18 tonne truck finance
The 18 tonne rigid is the workhorse of UK regional distribution, and its wide resale market makes it one of the more straightforward HGVs to place.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance a 18 tonne truck?
Yes. An 18 tonne rigid funds comfortably on hire purchase or lease, whether it is a factory-bodied curtainside, a box with a tail lift, or a bare chassis going to a bodybuilder. Used examples fund across a wide age band because demand for them never really softens. The detail that trips buyers up is axle configuration and body length against the work: a 4x2 18 tonner with a long body can run out of payload before it runs out of floor space, and funders who know the sector will question a spec that does not match the described contract.
Used kit: Yes — used 18 tonne rigids fund easily, commonly up to ten or twelve years old where the chassis is sound and the test history is clean.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
What would a 18 tonne truck cost per month?
Asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what the buttons show, with the equivalent APR beside it. Your exact rate depends on the asset, the term, the deposit and the lender.
Prime is an established, profitable business with clean credit. Specialist covers newer businesses and credit that needs explaining — the asset itself carries part of the risk, which is why finance is often available where an unsecured loan is not.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 5.15% flat rate (equivalent to 9.9% APR representative), you would repay around £628 a month; total amount repayable approximately £30,150, of which £5,150 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and may receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Rates shown are indicative flat rates with the equivalent APR alongside — the two are not the same number. Indicative only and does not constitute a quote or an offer of finance. Subject to status and lender approval.
How lenders treat it
Eighteen tonners sit in the sweet spot of funder appetite. Resale is genuinely national — auction, dealer and export demand all overlap — so a funder can recover value without a specialist disposal route, and that widens the panel considerably. Underwriting therefore concentrates on the operator: O-licence held with spare margin on the disc, maintenance arrangements in place, and whether the business has run vehicles at this weight before. A fleet adding its fourth 18 tonner is a very different proposition to a merchant buying its first. Bodywork is checked for standardness; a curtainside or dry box is neutral, a heavily bespoke build reduces the number of funders willing to lend against it at full value.
Makes and models we fund
Examples of the machines we are asked to fund. This is not an exhaustive list — if what you are buying is not here, it does not mean we cannot fund it. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine | What it is |
|---|---|
| DAF LF 260 18t | The default eighteen tonne rigid |
| Volvo FL 250 18t | Four-wheel rigid with sleeper option |
| Mercedes-Benz Atego 1824 | Proven eighteen tonner for mixed haulage |
| MAN TGM 18.250 | Torquey rigid for heavier bodies |
| Scania P250 18t | Day cab rigid built to last |
| Iveco Eurocargo 180E28 | Value eighteen tonner with roomy cab |
| Renault Trucks D Wide 18t | Wide cab, good for crane work |
| Volvo FE 320 18t | Stronger driveline for heavy bodywork |
| DAF LF Electric 19t | Battery rigid for clean air zones |
| Cartwright 18t curtainside body | Rigid curtain body for pallet work |
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Who buys one
Regional hauliers, builders’ merchants, plant hire firms and food distributors. The typical trigger is a contract that specifies a delivery window and a tail lift, or an operator replacing a vehicle that has failed an annual test expensively. Plenty of buyers are stepping up from 7.5 tonnes because payload, not volume, has become the constraint on what they can carry.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
How it is treated for tax
Bought on hire purchase, business plant and machinery normally qualifies for capital allowances on the full cost even though you pay for it monthly, which is a large part of why hire purchase is the common structure. On a finance lease you generally set the rentals against profit instead. The rules change between budgets and your position depends on how you trade, so treat this as the direction of travel and get your accountant to confirm the detail before you commit.
18 tonne truck finance questions
How much payload will an 18 tonne curtainsider carry?
It depends heavily on body length, tail lift and axle layout. A long curtainside body with a heavy column lift can eat well into the available payload before you load anything. If the contract needs a specific weight carried, work back from the payload and choose the body to suit rather than the other way round.
Can I finance an 18 tonner with a bodybuilder conversion?
Yes. The usual structure funds the chassis against the dealer invoice and the body against the bodybuilder invoice, either on one agreement or two linked ones. Because lead times on bodies can be long, it is worth telling us the build schedule early so the facility is arranged to match rather than rushed at the end.
Is an 18 tonne rigid harder to fund than a tractor unit?
Not generally. Both have strong resale. The difference is that a rigid carries a body, and how specialised that body is affects how many funders will lend at full value. A standard curtainside or box is easy. A one-off build for a single customer narrows appetite, and we would look at a different part of the panel for it.
Do I need a transport manager for an 18 tonne truck?
For a standard operator licence covering goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, yes — you need a qualified transport manager with a Certificate of Professional Competence, either in-house or external. This matters to a funder because it is a condition of holding the licence that lets the vehicle work at all.
Can I part exchange my old 18 tonner into the deal?
Yes. A part exchange is normally treated as a contribution towards the new vehicle and shown on the dealer invoice. If the outgoing truck is still on an existing agreement, the settlement has to be dealt with first. We will sort out the settlement figure and net position so the new facility is arranged on accurate numbers.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
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Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Get your quote
Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
Prefer to talk? Call 0333 772 4864 · serving Leeds, York, Harrogate, Wakefield, Selby, Tadcaster & across North & West Yorkshire.