TradeExit Guide

What is a trucking company worth?

Trucking companies sold on BizBuySell between 2021 and 2025 went for a median 2.96x seller's discretionary earnings (SDE), with the middle half between 2.29x and 3.56x; at the median that puts a $300,000-SDE trucking company at about $888,000.

Updated 2026-09-23 · 2 sources · By the TradeExit Guide team

Key figures for this trade are also summarized in the multiples by trade table.

Trucking company value at a glance

Median SDE multiple (sold)
2.96x
BizBuySell 2021-2025
Middle half of sales
2.29x-3.56x
SDE multiple
Median revenue multiple
0.59x
middle half 0.39x-0.86x
Median sale price
$1,100,000
BizBuySell, sold Q3 2021-Q2 2026

Estimate your trucking company's value

Applies the cited SDE multiple band for your trade, then positions you inside it using recurring revenue, customer concentration, owner dependence, years operating and trend. Educational estimate, not an appraisal.

Pre-tax profit + one owner's pay and perks + interest + depreciation + one-time costs. Not sure? Use the SDE calculator.

Educational estimate, not an appraisal or an offer. Ranges come from published closed-sale data and broker/adviser reports cited on each trade page; the adjustment weights are our own documented heuristic (see Editorial policy). Real estate, inventory and working capital are excluded.

Get the full valuation brief (printable)

Your inputs and range, the cited multiples behind it, the buyer type active at your size, three changes that move the multiple, and next steps - on this page, ready to print or save as a PDF.

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Valuation brief: -

Prepared with the TradeExit Guide valuation calculator (tradeexitguide.com). Educational estimate, not an appraisal or an offer.

Your inputs

Annual revenue-
SDE / owner cash flow-
Recurring / contract revenue-
Largest customer share-
Owner hours per week in the work-
Years in business-
3-year trend-

Result

Estimated value range-
Implied SDE multiple-
Cited SDE multiple band for this trade- to -
Full cited range in dollars-
Implied multiple of revenue-
Most likely buyer type-
Pricing basis-
Source of the band-

What moves your multiple

  • Recurring revenue (you: -). At 25%+ the calculator moves you up the band; at 50%+ further. Maintenance agreements, contracts and memberships count.
  • Owner dependence (you: -). Under 20 hours a week in the field or chair helps; under 10 helps most. Buyers pay for a business that runs without you.
  • Customer concentration (you: -). Keep any single customer under about 15% of revenue.

Next steps

  1. Recast your earnings line by line with the SDE calculator (tradeexitguide.com/tools/sde-calculator/).
  2. See what you would keep after taxes and fees with the after-tax proceeds calculator (tradeexitguide.com/tools/after-tax-proceeds-calculator/).
  3. Read your trade's valuation page for the sources behind the band and the drivers buyers cite.
  4. If you have an offer, compare it on guaranteed cash, not headline price (tradeexitguide.com/guides/unsolicited-pe-offer/).
  5. Before you sell, get a formal valuation from a credentialed appraiser or an experienced intermediary.

Ranges come from published closed-sale data and broker/adviser reports; adjustment weights are our own documented heuristic. Real estate, inventory, working capital, debt and taxes are excluded.

Published trucking company multiples by deal size

Every figure is linked to where we read it (accessed 2026-09-23). BizBuySell sold interquartile range 2.29-3.56x SDE for trucking companies (2021-2025). Asset-heavy fleets are often valued with equipment as a floor.
Deal size / buyerMultipleSource
Main Street sales, 2021-2025 (sold)2.29x-3.56x SDE (median 2.96x); revenue 0.39x-0.86x

BizBuySell Valuation Benchmarks - Trucking Company

All industries, Q2 2026 (context)Under $500K deals: 2.0x SDE; $2M-$5M: 4.0x EBITDA; $5M-$50M: 5.8x EBITDA

IBBA / M&A Source / Pepperdine Market Pulse, Q2 2026 highlights

What moves the multiple for a trucking company

Key metric buyers ask for: Contract (dedicated) vs spot revenue, customer concentration, fleet age and equity, driver retention, safety scores.

Pushes you toward the top of the range

  • Dedicated or contract freight with long customer relationships
  • Newer fleet with equity above the loans on it
  • Good safety record and driver retention

Pushes you toward the bottom

  • Spot-market dependence
  • One shipper above a large share of revenue
  • Old equipment, thin equity, or safety problems

How buyers value a trucking company

Trucking companies are valued on SDE/EBITDA with the fleet value as a floor; buyers net the equipment debt out of the price. Operating authority and safety history matter because they affect insurance and customer contracts.

Rule of thumb on revenue: About 0.4-0.85x revenue (BizBuySell sold middle half 0.39-0.86x). Use it only as a sanity check; buyers pay for cash flow they can finance.

Worked example: Prairie Line Logistics (fictional)

Fictional business for illustration. Revenue $4,200,000, SDE $610,000. 22 tractors, 70% dedicated contract freight, top customer 28% of revenue.

Position in the cited rangeImplied valueMultiple of revenue
At the low end (2.3x)$1,403,0000.33x
Midpoint (2.96x)$1,806,0000.43x
At the high end (3.6x)$2,196,0000.52x

Who buys a trucking company at each size

Competitors and larger carriers; owner-operators stepping up; logistics groups; equipment buyers in liquidation scenarios.

SDE / EBITDA sizeMost likely buyerHow they usually pay
Under ~$300K SDEOwner-operator or small carrierSBA or bank loan plus buyer cash; sometimes a seller note
~$300K-$1M SDERegional carrierSBA loan, seller note, or cash from a larger buyer
$1M+ EBITDALarger carrier or logistics groupMostly cash at close; rollover equity and earn-outs are common

Thinking about selling your trucking company?

See the step-by-step sale process, license transfer rules and documents buyers will ask for.

How to sell a trucking company

Frequently asked questions

What is a trucking company worth?

Trucking companies sold on BizBuySell from 2021-2025 went for a median 2.96x SDE (middle half 2.29-3.56x) and about 0.59x revenue. Contract freight and fleet equity push value up.

Can I sell my MC number?

Not by itself. FMCSA says USDOT numbers cannot be sold, and operating authority can only move as part of a legitimate transaction that FMCSA records.

Is this an appraisal?

No. It is an educational estimate built from published data. Lenders, courts and the IRS may require a credentialed appraisal; see appraisal vs estimate.

Sources

  1. BizBuySell Valuation Benchmarks - Trucking Company (accessed 2026-09-23)
  2. BizBuySell - Business valuation multiples by industry (sold Q3 2021-Q2 2026) (accessed 2026-09-23)
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