Grab lorry finance
A grab lorry is two assets on one chassis, and the crane is underwritten on its own merits alongside the truck it is mounted on.
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Yes. A grab lorry funds as a commercial vehicle with the loader crane treated as integral equipment, usually on hire purchase. New and used both fund, and used grab lorries hold value strongly because muck-away and aggregate operators buy them all year round. The detail people miss is the crane paperwork: funders want evidence the crane was professionally installed and that it has a current thorough examination record under LOLER. A grab with no inspection history is a harder proposition than the same truck with a folder of certificates.
Who finances this
Muck-away hauliers and waste carriers who need to load themselves rather than wait on a site machine. Often bought by operators who have been paying for a digger and banksman on every job and worked out that self-loading removes a cost and a delay. Also groundworks firms taking on their own spoil removal instead of subcontracting it. A few are skip operators diversifying into loose muck collection, where a grab earns better per load.
How lenders see it
Funders like grab lorries because the second-hand market is genuinely hungry, an operator can sell one quickly and the crane adds rather than subtracts from value, unlike most specialist bodywork. Crane brand carries real weight: Palfinger, Hiab, Epsilon and Atlas units have recognised residual value and a service network. Installation quality is scrutinised because a badly mounted crane compromises the chassis. The operator side follows tipper logic, owner-drivers underwritten personally on credit and haulage relationships, fleets on accounts and disc margin. Where applications fall down is a crane bought and fitted second-hand by an unapproved installer, or a truck bought privately with no way to verify who mounted what.
Buying used
Yes, used grab lorries fund well into their eighth or ninth year, provided the crane has a documented thorough examination history.
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Fuel and wages before the invoice clears
Flowzo funds operating costs against 30 to 60 day customer terms, including the financial standing requirement on an operator licence.
Buying a truck or trailer at auction? We can give you an indicative decision before you bid, and we list every UK machinery auctioneer and livestock mart.
Machines we have funded
| Scania P410 8x4 grab | Eight-wheel grab for muck away |
|---|---|
| DAF CF 400 8x4 grab | Grab lorry on a proven chassis |
| Volvo FMX 420 grab | Strong chassis for heavy grab duty |
| MAN TGS 35.430 grab | Eight-legger with rear-mounted crane |
| Mercedes-Benz Arocs 3243 grab | Construction chassis with grab gear |
| Palfinger Epsilon Q Series | Timber and waste grab crane |
| HIAB X-HiPro loader crane | Loader crane for grab and lift work |
| Fassi F275A grab crane | Mid-range crane for aggregate loading |
| Thompson grab body | Reinforced steel body for grab work |
| Hyva tipping gear | Hydraulics to match crane duty cycles |
What a grab lorry actually costs to buy
Prices for a grab lorry advertised by UK suppliers run from £8,950 to £69,500 (checked 28 October 2026). VAT bases differ between these listings and are stated against each figure.
These adverts span different emissions classes, axle layouts and crane specifications. Compare the crane model, body condition, emissions standard and service records before treating two asking prices as equivalent.
| Machine | Asking price | Seen at |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Iveco Eurocargo 180E24, 4x2 day cab steel tipper grab, Atlas 92.2 crane | £8,950 | truckpages.co.uk |
| 2013 Iveco Eurocargo 7E16, 4x2 grab tipper, Hiab XS 055B-2 Duo crane, Euro 5, 240,000km | £9,995 +VAT | commercialmotor.com |
| 2013 Hino 700 Series, 8x4 tipper grab, manual, 659,876km | £16,950 | commercialmotor.com |
| 2013 DAF 85.410, 8x4 Epsilon crane & grab, steel body, Euro 5, 400,000km, 2 owners | £23,000 | truckpages.co.uk |
| 2016 Renault C460, 8x4 grabloader, Epsilon 125 crane, steel body, sleeper cab, autobox | £24,000 | truckpages.co.uk |
| 2017 DAF CF440, 8x4 grabloader, Epsilon M125 crane, manual, 4-way camera, 324,000km | £28,500 | truckpages.co.uk / commercialmotor.com |
| 2018 (68) DAF CF 400 Euro 6, 8x4 Abba steel tipper, Epsilon M125L crane & grab, camera system | £54,950 | truckpages.co.uk |
| 2020 (20) Scania P370 XT Euro 6, 8x4 32T day cab, Thompson body, on-board weigher, 8-speed manual | £69,500 | truckpages.co.uk |
Prices checked 28 October 2026 on truckpages.co.uk, commercialmotor.com, autotrader.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 grab 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.
Can I add a grab crane to a truck I already finance?
Sometimes, but it needs arranging rather than assuming. Adding equipment to a vehicle already under a funder’s title changes the asset they hold security over. Some funders will fund the crane as a separate facility; others prefer to refinance the whole vehicle as a combined asset. Speak to us before the installer books the work in.
Does the crane need a LOLER inspection for finance?
Funders expect a current thorough examination record, yes. It is a legal requirement for lifting equipment in use, and it also tells the funder the crane has been maintained. On a used purchase, ask the seller for the inspection certificates before you commit, a missing record can hold up a deal that is otherwise straightforward.
Is a grab lorry harder to fund than a plain tipper?
Not usually harder, just assessed on two things instead of one. The crane broadens the vehicle’s usefulness and its resale market, which funders view positively. What adds friction is poor documentation, an unknown crane brand, no installation paperwork, or no examination history. A recognised crane with a clean file is often easier than a plain tipper with a repaired body.
What size grab do I need for muck-away work?
That is a spec question rather than a finance one, but it affects the deal. Reach and lifting moment determine what jobs you can take, and an undersized crane limits the work the truck can win. Buy for the contracts you are actually chasing, funders occasionally query a spec that looks mismatched to the described work.
Can I finance a second-hand grab lorry bought privately?
It is possible but harder. Funders prefer a trade or dealer sale because title, HPI status and history are verifiable. A private purchase can still be funded where the vehicle checks out and the crane has certificates, but expect more questions and an inspection. Buying through a recognised dealer removes most of that friction.
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