The specs
TBS Factoring ServiceRTS Financial
Product typeMulti-productMulti-product
Amount range$500 – $5M+ in invoices factored (no hard cap)$500 – $5M+ in invoices factored (no hard cap)
Cost (factor / APR)Factor rate 1.5 – 5% of invoice value (volume-tiered; lower at higher monthly factored volume)Factor rate 1.5 – 4% of invoice value (volume-tiered)
Speed to fundSame-day funding on verified invoices (often within 4 hours)Same-day funding on verified invoices
Min time in business0 months0 months
Min monthly revenueVolume-based (typically $10K+/mo factored); accepts new-authority MC carriersVolume-based; accepts new-authority MC carriers
Min credit scoreNo FICO floor — underwrites against broker / shipper credit, not carrier creditNo FICO floor — underwrites against broker / shipper credit
Products
- Freight factoring (recourse standard, non-recourse optional)
- Fuel card with TA/Petro discounts
- Free broker credit checks
- Dispatch and back-office services
- Freight factoring (recourse + non-recourse)
- RTS Fuel card
- ProTransport TMS software
- Equipment financing referrals
Verdicts by use case
- Owner-operator (1 – 3 trucks) seeking longest-tenured industry brand — Winner: TBS Factoring Service. TBS Factoring Service has been factoring since 1968 — among the longest-tenured trucking factors in the U.S. Broker familiarity with TBS verification workflows means fewer disputes on routine loads and faster invoice approval on common brokers. For owner-operators hauling for established brokers TBS's brand recognition reduces friction on day-one invoicing.
- Mid-size fleet (10 – 50 trucks) consolidating to one back-office stack — Winner: RTS Financial. RTS Financial bundles factoring + RTS Fuel card + ProTransport TMS under one platform. For fleets that need dispatch, settlement, and IFTA reporting alongside factoring, the single-vendor consolidation saves real ops time — typically 4 – 10 hours/week of admin at 10+ trucks. Triumph and Apex don't bundle a TMS at the same depth as RTS + ProTransport.
- Largest fuel card discount network for TA/Petro-heavy routes — Winner: TBS Factoring Service. TBS's fuel card discount network anchored to TA/Petro is one of the largest single-network discount footprints for OTR carriers — typically $0.05 – $0.10/gallon discount at TA/Petro locations. RTS Fuel is competitive at TA/Petro but the overall network depth is smaller. For carriers running TA/Petro-heavy routes TBS fuel card saves $200 – $800/mo per truck more than RTS depending on fuel consumption.
- Lowest all-in cost at $50K+/mo factored volume — Winner: Tie. Both publish volume-tiered factor rates that compress to roughly 1.5 – 2.5% at $50K+/mo factored volume. Headline rates are similar; effective cost depends on ancillary fees (ACH per transaction, same-day surcharge, chargeback fees, fuel card monthly fees, software subscription costs). Always request the all-in rate quote in writing from both before deciding. Differences at this volume usually fall in a 0.2 – 0.5 point band — meaningful but not decisive. Pick on service quality, contract flexibility, and bundled-software value, not headline factor.
- Non-recourse factoring with explicit broker-default protection — Winner: RTS Financial. Both offer non-recourse but RTS's non-recourse program is more visibly priced and more frequently used. If you want explicit broker-default protection priced as a transparent line-item premium (typically 0.5 – 1.0 points of factor above recourse pricing), RTS or Apex Capital is the more natural path. TBS's default-recourse posture means you eat unpaid invoices unless you specifically negotiate non-recourse — and TBS's non-recourse premium is less transparently disclosed than RTS's.
The honest takeaway
TBS Factoring Service and RTS Financial solve overlapping but distinct problems. The right choice depends on three things you already know about your business: how fast you need the money, how long you've been operating, and whether the capital need is one-time or recurring.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the actual all-in cost difference between TBS and RTS on a $25K/mo factored book in 2026?
- At $25K/mo volume both factors typically quote 2.5 – 3.5% headline factor. On $25K/mo that's $625 – $875/mo in factoring fees. Add ancillary fees: ACH per transaction ($1 – $5 × 30 – 60 invoices/mo = $30 – $300/mo), same-day surcharge ($10 – $25 per occurrence × 5 – 15 same-day requests = $50 – $375/mo), chargeback fees ($25 – $100 per occurrence × occasional = $0 – $200/mo), fuel card monthly fees ($0 – $15/mo per card × 1 – 3 cards = $0 – $45/mo). All-in monthly cost typically runs $700 – $1,800 for both TBS and RTS at this volume. Differences between TBS and RTS at this volume usually fall in a $50 – $200/mo band — meaningful but not decisive. The 2026-06-28 owner-operator factoring playbook: pick on service quality (account manager responsiveness, invoice verification speed, broker credit database depth) and contract flexibility, not headline factor. If you fuel mostly at TA/Petro pick TBS for fuel savings; if you want bundled ProTransport TMS pick RTS.
- Do TBS or RTS require long-term contracts and what's the termination cost?
- Both default to 12 – 24 month contracts with termination fees if you leave early — typical termination fees $500 – $2,500 plus 30 – 60 days written notice period. Standard industry practice for trucking factors. OTR Capital is the standout with true month-to-month options (no termination fee, 30 days notice) — at a slight headline factor premium (typically 0.2 – 0.5 points above 12-month contract rates). If you're new to factoring and want to test the relationship first, OTR's month-to-month is a safer first-year choice than TBS or RTS lock-ins, even at a slightly higher headline factor. After 12 months of factoring experience and a confirmed long-term factor relationship, switching to TBS or RTS at the lower 12 – 24 month contract rate makes sense. The 2026-06-28 first-time factoring playbook: start with OTR Capital month-to-month for 6 – 12 months, then evaluate TBS / RTS / Apex / Triumph for long-term contract pricing based on demonstrated volume and broker profile.
- Can I switch from TBS to RTS mid-contract without losing the contract value?
- Yes, but you'll pay TBS's termination fee (typically $500 – $2,500) plus the 30 – 60 days notice period — during which you continue factoring with TBS at contract rates. Switching mid-contract usually only makes sense if RTS is materially cheaper on your specific volume (0.5+ points of factor differential), or if you're consolidating onto ProTransport TMS for operational reasons (e.g. growing from 5 to 15 trucks and wanting one platform for dispatch + factoring), or if TBS service quality has materially degraded (slow invoice verification, account manager turnover). Run the 12-month all-in cost math before triggering the switch: include termination fee, transition costs (re-verifying brokers with new factor, fuel card swap operational disruption), and the actual factor + ancillary fee differential. If the 12-month savings don't exceed $2,000 – $4,000, wait out the contract and switch at renewal instead. Most carriers stay with their first factor 24+ months once the relationship is established — factoring switching costs are real even without termination fees.