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Trucking company Sale-Prep Checklist
Licenses, documents and fixes buyers look for when you sell a trucking company
Know your number
[ ] Recast earnings to SDE (and adjusted EBITDA if above about $1M of earnings)
[ ] Run the trucking company valuation calculator and save the brief
[ ] Estimate after-tax proceeds under asset vs stock sale
Licenses and transfer issues for trucking companies
Done
Issue
What to know
[ ]
USDOT number and operating authority
FMCSA says USDOT numbers cannot be sold and operating authority can only move as part of a legitimate transaction that FMCSA records; sole proprietors face extra limits.
[ ]
Insurance and registrations
Insurance, IRP and IFTA registrations have to be updated or reissued for the new owner; underwriters review the safety record.
Documents buyers will ask for
[ ] 3 years of financials
[ ] Revenue by customer and lane
[ ] Fleet list with ages, liens and values
[ ] Safety scores and claims history
[ ] Driver roster and turnover
[ ] Customer contracts
Fix what buyers discount
[ ] Owner dependence: document processes, delegate selling and scheduling, cut your hours in the work
[ ] Customer concentration: no single customer above about 15% of revenue
[ ] Recurring revenue: convert one-off customers to agreements or plans
[ ] Clean books: separate personal expenses, reconcile monthly, keep 3 years of tax returns ready
Deal structure notes
Buyers net out equipment debt; many deals combine a goodwill payment with assumption or payoff of truck loans.
Timeline
Equipment financing, insurance approval and FMCSA filings all sit on the critical path.
Rules vary by state; confirm licensing and transfer requirements with counsel. General information, not legal or tax advice.
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