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Small businesses in the transport and logistics sector are facing a particularly challenging operating environment, according to SME lender OnDeck Australia (OnDeck), with elevated diesel prices, persistent late payments and the introduction of Payday Super adding to cost and cash flow pressures.
OnDeck said average retail diesel prices across Australia’s five largest cities reached 283.3 cents per litre on 30 September, according to the latest fuel monitoring data from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. That was up from 250.2 cents per litre on 26 August and 176.6 cents per litre in February 2026.
Late payments have also added to the pressure, with OnDeck citing CreditorWatch’s April Business Risk Index, which found around 7.09 per cent of invoices in the transport, postal and warehousing sector were more than 60 days overdue.
The non-bank also pointed to the introduction of Payday Super as a third pressure point for transport businesses, which often need to pay drivers and cover fuel and other operating costs upfront while waiting weeks for customer invoices to be paid.
OnDeck Australia CEO Cameron Poolman said the combination of these pressures highlighted the importance of managing the timing of incoming and outgoing cash.
“For many small businesses, the challenge isn’t necessarily the underlying performance of the business. It can simply be that money is going out before money comes in,” Poolman said.
“That becomes particularly important in sectors such as transport, where major operating costs like fuel and wages are paid continuously but customers may be operating on considerably longer payment terms.
“When several of those pressures come together at once, the speed of a lending decision can make a meaningful difference to how a business manages its working capital.”
Transport clients need finance fast
Gaurav Soni, CEO and founder of Adelaide-based brokerage Yes Financials & Property Management, said he has seen a marked increase in small transport businesses seeking finance at short notice over the past year.
“A year ago, around 20 per cent of my clients were seeking rapid access to funding. Today, that figure is closer to 30 per cent, especially among small businesses operating in the transport and logistics sector facing increased cash flow pressure,” Soni said.
A mismatch between payables and receivables can leave otherwise healthy businesses facing working capital shortfalls when several major expenses fall due at once, according to Soni.
“Without this funding, transport and logistics companies may have to postpone payments or miss business opportunities, while also putting unnecessary pressure on day-to-day operations,” he said.
Soni cited a recent transaction with OnDeck as an example of the importance of speed when a client is facing an immediate cash flow need.
“My client needed a decision urgently so that he could spend the weekend free from worries about the financial well-being of his business,” Soni said.
“Small businesses can’t always afford to wait days for a lending decision. When a funding need is time-sensitive, this kind of turnaround can be a real game-changer for small businesses.”
Poolman said technology was helping lenders make faster decisions by giving them greater visibility over a business’ revenue, cash flow and trading history.
“Rather than relying solely on traditional, lengthy lending processes, OnDeck uses its proprietary Lightning Score, a risk model built on years of Australian small business lending data, to assess applications on revenue, cash flow and trading history rather than property ownership,” he said.
[Related: OnDeck names new chief credit officer]
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