Craters & FreightersFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Craters & Freighters franchise requires a total initial investment of $173K – $288K, including a $30K franchise fee. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $173K – $288K
- 43rd pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 29th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 64
- 35th pct Business Serv…
- SBA default
- 12.5%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Business Services avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Franchising since 1991. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
Bottom line
- Total investment $173K – $288K including a $30K franchise fee.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 47/100.
- No Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Craters & Freighters Franchise Company
- Incorporated in
- CO
- HQ
- 331 Corporate Circle, Suite J, Golden, Colorado 80401
- Auditor
- Wipfli LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $6.4M
- vs $6.7M prior year
Affiliated brands
- We developed a national account program through a former affiliate
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Craters & Freighters is a shipping and specialized freight packaging franchise where franchisees operate local distribution centers, managing custom crating, packaging, and freight logistics for businesses and consumers. Daily operations involve receiving shipments, designing protective packaging solutions, coordinating pickups/deliveries, and managing customer relationships in a service-based model.
- CEO
- Matthew Schmitz
- Headquarters
- CO
- Founded
- 1991
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 31
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing · 14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $30K | $40K | |
| Travel | $3K | $5K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $3K | $5K | |
| Warehouse Tools & Equipment | $40K | $60K | |
| Office Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment | $5K | $8K | |
| Monthly Rent | $5K | $10K | |
| Lease Security Deposit | $5K | $8K | |
| Vehicle Lease/Purchase | $30K | $65K | |
| Organizational Expenses | $2K | $3K | |
| Insurance | $7K | $15K | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $750 | $2K | |
| Deposits | $1K | $3K | |
| Miscellaneous Expense | $2K | $4K | |
| Additional Funds for First Three Months | $40K | $60K | |
| Total initial investment | $173K | $288K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $173K – $288K
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $40K – $60K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $40K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of (a) 5% of total Adjusted Gross Sales or (b) th…
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $250 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Business Services averages
How Craters & Freighters Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 64
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +0.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +0.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 1
- Closed (3yr)
- 1
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 3
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 1.6%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Ceased ops
- 1.6%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 25 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Michigan
- Virginia
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 8 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 8
- Loan volume
- $4.1M
- Median loan
- $301K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 12.5%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 75.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 8
- Defaults
- 1
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Craters & Freighters's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 8 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 7 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 8-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Craters & Freighters presents meaningful caution risk due to complete lack of financial transparency, stagnant unit base, and undefined royalty minimums that could strain cash flow.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $40,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Wipfli LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 47 / 100 rating
- 01MINORNo Item 19 financial performance disclosure (average revenue and net income not provided) prevents ROI validation
- 02MEDStagnant or unknown unit growth with only 64 locations suggests limited brand expansion and market traction
- 03MINORHigh initial investment range ($173K-$287K) combined with dual royalty structure (5% or minimum fee) creates unpredictable ongoing costs
- 04MINOR15-year term is lengthy and locks franchisee into relationship without demonstrated unit economics
- 05MEDMinimum Monthly Royalty Fee structure not disclosed—actual royalty burden unclear and potentially burdensome in slow months
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 15 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 15 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Counties |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Territory population | 1,000,000 |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Colorado |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 46 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 26 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Site selection
- joint
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Proprietary Program
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Proprietary Program
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
77 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Craters & Freighters · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Craters & Freighters franchise?
The total investment to open a Craters & Freighters franchise ranges from $173K – $288K, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Craters & Freighters franchise owners earn?
Craters & Freighters does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Craters & Freighters's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Craters & Freighters (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Craters & Freighters franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Craters & Freighters has 64 total units in the United States, including 64 franchised units and 0 company-owned units.
Is Craters & Freighters a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Craters & Freighters as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 47 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent Craters & Freighters, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Claim this brandOther Business Services franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Business Services category
Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.