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{{Short description|Former organisation}}
{{notability|1=Companies|date=August 2026}}
{{Draft topics|north-america|business-and-economics|engineering}}
{{Orphan|date=August 2026}}
{{AfC topic|other}}
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{{Infobox company 
'''Fluid Truck''' (legally '''Fluid Market, Inc.''') was an American truck-sharing and commercial vehicle rental platform headquartered in [[Denver]], [[Colorado]]. James Eberhard established the company in 2016 and it offered rentable commercial vehicles.<ref name="tc-bankruptcy" /> In October&nbsp;2024, Fluid Truck filed for [[Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 11]] bankruptcy protection.<ref name="wsj-bankruptcy" /> Its assets were acquired by Kingbee Rentals in December&nbsp;2024.<ref name="abf-sale" />
| name = Fluid Truck 
| logo = 
| type = Private (2016–2024) 
| industry = Transportation, vehicle rental, sharing economy 
| founded = 2016 
| founder = [[James Eberhard]] 
| hq_location_city = Denver, Colorado 
| hq_location_country = United States 
| area_served = United States 
| products = Truck rental platform, fleet management software 
| services = On-demand commercial vehicle rental 
| fate = Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (2024); assets acquired by Kingbee Rentals 
}}
 
'''Fluid Truck''' (legally ''Fluid Market, Inc.'') was an American truck-sharing and commercial vehicle rental platform headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 2016, the company operated a digital marketplace that enabled businesses and individuals to rent commercial vehicles on demand.<ref name="venturebeat-funding" />
 
The company expanded across multiple U.S. markets during the late 2010s and early 2020s. In October 2024, Fluid Truck filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.<ref name="wsj-bankruptcy" /> Its assets were subsequently acquired by Kingbee Rentals in December 2024.<ref name="abf-sale" />


== History ==
== History ==
Line 29: Line 8:
=== Founding and early growth ===
=== Founding and early growth ===


Fluid Truck was founded in 2016 by [[James Eberhard]]. The company developed a platform designed to improve utilization of commercial vehicles by allowing owners to rent idle fleet assets through a centralized marketplace.
Fluid Truck was founded in 2016 by James Eberhard.<ref name="denverpost" />


Fluid Truck raised venture capital funding from institutional investors, including Bison Capital and IKEA to support fleet expansion and platform development.<ref name="venturebeat-funding" />
Fluid Truck raised venture capital funding from institutional investors, including Bison Capital and Ingka Capital, [[IKEA]]'s fundraising arm.<ref name="tc-funding"/> In 2019, it raised $63 million in a fundraising event.<ref name="cnbc" />
 
=== Expansion and financial challenges ===
 
By the early 2020s, Fluid Truck had expanded into numerous U.S. cities and served both individual and business customers.<ref name="dbj-growth" /> However, the company reported financial losses and faced operational challenges, including fluctuations in vehicle values and demand for rentals. The company sought additional financing but was unable to secure sufficient capital to sustain operations.<ref name="wsj-bankruptcy" />


=== Bankruptcy and acquisition ===
=== Bankruptcy and acquisition ===


In October 2024, Fluid Truck filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.<ref name="wsj-bankruptcy" /><ref name="bankruptcy-filing" />
Fluid Truck had expanded into at least thirty [[U.S. state]]s by 2024. However, the company reported financial losses and faced operational challenges.<ref name="wsj-bankruptcy" /> In October&nbsp;2024, Fluid Truck filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the [[United States District Court for the District of Delaware]].<ref name="wsj-bankruptcy" />
 
In December 2024, substantially all of Fluid Truck’s assets were acquired by Kingbee Rentals in a court-approved transaction.<ref name="abf-sale" />
 
== Business model ==
 
Fluid Truck operated a digital marketplace connecting vehicle owners with renters. The platform allowed users to access commercial vehicles without visiting a traditional rental facility.<ref name="venturebeat-funding" />
 
Key features of the model included:
 
* On-demand reservations via mobile application 
* Keyless vehicle access and telematics integration 
* Distributed fleet locations within metropolitan areas 
* Flexible rental durations ranging from hourly to monthly 


The company generated revenue through service fees and a share of rental transactions.<ref name="venturebeat-funding" />
In December&nbsp;2024, Fluid Truck's assets were acquired by Kingbee Rentals after a court–approved transaction.<ref name="abf-sale" /><ref name="epiq-case"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wingerter |first=Justin |date=2024-12-18 |title=Fluid Truck, which raised $80M from investors, is sold for $10M |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2024/12/18/fluid-truck-money-investors-sold/ |access-date=2026-09-02 |website=The Denver Post |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bean |first=Dave |date=2024-12-24 |title=Kingbee Vans Acquires Fluid Truck Improving Availability of Rentals for Fleets |url=https://www.fleetmanagementweekly.com/kingbee-vans-acquires-fluid-truck-improving-availability-of-rentals-for-fleets/ |access-date=2026-09-02 |website=Fleet Management Weekly |language=en-US}}</ref>
 
