Crane lorry finance
A lorry loader turns a flatbed into a self-sufficient delivery vehicle, and funders assess the crane with as much care as the truck under it.
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Yes. A crane lorry funds as a commercial vehicle with the loader crane treated as mounted equipment, whether it is bought complete or the crane is fitted to a chassis you already have. Used crane lorries fund well because self-loading capability is valued across construction, merchanting and steel. The requirement people overlook is the thorough examination record: a lorry loader is lifting equipment and must be examined periodically under LOLER, and funders will ask for the certificates. A crane with no inspection history is a slow deal at best.
Who finances this
Builders’ merchants, steel and timber suppliers, precast concrete and fencing manufacturers, and plant firms delivering equipment. The trigger is nearly always site access, deliveries to locations with no forklift, where either the driver lifts it off or the load does not get delivered at all. Drainage and utility contractors buy them for lifting chambers and pipe sections into position without hiring a separate crane and operator.
How lenders see it
Crane brand is the first checkpoint. Hiab, Palfinger, Fassi, Effer and Atlas units have UK parts networks, known values and a real second-hand market; an unbranded or import-only crane does not, and funders reflect that. Installation matters equally, because a crane mounted without proper subframe work compromises the chassis and any competent inspector will see it. Funders ask who installed it and want the commissioning paperwork. Lifting moment and reach are noted because they determine what work the vehicle can take. On the operator side, merchants and manufacturers read well on accounts; owner-operators are underwritten personally. Declines centre on self-installed cranes, missing examination certificates, and second-hand cranes transferred between vehicles with no documented refit.
Buying used
Yes, used crane lorries fund well, commonly to around ten years, with the crane’s examination and service record leading the valuation.
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Machines we have funded
| HIAB X-HiPro 232 | Loader crane for builders merchant deliveries |
|---|---|
| Palfinger PK 23.002 | Mid-range crane for palletised loads |
| Fassi F245A | Loader crane with good reach and lift |
| DAF CF 290 with loader crane | Rigid flat with rear-mounted crane |
| MAN TGS 26.360 HIAB | Six-wheel flat with heavy loader crane |
| Scania P280 6x2 crane lorry | Rigid with crane for merchant work |
| Volvo FM 420 with crane | Heavy chassis for large loader cranes |
| HIAB X-HiDuo 188 | Compact crane for mid-weight rigids |
| Palfinger PK 14.002 brick grab | Smaller crane with brick grab attachment |
| Isuzu Grafter 7.5t with crane | Light crane lorry for tight sites |
What a crane lorry actually costs to buy
Prices for a crane lorry advertised by UK suppliers run from £6,995 to £149,500 (checked 28 October 2026).
Published crane lorry prices cover different crane models, chassis layouts and attachment packages. Compare the specified outreach and lifting chart as well as the truck. The rated capacity alone does not tell you the load available at a particular reach.
| Machine | Asking price | Seen at |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 DAF LF55 250, 4x2 flatbed, rear-mount Atlas 92.2 crane, 18t, 270,118km, manual | £6,995 | commercialmotor.com |
| 2017 DAF CF330, 6x2 Euro 6 tipper crane, sleeper, 409,900km | £17,750 | commercialmotor.com |
| 2016 Mercedes-Benz Arocs 2543, 6x2 rear lift/steer, 26t drawbar flatbed, Hiab XS122 rear-mount, Euro 6 | £23,750 | truckpages.co.uk |
| 2021 DAF CF320, 6x2 rear lift, brick grab, Hiab crane + Kidshofer grab, 472,000km | £32,750 | truckpages.co.uk |
| 2021 DAF LF230, 4x2 flat bed crane, day cab, ZF auto, 195,963km | £39,950 | commercialmotor.com |
| 2021 Volvo FL210, 4x2 dropside, Hiab X-Duo 078 hook crane, Euro 6, 240,000km | £47,500 | truckpages.co.uk |
| 2025 DAF CF320, 26t builders merchant spec, DVS B / PSS compliant, 13,996km | £120,000 | commercialmotor.com |
| 2019 Scania R450 Highline, 6x2 tag tractor unit, Hiab X-HiPro 658 EP-6 crane, 5-point stabilisers | £149,500 | truckpages.co.uk |
Prices checked 28 October 2026 on commercialmotor.com, truckpages.co.uk. These are asking prices observed on dealer and marketplace listings, shown as examples. They are not a quote or an offer of finance, and they move with the market. Check the current advert before budgeting.
How finance works on a crane lorry
The prices above are what a seller is asking. What a funder will actually do with the purchase is a separate question, and it is the one that decides whether the deal happens.
| Question | Typical answer |
|---|---|
| Term available | 12 to 72 months. Most agreements sit between 24 and 60 months; anything shorter or longer needs a funder check before you rely on it. |
| Age of the asset | There is no single cut-off. It depends on the asset class, and condition, hours and resale value are underwritten rather than the year alone. Tell us the age and we will say before you commit. |
| Buying from a private seller | Often possible, but case by case. It needs a funder who will write it, an inspection and proof of ownership, so say whether the seller is a dealer or a private seller when you enquire. |
| Deposit | Frequently nil where the credit profile is standard. Where it is not, typically 10–20%, nearer 20% if a default is recent. |
| VAT on the purchase | Both approaches exist, depending on the funder. The agreement is commonly written on the ex-VAT price with the VAT paid upfront and reclaimed, though some funders will include the VAT in the agreement. |
General guidance from our own funder panel as at 31 October 2026, not a quote and not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status and to the funder's own criteria.
Does a lorry loader need a LOLER inspection?
Yes. A loader crane is lifting equipment and requires periodic thorough examination by a competent person while in use. Funders ask for the certificates because they confirm the crane is both legal and maintained. On a used purchase, get the inspection history from the seller before you agree a price, not after.
Can I fit a crane to a truck that is already on finance?
Only with the funder’s agreement. The vehicle is their security and mounting a crane changes the asset, sometimes requiring chassis modification. Most funders will either fund the crane separately or refinance the combined vehicle. Get the conversation done before the installer books the truck in, because retrospective approval is much harder.
What size loader crane do I need?
It depends on the weight you lift and how far from the truck you need to place it, lifting moment falls off sharply with reach. Merchants delivering blocks over a fence need very different capability to a steel supplier lifting sections. Specify from your worst-case delivery, because an undersized crane costs you the jobs you bought it for.
Does a crane reduce the truck payload?
Yes, and by more than people expect, a substantial loader crane and its subframe can take a real bite out of the available weight. That is why merchants often go up a chassis size when fitting one. Work out your payload after the crane is on, not from the manufacturer’s bare chassis figure.
Is a second-hand crane worth buying?
It can be, if it comes from a recognised manufacturer, has examination certificates and is fitted by a competent installer. Where operators get into trouble is buying a crane from one vehicle and having it transferred with no documentation of the refit. Funders will question that, and so will your insurer if something goes wrong.
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