Haulage and logistics run on a brutal timing mismatch. Diesel is paid for as it is burned, drivers are paid weekly or monthly, and a truck off the road costs money the day it stops. Meanwhile the customers who generate the revenue — often large, reliable and slow — pay on their own terms.
Why a single breakdown becomes a cash event
An engine rebuild is not just the repair bill. It is the repair bill plus the contracted work that vehicle cannot do plus, sometimes, the cost of subcontracting the load to keep the customer. One failure can consume a month of margin across the fleet.
Fuel price movements compound it: costs rise immediately, while rate renegotiation with customers takes a quarter if it happens at all.
What operators in this sector actually fund
- Emergency repairs and keeping a vehicle earning
- Fuel float across a long payment cycle
- Driver wages while waiting on customer settlement
- Deposit on an additional vehicle for a contract already won
- Insurance, MOT, O-licence and compliance costs landing together
A £40,000 advance, both terms
A haulier needs £40,000 to cover two engine rebuilds and a fuel float while a 60-day customer settles. On our published rates:
| £40,000 advance | 20 weeks | 26 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Approved advance | £40,000 | £40,000 |
| Arrangement fee (5%, deducted at funding) | −£2,000 | −£2,000 |
| Paid to your account | £38,000 | £38,000 |
| Factor rate | 1.48 | 1.55 |
| Total repayable | £59,200 | £62,000 |
| Weekly payment | £2,960 | £2,385 |
| Total cost on cash received | £21,200 | £24,000 |
Illustrative, using our published factor rates. Your own rate is set by underwriting and is stated in pounds on your agreement before you sign it.
Whether you qualify
Four minimums. Meeting them is not the same as being approved — it is the point at which applying is worth your time:
- UK limited company or LLP — incorporated and registered at Companies House.
- 6+ months trading — six months is the least we can work with.
- £10,000+ monthly turnover — consistent, and visible in the business bank account.
- Active UK business current account — this is where the underwriting actually happens.
If you are buying a specific vehicle, asset finance secured on that vehicle is usually cheaper than a revenue advance. Tell us what the money is for — where another product fits better, we will say so.
Why the decision being ours matters here
Transport gets penalised by automated scoring for things that are simply how the sector works: thin margins, high turnover relative to profit, heavy fuel outflows. Solvo lends its own money, so the decision comes from people who understand that a haulier with £2m turnover and 4% margin is normal, not distressed.
Solvo funds £10,000 to £75,000 from its own book, usually within 24–72 hours of final documents. One decision, made by us — your file is not shopped around a panel. Above £75,000 we arrange the facility with a lending partner. A 5% arrangement fee is deducted from the advance at funding.
About 3 minutes. No obligation. Limited companies and LLPs only.
Frequently asked questions
Do you fund owner-operators with one or two vehicles?
If the business is a UK limited company or LLP trading 6+ months with £10,000+ monthly turnover through a business current account, fleet size is not the deciding factor.
Our margins are thin. Does that disqualify us?
No. Thin margins on high turnover is the standard shape in logistics. Underwriting is looking at turnover consistency and account conduct, not at whether your margin resembles a software company.
Can funding cover an O-licence or compliance cost?
Yes — it is general working capital. Compliance costs that arrive together are a common reason operators apply.
How fast, realistically?
24–72 hours after final documents. For a vehicle already off the road, the bottleneck is usually document gathering, so have six months of bank statements to hand before you start.
Illustrative only. Solvo Funding is a UK direct lender for limited companies and LLPs and also acts as an intermediary for facilities above £75,000. Advances are subject to underwriting; meeting the minimum criteria is not the same as being approved and we cannot guarantee an offer. Finance for limited companies and LLPs is generally not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.