figures, and our range extends to $100M for larger operators. A courier business is usually assessed on its contracts, its fleet and the quality of its debtor ledger rather than property alone. The binding constraint is usually serviceability rather than security, and we shape the funding early so you know your number before you commit.

Yes, and the vehicle is normally the security rather than any property. Commercial vehicle finance covers a single van or ute, and fleet finance covers the whole run on one facility, new or used. Terms are typically matched to the working life of the vehicle, and established businesses can often be assessed on bank statements and BAS rather than full financials. Dealer and manufacturer programs are available too, which we compare against a bank facility so the fleet grows without tying up your working capital.

By funding the ramp-up as well as the running costs, which is the part operators most often underestimate. A new retailer or 3PL contract needs crew, vehicles and fuel from day one, while the first invoice settles weeks later, so the facility has to carry both. We size it to the contract run rate and set repayments to start landing once the contract is billing and paying. Bring us the contract and the volumes early, subject to serviceability and lender approval.

No. Plenty of courier operators fund growth without touching the family home, either through unsecured facilities assessed on trading, invoice finance secured on the debtor ledger, or asset finance secured against the vehicles being purchased. Property security typically supports a higher limit and prices more keenly, so it is worth considering once you are borrowing well into seven figures. The choice is yours, and we will show you what each option costs before you commit.

An unsecured facility can often be approved within 48 hours and funded inside a week where the business is established and the BAS and bank statements are current. Invoice finance is similar once the ledger is reviewed. Secured facilities take longer, typically two to four weeks, because a valuation is involved. The practical advice is to open the limit before the peak, ideally when you are planning the ramp rather than when the payroll is already due. Timeframes are indicative and subject to lender appetite and approval.

Yes. Many lenders assess established courier businesses on 6 to 12 months of bank statements and recent BAS rather than full year-end financials, which suits operators whose accounts lag a run rate that has grown through the year. It works best where the trading account shows regular client receipts and the ATO position is current. If you have a payment plan in place, say so early, because several lenders will still proceed when it is disclosed and being met.

Yes, and it is a commercial property deal rather than a working capital one. The depot and your trading performance are read together rather than the bricks alone, and getting the contracts and run rate presented properly is most of the work. Owner-occupiers can generally borrow a higher proportion than a passive investor would. Our commercial property team handles these end to end through our transport depot commercial mortgage service.

Most of the time, no. We are paid a commission by the lender once your facility settles. Where a deal requires significant preparation or involves unusual complexity, a small mandate fee may apply. We will always be upfront about this before any work begins.

Although we are based in Sydney, we service clients across all major Australian cities, including Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart, along with their surrounding regional areas. Wherever your business is located, we can arrange your finance.

Although our main speciality is property loans for business owners, such as a property loan for your delivery depot, we also assist with vehicle finance for courier fleets and working capital. On asset finance, that covers vans, utes, trucks and the wider fleet through fleet finance. On working capital, we arrange business overdrafts, lines of credit, invoice finance and payroll funding. We also arrange commercial mortgages if you are buying, fitting out or refinancing a depot or parcel hub.