Australian asset-finance lenders write against a wide range of transport assets — but lender appetite, terms, and policy vary materially by asset class. This guide breaks down the common categories, what lenders typically accept, and where the harder placements sit.
The core of Australian truck finance. Prime movers (semi-trailer-pulling tractors) and rigid trucks (single chassis, fixed body) are the most-financed asset class in the country, and the lender pool is deep. Major brands — Kenworth, Volvo, Isuzu, Hino, DAF, Mack, Western Star, Scania, Mercedes-Benz, Iveco — all carry strong residual values and are written by mainstream lenders on standard terms.
Terms typically run 36–84 months. Both new and used are financed; lenders care about age (most prefer assets under 10–15 years at end-of-term), kilometres (under 1 million km for prime movers is generally comfortable), service history, and condition.
Trailer finance is a separate transaction from prime mover finance, though both can be packaged in the same application. Common trailer categories include flat-tops, drop-decks, tautliners (curtainsiders), refrigerated, tippers, low-loaders, and tankers.
Mainstream lenders write trailers from established Australian manufacturers (Krueger, Vawdrey, Maxitrans, Freighter, Tieman, Lusty) on standard terms. Specialist trailer types (refrigerated, tankers, low-loaders for over-mass loads) may attract slightly different policy because the resale market is narrower.
A specific call-out because they come up so often in Melbourne-Victoria freight: curtainsiders (the side-curtain trailers used for general palletised freight) are bread-and-butter for mainstream asset-finance lenders. New and used both finance comfortably, terms run 36–60 months, and trade-in equity from prior trailer cycles is well-accepted.
Tippers (single-axle, twin-axle, super-tippers) and concrete agitators are well-financed, especially for operators with documented industry tenure. Lenders look more carefully at chassis hours and operating environment because the wear profile is heavier than for general-freight assets.
Specialist heavy — cranes, low-loaders, heavy haulage — sits in a smaller pool of lenders who understand the assets. Placement is still routine; it just narrows the panel.
Refrigerated bodies and refrigerated trailers add the refrigeration unit to the asset risk. Lenders treat them as standard finance assets but assess the refrigeration unit age and condition separately. Recently-replaced fridge units (Carrier, Thermo King) on a sound trailer chassis finance comfortably.
Tradie utes, vans, and light commercials at the smaller end of the asset spectrum finance under the same products (chattel mortgage, finance lease) but with shorter terms (24–60 months) and broader lender competition because the asset class overlaps with consumer vehicle finance.
Very old or high-kilometre assets — anything 15+ years old or 1.5M+ km gets harder to place. Some specialist lenders write against these, usually with deposit ask and shorter terms.
Imports without ADR compliance certification — finance lenders need to see the asset is legally road-registerable in Australia. Pre-compliance imports stall.
Heavily-modified or owner-built bodies — when the body has been substantially modified from manufacturer spec, lenders need engineering certification before writing.
Private sale of unusual asset classes — older prime movers from private sellers in regional locations sometimes need a specialist lender. Mainstream lenders prefer dealer-sourced assets where provenance is clean.
These are the situations where having a broker scoping placement across multiple lenders is genuinely useful — we can route the deal to the specialist rather than retrying mainstream lenders that will keep stalling.
Scoping finance for a specific truck or trailer? Submit an enquiry — describe the asset and we will return an indicative position from our accredited lender panel.
Yes — many operators bundle prime mover and trailer in a single application. They are usually written as separate contracts but assessed together for the lender's view of total exposure to your business.
Yes, most mainstream lenders write private-sale truck deals, though they may ask for additional verification of the asset (valuation, RACV/PPSR check, inspection report) compared to a dealer-sourced asset.
There is no universal cap, but most lenders prefer assets that will be under 15 years old at end-of-term. Older assets are placeable but typically through specialist lenders with shorter terms or deposit asks.
5-minute enquiry — we will refer your details to an accredited lender from our panel for review.