Apply for Your Forklift Finance
Three quick steps. A forklift finance specialist gets back to you the same business day.
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Forklifts owner-operators, subcontractors and small-fleet operators across Australia are knocked back by banks, stalled in single-lender queues, and locked into single products by dealer finance. Whether you run warehouse and DC pick-and-pack operations, manufacturing plant materials handling, construction site lifts, container yard and port intermodal handling, cold-chain warehouse operations, hire-out forklifts on day-rate contracts, council and government subcontract work, or owner-operator materials handling.
Your application goes to specialist materials handling lenders who assess warehouse and DC contracts, asset value and trading history directly, in one structured submission with no multi-lender credit hits.
A simple, secure online application, with honest advice from a Australia specialist you can trust.
No pressure. No hit to your credit score.
Tell us about your business and the forklift you are financing through our secure online form.
An Australia-based forklift finance specialist reviews your situation and walks you through the documents needed for the lender match.
You'll have a clear pre-approval often within 1 business day, with rate, term and repayment structure tailored to how your business income actually flows.
Your specialist sources the strongest matched offer and coordinates settlement with the dealer, private seller or auction house.
Forklift finance settled across 80+ Australian lenders, from owner-operators to mid-size fleets. ACL 389328.
"DC operator added a third shift on a new pick-and-pack contract. Needed two more forklifts on the floor by Sunday night. Cody settled both deals Friday afternoon."
"Cold-storage warehouse fitout for a national retailer underwrote a fleet of reach trucks. Equifund put it on one chattel mortgage with one credit decision."
"3PL contract for an e-commerce platform required a forklift refresh across the DC. They matched us with a lender that scored on the 3PL contract and the active job book."
"Demo of an electric counterbalance forklift on the warehouse floor for two weeks. Noise and emissions wins. John had us approved by Wednesday and the unit stayed."
"Ex-fleet forklifts at a major DC sell-down, low hours, clean service books. Equifund pre-approved us across the catalogue so we bid on multiple lots."
"DC operator added a third shift on a new pick-and-pack contract. Needed two more forklifts on the floor by Sunday night. Cody settled both deals Friday afternoon."
"Cold-storage warehouse fitout for a national retailer underwrote a fleet of reach trucks. Equifund put it on one chattel mortgage with one credit decision."
"3PL contract for an e-commerce platform required a forklift refresh across the DC. They matched us with a lender that scored on the 3PL contract and the active job book."
"Demo of an electric counterbalance forklift on the warehouse floor for two weeks. Noise and emissions wins. John had us approved by Wednesday and the unit stayed."
"Ex-fleet forklifts at a major DC sell-down, low hours, clean service books. Equifund pre-approved us across the catalogue so we bid on multiple lots."
"First time on a long-term 3PL contract for a manufacturer. Jake structured a chattel mortgage with a term that matched the contract's run."
"Hire-out forklift fleet to industrial and warehouse contractors. Day-rate hire revenue didn't fit standard finance templates. They put us with a lender that structured the loan to the hire cycle."
"Expansion from warehouse-only forklifts into rough-terrain machines for site work. Terry matched us with a lender that scored on the active warehouse contracts and the site contract pipeline together."
"Owner-operator stepping up from labour-hire warehouse work to running our own forklifts on a DC contract. Jason structured a chattel mortgage with the right balloon to align with the income cycle."
"Regional manufacturer needing a forklift fleet for the production floor. Equifund found a lender that scored on the active production contracts and approved the deal on the contract case."
"First time on a long-term 3PL contract for a manufacturer. Jake structured a chattel mortgage with a term that matched the contract's run."
"Hire-out forklift fleet to industrial and warehouse contractors. Day-rate hire revenue didn't fit standard finance templates. They put us with a lender that structured the loan to the hire cycle."
"Expansion from warehouse-only forklifts into rough-terrain machines for site work. Terry matched us with a lender that scored on the active warehouse contracts and the site contract pipeline together."
"Owner-operator stepping up from labour-hire warehouse work to running our own forklifts on a DC contract. Jason structured a chattel mortgage with the right balloon to align with the income cycle."