== Technology ==
 
The company’s platform integrated mobile applications with telematics hardware to enable contactless rentals. Users could locate, unlock, and operate vehicles using smartphones.<ref name="venturebeat-funding" />
 
The system also supported fleet tracking, usage monitoring, and maintenance coordination.


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 66: Line 22:
* [[U-Haul]]   
* [[U-Haul]]   
* [[Zipcar]]   
* [[Zipcar]]   
* [[Turo]]
* [[Turo]]


== References ==
== References ==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="tc-funding">{{cite news
|last=Bellan
|first=Rebecca
|title=Fluid Truck, the Zipcar of commercial trucks, raises $63M to take on rental giants
|url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/02/fluid-truck-the-zipcar-of-commercial-trucks-raises-63m-to-take-on-rental-giants/
|work=TechCrunch
|date=2021-03-02
}}</ref>


<ref name="wsj-bankruptcy">{{cite news
<ref name="wsj-bankruptcy">{{cite news
|last=Yerak
|first=Becky
  |title='Uber of Truck Rentals' Files for Bankruptcy
  |title='Uber of Truck Rentals' Files for Bankruptcy
  |url=https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/uber-of-truck-rentals-files-for-bankruptcy-a6b44afb
  |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/uber-of-truck-rentals-files-for-bankruptcy-a6b44afb
  |work=The Wall Street Journal
  |work=The Wall Street Journal
  |date=2024-10-16
  |date=2024-10-17
}}</ref>
}}</ref>


<ref name="venturebeat-funding">{{cite news
<ref name="tc-bankruptcy">{{cite news
  |title=Fluid Truck raises $63M for its commercial vehicle-sharing platform
|last=Bellan
  |url=https://venturebeat.com/business/fluid-truck-raises-63m-for-its-commercial-vehicle-sharing-platform/
|first=Rebecca
  |work=VentureBeat
  |title=Fluid Truck files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and pursues sale after leadership shakeup
  |date=2022-01-19
  |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/18/fluid-truck-files-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy-and-pursues-sale-after-leadership-shakeup/
  |work=TechCrunch
  |date=2024-10-18
}}</ref>
}}</ref>


<ref name="techcrunch-funding">{{cite news
<ref name="denverpost">{{cite news |last1=Wingerter |first1=Justin |title=Bankrupt Fluid Truck leaves Denver offices, reveals $35 million in debt |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2024/12/03/fluid-truck-leaves-denver-offices-bankruptcy/ |access-date=July 31, 2026 |work=[[The Denver Post]] |date=December 3, 2024}}</ref>
|title=Fluid Truck raises funding to expand its truck-sharing platform
 
|url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/19/fluid-truck-funding/
<ref name="cnbc">{{cite news |last1=LeBeau |first1=Phil |title=Truck sharing start-up Fluid Truck raises capital in bid to disrupt rental industry |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/02/truck-sharing-start-up-fluid-truck-raises-capital-in-bid-to-disrupt-rental-industry-.html |access-date=August 5, 2026 |work=[[CNBC]] |date=March 2, 201}}</ref>
|work=TechCrunch
|date=2022-01-19
}}</ref>


<ref name="abf-sale">{{cite news
<ref name="abf-sale">{{cite news
  |title=SSG Advises Fluid Truck in Sale of Substantially All Assets to Kingbee Rentals
|last=Wilson
|first=Brianna
  |title=SSG Advises Fluid Truck in the Sale of Substantially All Assets to Kingbee Rentals
  |url=https://www.abfjournal.com/ssg-advises-fluid-truck-in-the-sale-of-substantially-all-assets-to-kingbee-rentals/
  |url=https://www.abfjournal.com/ssg-advises-fluid-truck-in-the-sale-of-substantially-all-assets-to-kingbee-rentals/
  |work=ABF Journal
  |work=ABF Journal
  |date=2024-12-10
  |date=2025-01-10
}}</ref>
}}</ref>


