Carlsbad, California freight factoring company offering non-recourse factoring by default, fuel advances seven days a week, a fuel card and short 90-day initial agreements.
Services
Who it serves
Overview
Thunder Funding is a freight factoring company based at 2433 Impala Drive in Carlsbad, California. It buys freight invoices from carriers, offers fuel advances and runs a fuel card, and it positions itself as a carrier services company started by people who came up through trucking. Its About page says the founders began on loading docks and in dispatch and claims roles before starting the company to deal with the cash flow gap caused by slow broker payments.
The company says its mission is to provide non-recourse factoring and fuel advances with a high level of personal service.
Compare with other Factoring providers: Phoenix Capital Group, OTR Solutions and Apex Capital, or see all Factoring.
Services
Freight factoring with same-day funding is the main service. Thunder's FAQ says its agreements are non-recourse by default, meaning Thunder absorbs the loss if a broker goes bankrupt or becomes insolvent. That coverage does not extend to short payments or nonpayment caused by load disputes such as damages, claims, late fees or missing paperwork.
Fuel advances are available seven days a week. Carriers email their paperwork and Thunder processes the advance, which the FAQ says usually takes minutes. The Thunder fuel card offers discounted fuel and generates IFTA fueling reports.
The Thunder Mobile App handles invoice submission, fuel advance requests, cash tracking and broker credit information. Carriers also get a free 24/7 credit checking tool for brokers and shippers, and Thunder's team follows up with brokers until invoices are paid. The site also points carriers to trucking insurance through a partner agency and offers a free Factoring 101 guide.
Who it is for
Thunder says no operation is too large or too small, and it works with owner-operators and fleet owners. The FAQ says there is no minimum invoice volume, so a carrier can factor a single invoice or many. Startups and new authorities can often qualify because approval depends mainly on the credit of the broker being invoiced, not the carrier's personal credit score.
Carriers that need fuel money on weekends and want non-recourse coverage as the default rather than an upgrade are the clearest fit.
How working with them works
Carriers start on the Getting Started page, which the company says takes about five minutes, or by phone or contact form, with a reply promised within 24 hours.
Once active, carriers submit invoices through the app or by email. The FAQ says invoices submitted by 12 PM Pacific can be paid the same day and those submitted by 9 PM Pacific can be paid the next day.
Thunder does not publish its rates. Its rates and fees page says carriers pay a small percentage of each invoice, and that pricing depends on invoice volume, broker and shipper credit, payment terms and whether the agreement is recourse or non-recourse. The FAQ says there are no setup fees. Agreements start with an initial 90-day term, and the company says it will never require a long-term commitment. Carriers do not always have to factor every invoice, but the terms depend on the agreement.
Questions to ask before you sign
Ask for the non-recourse terms in writing. Thunder's FAQ already excludes disputes, damages, claims, late fees and missing paperwork, so ask how long a broker can go unpaid before an invoice is charged back and how disputes are resolved.
Ask for your advance rate, since the site does not publish one, and whether any reserve is held.
Ask for the factoring percentage and every other charge, including fuel advance fees, wire and ACH costs and any administrative fees. Thunder's own rates page suggests asking whether additional administrative charges apply.
Ask what happens after the initial 90-day term: whether the agreement renews automatically, the notice needed to cancel and whether any termination fee applies.
Confirm there are no minimums and whether your agreement lets you choose which brokers to factor.
Ask how notice of assignment is sent to brokers, how fuel advances are sized against the load rate, and how quickly broker credit limits can be raised.
Company background
Thunder Funding's About page names Jim Silva as President and Co-Founder and lists an executive team that includes an Executive Vice President and vice presidents for operations, marketing and sales, finance and human resources. The company says its founding group brings more than 35 years of trucking experience and 20 years of factoring knowledge, and that it will slow its own growth if personal service to clients starts to suffer.
The company does not publish a founding year, headcount or ownership details on its website.
Sources
Information compiled from public sources. Last verified November 2026. Confirm details directly with the company.
