Food trailers are essentially mobile food service establishments that has gained major popularity throughout the years. According to the US Food Truck industry, the food trailer business is forecast to further increase in the upcoming years and starting a food trailer business can be highly profitable if done right. Once you've saved away enough money for the upfront operational cost required to run a concession trailer business and you've outlined a stellar business plan, all there is left to do is secure the funding to put your business venture into gear.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN....
There's a few things to take into consideration before getting started. The first step is to figure out the total amount needed to finance the concession trailer. It is important to remain realistic when choosing the total amount you're looking to apply for so that you can reserve the most capital possible for operational expenses such as the down payment, insurance, state & county licensing, etc.
The monthly and down payment will be determined based on your credit profile & time in busin ess. The better the credit the lower your monthly and down payment will be. If you have excellent credit, your best bet is to apply with your own bank or local credit union to get the best offers and the lowest interest rates available.
We don’t advise anyone to apply with various manufacturers, dealers and/or lenders at the same time because it will impact your credit and lower your FICO significantly.
Hard inquiries (also known as “hard pulls”) are the credit inquiries you want to look out for because not only will it take a big hit on your FICO, each credit inquiry will remain on your profile for 2 years. If you're a business start-up with less than perfect credit, you may want to consider financing or leasing a food trailer within the $15K range. Adding a cosigner or pledging property you own as additional collateral can strengthen the deal and increase your chances of getting approved for a higher amount with lower down payment options.
STEP #1
KNOWING YOUR CREDIT STATUS.
As previously mentioned, the last thing you need is multiple inquiries reflected on your credit while applying for a concession trailer loan. The best and most efficient way to approach this process is to first retrieve a credit report and this can be easily accomplished FREE OF CHARGE by signing up with websites like CreditKarma. After signing up, they will instantly give you access to your most recent FICO & history from 2 credit bureaus with the option to print or save each credit report.
STEP #2
SECURING THE FUNDS.
Once you have your credit report in hand, there's 2-ways to go about financing a food trailer without impacting your credit with multiple hits. You can contact several dealers to see if they can obtain a conditional approval or send you financing payment quotes based on the credit report you're providing. This option is a bit time consuming and some dealers can’t guarantee a formal approval and others won't accept your credit report, however, it's worth a try.
The second option is to contact an equipment lease broker company that should be able to review the credit report you're supplying and determine if you qualify for any of the financing programs offered through their network of lenders. This route is a simpler way to finance a food trailer because the equipment lease broker can match you to the appropriate funding source versus you completing several credit applications at a time with various dealers & financial institutions.
A good equipment lease broker will guide you throughout the entire process until the deal is funded and complete. One of the perks of working with an equipment lease broker is the freedom to choose the concession trailer of your choice. Once you're approved, you have the option to pick the food trailer from any manufacture, licensed dealer or private-seller of your choice.
STEP #3
FINALIZING THE TRANSACTION.
CONGRATS! You're approved and the terms are agreeable, now it's time to work towards finalizing the transaction. After you've shopped around and identified the concession trailer you want to finance, the final steps that follow will most likely be the following:
SIGN THE DOCS After you've completed and sign the financing documents (make sure to make a copy for your records) and mail the original documentation package to the underwriter for funding. Some lenders allow the financing documents to be signed electronically*
INSURANCE The financing packet you'll receive should include the insurance instructions for you to provide to your agent for processing. Once your insurance becomes active, you will need to request what it's called a "Certificate of Insurance" that will reflect detailed information about your policy. As a reminder, this certificate is required prior to funding.
FUNDED & COMPLETE The underwriter will require to complete a brief verbal interview with the applicant over the phone before submitting the file to funding. Deals are funded via wire transfer and most transactions post on the sellers bank account within the same business day and that's it!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (TRUCKERS POST LLC)
We've had the privilege in assisting many with achieving their business goals by matching them to the appropriate funding source that best suits their financial & credit status. Most transactions are funded within 3 business days and each client is assigned to their own financing specialist that will walk them through the entire process until it's complete.
If you're looking to finance a concession trailer and you don't know where to start? Give us a try here with no obligation and you'll receive an instant credit decision without the multiple credit inquiries 😉