Transport equipment finance for trucks, trailers and fleets

Who finances trucks, trailers and fleets?

The banks through their business vehicle and equipment finance, the truck makers' finance arms, and specialist asset lenders. Checked on each lender's own page between 19 and 30 September 2026; rates are set for each business and vehicle, so none is shown. Terms change without notice.

What transport equipment can be financed?

Prime movers, rigid trucks and tippers, semi-trailers and B-doubles, refrigerated trucks, tankers, tilt trays and tow trucks, vans and light commercials, and buses, new or used. Bodies, refrigeration units, cranes and toolboxes on the supplier's invoice can usually be financed with the vehicle. For a single truck, the truck finance guide covers the lenders, balloons and GST in detail, and the truck loans guide covers light and heavy commercial vehicles from the car loan side.

Owner-drivers and new operators

Lenders look at the driver's experience, the truck and the work it will do. A contract or letter of intent from a freight company helps a new owner-driver, and CommBank publishes 12 months of trading as a floor for its equipment finance. Under 12 months, expect to need a deposit, a guarantor with equity or a lender that specialises in new ABNs.

Fleet finance

A fleet can be financed truck by truck, or through one facility. BOQ publishes a revolving limit that lets a business buy equipment on an ongoing basis up to an approved limit without reapplying, and NAB draws facilities under a master asset finance agreement. Staggering the purchases lets you replace the fleet on a cycle, which keeps the average age down without a single large refinance.

Balloons and residuals on trucks

A balloon lowers the monthly repayment by leaving part of the price owing at the end. Illustration: $150,000 over five years at 10% p.a. is about $3,187 a month with no balloon and about $2,606 with a 30% ($45,000) balloon. Interest runs on the balloon for the whole term, and if the truck is worth less than the balloon when it falls due, you cover the gap, so set it below the resale value you expect.

GST and the car limit on trucks

The car limit that caps the GST credit and depreciation on passenger cars ($69,883 for 2026-27, with a GST credit cap of $6,353) applies to vehicles designed to carry fewer than nine passengers and a load under one tonne. A truck built to carry a tonne or more is outside it, so on a chattel mortgage or hire purchase a GST-registered business can generally claim the GST on the full price and depreciate the full cost.