Business loans for transport and logistics operators

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. For a transport and logistics operator, where the balance sheet is built around a depreciating fleet and a debtor ledger, that means the desks among our 60-plus lenders that lend on the strength of the business rather than property alone. We stay with you as the fleet grows. 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. Secured facilities, backed by property or plant, support larger amounts and price better, and make sense once you are funding a major purchase or an acquisition. Most established 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. The fleet and the debtor ledger can both support a facility, which often means more capacity than an operator assumes from the property position 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 itself is normally the security rather than your home. Prime movers, rigid trucks, trailers, tippers, refrigerated units and light commercials can all be funded new or used, one at a time or as a whole fleet. Terms are typically matched to the life of the asset, and established businesses can often be assessed on bank statements and BAS rather than full financials. Dealer and manufacturer finance programs are available too, and we compare them against a bank facility.

This is the classic transport bind, and it is worth solving properly. A new contract needs the vehicles, the drivers and the fuel in place before the first invoice is raised, let alone paid 45 days later. We look at the contract and the strength of the principal rather than last year's turnover alone, which is what lets a facility grow ahead of the revenue. Typically that means an asset facility for the trucks and a working capital line for the fuel and wages, subject to serviceability and approval.

No. Plenty of operators fund growth without touching the family home, either through unsecured facilities assessed on trading, or by securing against the equipment being purchased. Property security widens the range of lenders and structures open to you, 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. Secured facilities take longer, typically two to four weeks, because a valuation is involved. The practical advice is to open the limit before you need it, ideally when you are planning the spend rather than when the invoice is already due. Timeframes are indicative and subject to lender appetite and approval.

Yes. Many lenders assess established businesses on 6 to 12 months of bank statements and recent BAS rather than full year-end financials, which suits operators whose accounts lag the current run rate. It works best where the trading account shows regular 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. A depot is about hardstand, access and turning circles rather than a generic tenancy, and operators who have outgrown a leased yard often find owning is both cheaper and more secure. Owner-occupiers can generally borrow a higher proportion of the purchase price than an investor would. Our commercial property team handles these end to end through our transport depot property loans service.

Often, yes. Dealer finance is convenient at the point of purchase but is rarely the sharpest offer available, and operators who have bought several vehicles that way can end up with a spread of facilities at different rates and terms. Consolidating them against the fleet can lower the total repayment and simplify your reporting. Whether it stacks up depends on payout figures and the age of the vehicles, and we will tell you plainly if it does not.

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 transport depot, we also assist with truck and trailer finance and working capital. On asset finance, that covers trucks, trailers, plant and commercial vehicles. On working capital, we arrange business overdrafts, lines of credit, receivables facilities and cash-flow funding. We also arrange commercial mortgages if you are buying or refinancing a depot.