Is Semi Truck Financing Better Than Paying Cash?
We all know the phrase, “Never buy with credit what you can buy with cash” or “cash is king”. This may seem like a good idea in theory, but it may not be the right choice for you and your business. Commercial equipment and heavy equipment are expensive, specifically semi trucks.
There is a reason that 78% of all businesses finance their equipment in some shape or form. Cash is more valuable in your pocket instead of tying it up in a piece of equipment when semi truck financing is easily available and here’s why:
Working Capital Is King. Semi Truck Financing Keeps Cash In Your Pocket For When You Need It.
Investing a large sum of cash all at once has an immediate impact on your available working capital. This is a tremendous risk to the overall stability of your business. You never know when or what unexpected expenses will appear. Having available cash to stay afloat provides invaluable security and peace of mind when it comes to your daily operations.
Semi trucks have big rig problems. Machines inevitably break and need maintenance. It doesn’t matter if it came off the lot last year or last week. That piece of equipment is still made up of thousands of parts of machinery and machinery will break down or may even be defective.
Newer trucks probably include a warranty, but the process of utilizing that warranty takes time, and time is money. If your job has a deadline, it is not likely that your customer will be willing to make your problems, their problems.
Semi truck financing will allow you to have cash on hand and make these big issues become more manageable. Keep your livelihood in your own hands. Why take such a big chance just to save a few bucks?
Depreciation Starts When They Hand You The Keys (More Reason to Choose Semi Truck Financing)
Just like when you purchase a car from a dealership, the second you drive your 18-wheeler off the lot it is worth 10% less than before the dealer handed you the keys. When you pay cash for the equipment, it is like taking a 10% loss immediately from an asset standpoint.
By the time you own it for a year, it will be up to 25 – 50% less valuable than when you purchased it! Semi truck financing options allow you to absorb that depreciation loss as you pay for it over time rather than taking it all at once.
It Doesn’t Always Work Out
Life happens, not all business ventures are successful. The equipment or the job associated with that piece of equipment may not give you the return you would expect.
Sometimes the job does not come as advertised and does not provide as much profit as you believed it would. Sometimes that shiny new piece of equipment doesn’t perform and becomes a money pit.
This is a disastrous situation if you spent a large chunk of cash on that equipment and need the available cash to keep your business afloat. Semi truck financing programs will help mitigate some of this risk while you find a better contract.
Aging is Mandatory, Adapting is Optional
“Once a new technology rolls over you, if you’re not part of the steamroller, you’re part of the road.” Equipment technology is getting more advanced every day. You don’t always need the latest and greatest to run your business, but you could be missing the boat.
New equipment technologies provide better gas mileage, improved safety features, built-in GPS and fleet management tracking, etc. Soon your semi truck might be driving for you. If keeping up with the times is a priority, a lease may be the best option.
Many leases come with the OPTION to own and not the OBLIGATION to own. This will give you the freedom to simply return it at the end of your term to trade up to a more current piece of equipment.
Semi truck leasing really starts to make sense when you look at the ever-changing landscape of emission laws. These laws are not just limited to the EPA and federal regulations. State-level mandates will also have an immediate impact on the states that you are able to operate in. Imagine the frustration you will feel after you sink all of your cash into a piece of equipment that is now illegal just a year or two later.
A semi truck financing program will give you the flexibility and peace of mind to have the option to trade-in and trade up to the newest compliant equipment model.
Base Your Decision On Knowledge, Not Numbers
Whether you lease, loan or outright purchase, there are risks and rewards associated with each option. The bottom line is to make sure that you educate yourself on all the options you have available to you and that you pick the one that best fits your short-term and long-term goals for your business.
TopMark Funding will get you pre-approved without impacting your current credit score through a simple 5-minute application process. There is absolutely no obligation to purchase and no risk involved. Call now to speak with one of our finance experts and see what semi truck financing options you have available to you. You can also simply click the button below to apply online now!
APPLY NOW
Your success is our success. It is TopMark’s mission to help you navigate the complex landscape of semi truck financing. Whether you are a former company driver trying to become your own boss, or a small fleet owner working to expand we will get it done. Nobody knows the trucking industry as we do.
Good credit, bad credit, owner-operator, small fleet, or a large fleet, we’ll have a truck finance program that will work for you and your small business. Apply today. No hard inquiries or negative impact on your credit score.
Call us at (866) 627-6644 to speak with a truck finance specialist.