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Trucking / Freight / Logistics (Small Fleets)

The 3 anchors. Don't leave the meeting without them.

1THE PRICE
2.0x–3.5x (small owner-operators / 5–20 trucks); 3.0x–4.5x (asset-light with contracts, dry van/specialized)
Typical deal: $1.5M
2THE LEVER
Long-term shipper contracts or dedicated lane agreements
Push this up, multiple goes up
3THE LANDMINE
Heavy reliance on spot market only
Surface this in the first 15 min
SDE multiple
2.0x–3.5x (small owner-operators / 5–20 trucks); 3.0x–4.5x (asset-light with contracts, dry van/specialized)
EBITDA multiple
3.5x–5.5x (dry van, $500K–$5M EBITDA); 4.5x–6.5x (specialized: reefer, hazmat, flatbed); 5.0x–8.0x (larger fleets with long-term shipper contracts)
Deal size range
$300K – $10M+ (specialized niche fleets)
OPEN

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Three things to nail in the first 10 minutes.

  1. 1

    Small fleets of 5–20 trucks trade at 2.0x–3.5x SDE; asset-light with shipper contracts can reach 4.5x.

  2. 2

    Specialized equipment (reefer, hazmat, flatbed) commands 4.5x–6.5x EBITDA — specialty is where the premium lives.

  3. 3

    Long-term shipper contracts reduce spot market exposure — that's the difference between 2.5x and 4.0x.

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