B2B, Industrial & Distribution · Buyer guide
Buying a Trucking & Logistics business
Published · Reviewed by The Diligence Standard Team · Updated
Trucking businesses can show attractive revenue while customer contracts, driver capacity, insurance losses or fleet replacement turn normalized earnings into a different story.
How the business works
Customer concentration, driver retention, equipment utilization, insurance, fuel, compliance and asset quality drive cash flow.
Risks to test
- Customer concentration
- Driver shortage
- Insurance/loss history
- Aging fleet
- Safety/compliance exposure
- Broker vs. asset revenue mix
Evidence to request and reconcile
- Customer-level revenue and margin
- Driver roster/tenure
- Fleet schedule and maintenance
- Loss runs/insurance
- Safety/compliance records
- Fuel and repair history
Decision questions
- What percentage of gross profit comes from the top five customers?
- How much fleet replacement is coming?
- What will insurance cost under new ownership?
- How many drivers would stay after a transition?
- Are margins based on assets, brokerage or a changing mix?