Trailer Finance for Freight Operators

Yes. Refinance is common when an existing deal was settled at high rates, has an unfavourable structure such as restrictive covenants, or is consolidating multiple trailers into one facility. We compare your current setup against the specialist panel and present options.

Yes. Fleet deals, two or three trailers for a single contract, a B-double plus tag set, or a staged purchase across a 12-month pipeline are all common. The lender panel includes options that split fleet deals across facilities or fund them under one master agreement.

Yes. Combined prime mover and trailer applications (lead-and-tag, B-double plus dolly, road train sets) are common and usually structured under a single facility against the contract value. Specialist lenders understand how the prime mover and trailer set work together as a revenue-earning unit.

You own the trailer from the day finance settles, while your lender holds a mortgage over it as security until the loan is repaid. It's the most requested structure for GST-registered transport operators, since you can typically claim the GST back on the purchase price straight away and depreciation runs through your own business. Best for GST-registered operators wanting full ownership from day one, with terms from 1 to 7 years.

With hire purchase, the lender owns the trailer for the life of the agreement and you make fixed repayments to use it, with ownership transferring to you once the final payment clears. It suits operators who want the certainty of a fixed repayment structure, and the GST is spread across your payments rather than claimed as one lump sum upfront. Terms are flexible.

Under a finance lease, your lender retains legal title to the trailer for the term of the lease while you use it on the road, making regular lease payments that are typically fully tax deductible. At the end of the term you can make an offer to buy the trailer, refinance the residual, or hand it back. Best for operators preferring an off-balance-sheet structure, with flexible terms.

An operating lease means you pay to use the trailer for an agreed term, and your lender carries the risk of its residual value, not you. It suits fleets that like to keep their trailers current, since bundled servicing is often included and you simply hand it back and roll into a newer trailer when the term ends. Terms typically run 3 to 5 years.

With an unsecured business loan, funds are assessed against your business's trading position rather than security over the trailer itself, so you can move quickly on a private sale or older trailer a traditional lender might decline. Best for fast settlement or older trailers, with a shorter, flexible term.

A wide panel of Australian lenders spanning major banks, specialist asset financiers and non-bank lenders that specifically understand freight income, head-contractor agreements and trailer-set residual value.

Freight income recognition is how a specialist lender reads income from freight invoices, head-contractor agreements, purchase orders and ongoing route contracts, rather than treating only PAYG salary as income. It matters for owner-operators and fleet operators whose income comes from freight-rate or contracted haulage, not a fortnightly pay slip.

Low-doc trailer finance is asset finance assessed on a reduced document set, typically BAS, bank statements and the freight contract or quote, rather than full financials and tax returns. Best suited to established operators with an active ABN, freight income and trading history who don't have current-year financials prepared.

Pre-approval is a conditional credit decision from a specialist lender before you commit to a specific trailer. It gives you a confirmed budget, a repayment estimate and a window to find the right asset. Pre-approval is a credit decision, not a guarantee; the final offer is subject to the chosen trailer meeting the lender's asset criteria.

An Australian Credit Licence (ACL) is the ASIC authorisation required to engage in regulated credit activities in Australia. Equifund operates under ACL 389328. This means we are bound by responsible lending obligations and the National Consumer Credit Protection Act when arranging finance.

Yes. Major state infrastructure programs, from Sydney's rail and motorway works to Melbourne's transport upgrades and Queensland's civil pipeline, are strong asset cases for specialist lenders that fund tipper-and-dog combinations, side-tippers, drop decks and curtainsider sets for tier-1 and tier-2 subcontractors across the national infrastructure pipeline.

B-double linehaul, refrigerated logistics, container drayage and bulk-haulage income is read from head-contractor purchase orders, shipper contracts, BAS, freight invoices and ongoing route agreements rather than monthly PAYG. Specialist lenders on the panel understand interstate linehaul cycles, reefer distribution-centre run contracts, port drayage wharf agreements and grower-harvest haulage cycles, and structure repayments around the contract calendar.