"Regional manufacturer needing a forklift fleet for the production floor. Equifund found a lender that scored on the active production contracts and approved the deal on the contract case."
Side-by-side on the criteria that decide whether an Australian forklift finance deal settles or stalls.
| Criterion | Equifund Specialist | Major Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Income type | Reads project payments, progress claims and BAS | PAYG salary preferred, contract income often discounted |
| Lender access | Panel of 80+ Australian lenders matched to your file | One bank, one credit template |
| Pre-approval speed | Typically inside 24 hours | 5 to 10 business days on average |
| Documentation | Low-doc options available for established operators | Full financials usually required |
| Deposit | $0 deposit available for prime applications | Deposit typically required |
| Industry expertise | Australia-based asset and equipment finance specialists | Generic commercial credit team |
Straight answers to the questions Australian businesses and operators ask most.
We finance new, used, demonstrator, dealer and private-sale forklifts across all major makes and models. Your specialist matches the finance to your work and the lender to your file.
Pre-approval is typically inside 24 hours once you submit the form. Settlement timing then depends on the lender and asset details, with many Australian deals settling within a week of pre-approval.
No. Many of our lenders score the deal on contract income and asset value rather than requiring property security. Non-property owners regularly settle forklift finance through Equifund.
Not always. $0 deposit is available for prime applications, especially for established operators with active contracts and project work. Other deals may require a deposit depending on the asset, the lender and the loan term.
Yes. We finance dealer purchases, private sales, auctions and end-of-lease buyouts. The forklift just needs to meet the lender's age and condition requirements.
Yes. Many Australian operators refinance to access a better rate, restructure repayments around their income cycle, release equity from the asset, or consolidate multiple forklift loans into one facility.
We have a panel of 80+ Australian lenders spanning major banks, specialist asset financiers and non-bank lenders that specifically understand contract income and transport assets. Your specialist matches your file to the right lender for the deal.
Yes. We regularly settle multi-forklift deals for Australian fleets, often splitting the package across more than one lender to fit each asset's spec and your overall structure.
Yes. Forklifts, attachments, trailers and related equipment are all on the panel. Equipment security can be structured independently of forklift finance if that better suits the deal.
A chattel mortgage gives you immediate ownership of the forklift while the lender holds it as security. You claim GST upfront and depreciate the forklift for tax. It is the most common structure for established Australian owner-operators. A finance lease keeps the forklift on the lender's books with set monthly payments and an optional residual paid at the end of the term. Useful for fleet operators managing repayments against vehicle turnover. Your Australia-based forklift finance specialist will recommend the structure that suits your business and tax position. Read the full chattel mortgage vs finance lease comparison.
Contract income recognition is how a specialist lender reads income from project payments, progress claims and BAS rather than treating only PAYG salary as income. Bank credit templates often miss this. Specialist lenders read contract income accurately, which is why established Australian operators frequently get approved on deals that mainstream banks decline.
Low-doc forklift finance is approval on a reduced documentation set, usually a Director declaration plus business activity statements or recent bank statements, rather than full financials. It is faster to process and common for established small-fleet operators in Australia who would rather not produce two years of full tax returns for a single asset purchase.
Pre-approval is a conditional finance approval issued before you commit to a forklift. It sets the maximum loan amount, indicative rate, term and repayment structure so you can negotiate with dealers, private sellers or auction houses on solid ground. Equifund pre-approvals are typically issued within 24 hours of form submission.
An Australian Credit Licence (ACL) is a licence issued by ASIC permitting a business to engage in credit activities under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act. Equifund holds Australian Credit Licence 389328. Working with an ACL holder is a baseline regulatory protection for the borrower and a baseline trust signal for any Australian finance provider.
Yes. New, demo and used forklifts (counterbalance, reach trucks, order pickers, container handlers, rough-terrain) from Toyota, Linde, Yale, Crown, Hyster, Mitsubishi and CAT are routinely financed through specialist lenders on our panel.
Yes. Lenders on our panel score forklifts on contract income, BAS and active warehouse and construction contracts. The forklift itself secures the loan.
Three quick steps. A forklift finance specialist gets back to you the same business day.
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