Expedite freight runs on a clock that the rest of trucking does not. Loads are time-critical, they book at all hours off boards like Sylectus, and a single van or straight truck can turn several short runs in the time an over-the-road truck covers one lane. Invoices are small and frequent, the broker mix runs from established names to two-person brokerages chasing hot freight, and the cash needs to move as fast as the load does.
By Small Fleet HQ | Updated
| Company | Min. Operating History | Factoring Rate | Advance Rate | Contract Required | Fuel Card Included | Credit Checks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 Apex Capital | None | 1.5-3.5% | 90-97% | No contract | ||
#2 Bobtail | None | 1.99-3.24% | Up to 100% | Month-to-month | ||
#3 OTR Solutions | None | 3-4% | 96% | No long-term | ||
#4 eCapital | None | 1-5% | Up to 100% | 12 months | ||
#5 Thunder Funding | None | 2-5% | 90-97% | 90 days |
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That rhythm changes which factoring company actually fits. The factor that works for a steady contract fleet is usually wrong for expedite. The right pick depends on three things. First, can it fund nights and weekends, because that is when expedite loads book and deliver. Second, does it advance close to 100% on small invoices with little or no reserve, because a held-back reserve on a $450 run is real money. Third, does it protect against broker non-payment, because the small-broker mix in expedite carries more risk than a dedicated lane.
The five companies below are the ones we would actually use running an expedite operation. Each gets ranked for a different expedite scenario, so the right call depends on whether your priority is around-the-clock funding, small-invoice friendliness, broker non-payment protection, full advances for fronting fuel on deadheads, or contract flexibility while you test the model.
Yes. Factoring works the same for expedited freight as for any other motor carrier. The broker pays the factoring company on net-30 to net-90 terms, and you get paid same-day or next-day on the invoice. Most factors fund the $300-$2,000 invoices common in cargo van and sprinter work without flagging them as too small, though a few set monthly volume minimums that can be hard to hit on light weeks.
Some companies do, and that is the feature that matters most for expedite. Apex funds 24/7/365 including holidays. OTR Solutions has BOLT for instant weekend pay. eCapital has InstaPay outside business hours. Bobtail funds same-day during weekday support hours but queues weekend submissions for Monday. Since expedite loads book and deliver around the clock, after-hours funding is worth more here than in almost any other freight class.
Non-recourse is usually worth the higher rate for expedite because the broker mix is more volatile. Time-critical freight gets brokered through smaller and newer brokerages chasing margin, which means more exposure to broker non-payment than a steady contract lane. The 1-2% premium that non-recourse adds buys real protection against eating a bad invoice, which OTR Solutions covers directly or eCapital offers selectively on riskier accounts.
It varies. Bobtail, Apex, OTR, and Thunder do not set hard per-invoice minimums, so a $350 cargo van run gets funded the same as a $2,500 straight-truck load. eCapital sets a monthly volume minimum rather than a per-invoice one, which can be hard to clear on a single van with mixed weeks. For a one-vehicle expedite operation, the no-minimum factors are the realistic options.
Often yes. Expediters run high empty miles repositioning for the next hot load, so total fuel volume adds up even in a cargo van or sprinter, and more so in a diesel straight truck. The Apex card averages $300-$500 per month per truck, Thunder runs up to 65 cents per gallon at 8,000+ stops, and Bobtail Zero averages 59 cents at 1,300+ stops. On a high-mileage month, that discount can offset a meaningful share of the factoring fee.