<ref name="bankruptcy-filing">{{cite web
<ref name="epiq-case">{{cite web
  |title=In re Fluid Market, Inc. (Chapter 11 Case)
  |title=Fluid Market, Inc. Overview Case: 24-12363
  |url=https://cases.ra.kroll.com/fluidtruck/
  |url=https://dm.epiq11.com/case/fluidtruck/info
  |website=Kroll Restructuring Administration
  |website=Epiq 11
  |date=2024
  |date=2024-10-16
}}</ref>
}}</ref>
}}


<ref name="dbj-growth">{{cite news
[[Category:Transportation companies of the United States]]
|title=Denver startup Fluid Truck expands its vehicle-sharing marketplace
[[Category:Companies based in Denver]]
|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2022/01/19/fluid-truck-expansion.html
[[Category:Companies established in 2016]]
|work=Denver Business Journal
[[Category:2016 establishments in Colorado]]
|date=2022-01-19
[[Category:Sharing economy]]
}}</ref>
[[Category:Defunct companies of the United States]]
 
<ref name="bi-trend">{{cite news
|title=Startups are building the 'Uber for trucks' — here's how they work
|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/startups-uber-for-trucks-explained-2022-2
|work=Business Insider
|date=2022-02-10
}}</ref>
 
{{Reflist}}
 
[[Category:Transportation companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Companies based in Denver]]
[[Category:Companies established in 2016]]
[[Category:2016 establishments in Colorado]]
[[Category:Sharing economy]]
[[Category:Defunct companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2024]]
[[Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2024]]

Latest revision as of 17:00, 7 October 2026

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Fluid Truck (legally Fluid Market, Inc.) was an American truck-sharing and commercial vehicle rental platform headquartered in Denver, Colorado. James Eberhard established the company in 2016 and it offered rentable commercial vehicles.[1] In October 2024, Fluid Truck filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.[2] Its assets were acquired by Kingbee Rentals in December 2024.[3]

History

Founding and early growth

Fluid Truck was founded in 2016 by James Eberhard.[4]

Fluid Truck raised venture capital funding from institutional investors, including Bison Capital and Ingka Capital, IKEA's fundraising arm.[5] In 2019, it raised $63 million in a fundraising event.[6]

Bankruptcy and acquisition

Fluid Truck had expanded into at least thirty U.S. states by 2024. However, the company reported financial losses and faced operational challenges.[2] In October 2024, Fluid Truck filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware.[2]

In December 2024, Fluid Truck's assets were acquired by Kingbee Rentals after a court–approved transaction.[3][7][8][9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bellan, Rebecca (2024-10-18). "Fluid Truck files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and pursues sale after leadership shakeup". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/18/fluid-truck-files-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy-and-pursues-sale-after-leadership-shakeup/. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Yerak, Becky (2024-10-17). "'Uber of Truck Rentals' Files for Bankruptcy". The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/uber-of-truck-rentals-files-for-bankruptcy-a6b44afb. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wilson, Brianna (2025-01-10). "SSG Advises Fluid Truck in the Sale of Substantially All Assets to Kingbee Rentals". ABF Journal. https://www.abfjournal.com/ssg-advises-fluid-truck-in-the-sale-of-substantially-all-assets-to-kingbee-rentals/. 
  4. ↑ Wingerter, Justin (December 3, 2024). "Bankrupt Fluid Truck leaves Denver offices, reveals $35 million in debt". The Denver Post. https://www.denverpost.com/2024/12/03/fluid-truck-leaves-denver-offices-bankruptcy/. 
  5. ↑ Bellan, Rebecca (2021-03-02). "Fluid Truck, the Zipcar of commercial trucks, raises $63M to take on rental giants". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/02/fluid-truck-the-zipcar-of-commercial-trucks-raises-63m-to-take-on-rental-giants/. 
  6. ↑ LeBeau, Phil (March 2, 201). "Truck sharing start-up Fluid Truck raises capital in bid to disrupt rental industry". CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/02/truck-sharing-start-up-fluid-truck-raises-capital-in-bid-to-disrupt-rental-industry-.html. 
  7. ↑ "Fluid Market, Inc. Overview Case: 24-12363". 2024-10-16. https://dm.epiq11.com/case/fluidtruck/info. 
  8. ↑ Wingerter, Justin (2024-12-18). "Fluid Truck, which raised $80M from investors, is sold for $10M" (in en-US). https://www.denverpost.com/2024/12/18/fluid-truck-money-investors-sold/. 
  9. ↑ Bean, Dave (2024-12-24). "Kingbee Vans Acquires Fluid Truck Improving Availability of Rentals for Fleets" (in en-US). https://www.fleetmanagementweekly.com/kingbee-vans-acquires-fluid-truck-improving-availability-of-rentals-for-fleets/. 
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