Craters & Freighters franchise
A business providing custom crating, packing, shipping and logistics services. At the end of 2025 there were 65 Craters & Freighters locations in the US, 64 franchised and 1 company-owned.
- Cost to open
- $207K–$390K
- Franchise fee
- $35K–$45K
- Royalty
- 5%; minimum and volume terms
- Locations, 2025
- 650 in 3 yrs
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Company snapshot
- SBA loans
- On the SBA Franchise Directory
From CRATERS & FREIGHTERS FRANCHISE COMPANY’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
How much a Craters & Freighters franchise costs
Opening one Craters & Freighters costs an estimated $207,000 to $390,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: CRATERS & FREIGHTERS FRANCHISE COMPANY, 2026 filing, page 17
Craters & Freighters franchise fee
The franchise fee is $35,000 to $45,000, Larger territories incur an additional population-based territory fee.. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: CRATERS & FREIGHTERS FRANCHISE COMPANY, 2026 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of adjusted gross sales or the monthly minimum royalty, whichever is greater; volume bonuses may apply. |
|---|
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: CRATERS & FREIGHTERS FRANCHISE COMPANY, 2026 filing, page 12
Sales and earnings
No figures Craters & Freighters does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: CRATERS & FREIGHTERS FRANCHISE COMPANY, 2026 filing, page 44
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 64 (0) | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 65 (+1) | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 64 (−1) | 1 | 1 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
Source: CRATERS & FREIGHTERS FRANCHISE COMPANY, 2026 filing, page 45
How Craters & Freighters compares
Of the 77 business services franchises on this site, Craters & Freighters is the 66th cheapest to open and the 45th largest by number of locations.
| Measure | Craters & Freighters | Typical business services |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $207K | $90K |
| Royalty | 5% | 7.8% |
| Closed or left per year | 0.5% | 8.5% |
| Change in franchised locations, 3 yrs | 0% | +9.4% |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 59 of 77 |
Typical is the median across the 77 brands in business services franchises.
