All industry multiples

TRANSPORTATION · AUGUST 2026 MARKET DATA

How much is your trucking company worth?

Apply the reported 3.00× SDE and 0.66× revenue averages to your numbers, then inspect what makes one trucking company differ from another.

Cash flow multiple

3.00×Price ÷ seller’s discretionary earnings

Revenue multiple

0.66×Price ÷ annual gross revenue

Versus Transportation

+54%Cash-flow multiple versus the 1.95× broad-sector average

Versus all businesses

+16%Cash-flow multiple versus 2.58× overall

ASKING VS. CLOSED SALE · FULL YEAR 2025

Reported trucking company deals averaged 89% of asking.

Based on 34 reported sales. Use the ratio to understand category-level negotiation—not as a forecast for one transaction.

Average sale / ask89%Average transaction-level ratio
Median asking price$1,475,000Separate category median
Median closed price$1,300,000Separate category median
Median time on market231 days34 reported sales

Do not subtract the two medians. Median asking and sale prices may describe different transactions. The source's average sale-to-ask ratio is the supported negotiation measure.

COMPANY-SPECIFIC DILIGENCE

What buyers examine beyond the average.

These factors help explain why two businesses in the same category can sell at different multiples. They are diligence questions—not automatic percentage adjustments.

01Driver retention and safety history
02Fleet age, debt, and replacement needs
03Shipper concentration and contract quality

WORKED MARKET REFERENCE

How the two common methods compare

For an example trucking company with $1,000,000 in annual revenue and $250,000 in SDE:

SDE method$750,000$250,000 × 3.00
Revenue method$660,000$1,000,000 × 0.66

The indications can differ because margins vary. A personalized market reference should use the company’s actual revenue and normalized SDE, then consider transferability and deal terms separately.

Calculate my private reference

REUSE THIS BENCHMARK

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CITATION PREVIEW

Trucking company valuation benchmark: 3.00× SDE, 0.66× revenue, and $1,100,000 median reported sale price. Reported US closed-business aggregates from BizBuySell, Q3 2021–Q2 2026. Analysis and source notes: https://businessvaluation.fyi/business-valuation/trucking-company?utm_source=shared_benchmark&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=industry_benchmark

COMMON QUESTIONS

Reading this trucking company benchmark

How much is my trucking company worth?

A company-specific answer requires normalized earnings, revenue, and its operating risks. As a public starting point, reported sales in this category average 3.00× seller’s discretionary earnings and 0.66× annual revenue. The reported median sale price is $1,100,000.

What percentage of asking do reported trucking company sales achieve?

Across 34 reported 2025 sales, the source reports an average sale-to-ask ratio of 89%. That is an average of transaction-level ratios, not a promise that every seller discounted by the same amount.

How long do reported trucking company sales take?

The reported median was 231 days on market during 2025. Preparation, pricing, buyer financing, diligence, lease transfer, and deal terms can make an individual sale faster or slower.

How should I use the 3.00× multiple?

Apply it first to normalized SDE, not tax-return profit without review. Then cross-check the revenue method and examine the business-specific risks a buyer would inherit.

Does this tell me exactly what my trucking company is worth?

No. It is a reported-sale average, not an appraisal or offer. Company size, margins, growth, transferability, assets, liabilities, geography, and deal terms can produce a different outcome.

Source and scope

Public aggregates reported by BizBuySell for closed US sales of trucking companies. The headline multiples cover Q3 2021–Q2 2026; asking-price, sale-price, and time-on-market metrics cover the full 2025 calendar year. These are useful relative indicators, not a formal appraisal, offer, or complete census.