Transportation Company Valuation
29 valuation methods · 43 industries · Results in under 10 minutes
In short
Companies that run their own trucks, aircraft, vessels, railcars or warehouses are valued on the higher of their earnings before rent and what their equipment would bring in an orderly sale. Freight brokers are valued on the net revenue they keep, and distributors on their earnings.
How businesses in this sector are valued
VA values a company that runs its own equipment on two readings and takes the higher. The first capitalizes earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortization and rent (EBITDAR) and subtracts the capitalized lease obligation, so companies that lease and companies that own compare on the same basis. The second is the orderly-sale value of the fleet, from its original cost and age. The same two readings value trucking, air charter, marine, rail, cold chain and warehousing companies, and a discounted cash flow, comparable companies and precedent transactions check each result. A freight broker is valued on its net revenue, what it keeps after paying carriers, rather than on gross billings. An industrial distributor is valued on its earnings with the approach for manufacturers and distributors, with an asset floor underneath.
Guides in this sector
Logistics & Transport
Value a trucking, logistics or transportation company on the higher of its earnings before rent and what its fleet would bring in an orderly sale.
Trucking
Value an asset-based trucking company on the higher of its earnings before rent and what its fleet would bring in an orderly sale.
Freight Brokerage
Value a freight brokerage or 3PL using gross revenue, net revenue multiples, and EBITDA analysis.
3PL & Warehousing
Value a third-party logistics or warehousing company on its earnings before rent, less its warehouse leases, with its own equipment as a floor.
Cold Chain Logistics
Value a cold chain logistics company on the higher of its earnings before rent and what its refrigerated trucks and equipment would bring in a sale.
Heavy Haul
Value a heavy haul or specialized transport company on the higher of its earnings before rent and what its tractors and trailers would bring in a sale.
Air Charter
Value an air charter or aircraft management company on the higher of its earnings before rent and what its aircraft would bring in an orderly sale.
Marine & Port Services
Value a marine towing, barge or port services company on the higher of its earnings before rent and what its vessels would bring in an orderly sale.
Rail Services
Value a short line railroad or rail services company on the higher of its earnings before rent and what its locomotives and railcars would bring in a sale.
Industrial Distribution
Value an industrial or MRO distributor on its earnings, with supplier lines, customer programs and working capital read the way buyers read them.
Value your business in under 10 minutes
- 1.Upload your financial statements, or type the figures in.
- 2.Confirm the add-backs and the industry details the model asks for.
- 3.Get a valuation range, the methods behind it and a PDF memorandum.
Further reading
Is a Business Worth 3 Times Profit? When It Is 2x, When It Is 5x, and Which Profit Counts
Is a business worth 3 times profit? Often, if the profit is SDE. When 2x or 5x applies instead, which profit counts, and what diligence does to the price.
How Much Is a Business Worth With $500,000 in Sales? The Revenue Ladder From $100K to $3 Million
Revenue does not set a price, earnings do. See what businesses at $100K, $200K, $300K, $500K, $1M, $2M and $3M in sales are worth at 10%, 20% and 30% margins.
Business Valuation Methods Explained: DCF vs. Comps vs. Precedent Transactions
The five business valuation methods professionals actually use (DCF, comparable companies, precedent transactions, SDE/EBITDA multiples, and asset-based), when each wins, and how they combine into one defensible number.
Frequently asked questions
How is a trucking company valued?
On the higher of its earnings before rent, less its lease obligations, and the orderly-sale value of its fleet. In a weak year the fleet sets the floor.
How is a freight brokerage valued?
On its net revenue: gross billings less what it pays carriers. That is the revenue the brokerage actually earns and keeps.
Why add rent back to earnings?
A carrier that leases its trucks pays rent that a carrier owning its fleet does not. Adding rent back and subtracting the lease obligation puts the two on the same footing.
Does fleet age matter?
Yes. An older fleet is worth less in a sale and needs replacing sooner, and a buyer prices that in.
Are aircraft, vessels and railcars valued like trucks?
On the same two readings. The fleet reading uses one age schedule built around trucks, and aircraft, vessels and railcars often hold their value longer, so when the fleet sets the value, an appraisal is the better guide.
As featured in
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Last reviewed September 26, 2026 against VA's valuation models.