Side loader finance
Purpose-built for long loads, carrying timber, steel and pipe lengthways down an aisle that a conventional truck could never turn in.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance a side loader?
Yes. Side loaders and multi-directional trucks are proper hard assets and funders write them on hire purchase or lease without much argument. Used units are fundable. Where this differs from a standard forklift is the buyer pool: side loaders are bought by timber merchants, steel stockholders and joinery manufacturers, which is a defined but limited group. That specialisation does not stop funding, but it does mean a funder is valuing a niche machine rather than something any warehouse in the country could use tomorrow.
Used kit: Yes — used side loaders fund well, often to around ten years old, though the trade market is narrower so condition and brand matter more than usual.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
What would a side loader cost per month?
Business asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what this shows — with the equivalent APR underneath, because the two are not the same number. A quick guide only; your actual rate depends on the asset, term, deposit and lender.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 6.0% flat rate (equivalent to 11.5% APR representative), you would repay around £646 a month; total amount repayable approximately £31,000, of which £6,000 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. CW Asset Finance is an Appointed Representative of Rural Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 630701).
How lenders treat it
Funded regularly by asset-led lenders, with the specialisation noted rather than penalised. Multi-directional trucks from the main manufacturers hold value well because the businesses that need them really need them, and second-hand units tend to sell within the trade rather than through general auction. Diesel and LPG yard machines and electric indoor models are treated much as their counterbalance equivalents. The practical points are these: capacity and platform length vary enormously between models and materially affect value, so the specification needs to be accurate on the agreement; and where the truck is being bought as half of a project with cantilever racking, presenting both together helps, because the truck carries the security that the racking cannot.
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 |
|---|---|
| Combilift C4000 | Multidirectional four way forklift |
| Combilift C6000 | Six tonne multidirectional forklift |
| Combilift Combi-CB | Compact multidirectional counterbalance truck |
| Combilift Combi-SC | Dedicated long load side loader |
| Baumann HX 30 | Heavy duty side loader |
| Baumann GX 50 | Long load side loader |
| Hubtex MQ 30 | Multidirectional side loader for long loads |
| Hubtex FluX 30 | Electric multidirectional sideloader for indoor use |
| Bulmor DQ Series | Multidirectional side loading truck |
| Amlift Combi-Agri | Multidirectional yard forklift for long loads |
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
Who buys one
Timber importers, hardwood merchants, steel and tube stockholders, plastics distributors and window or door manufacturers — anywhere product arrives in six-metre lengths. The purchase is normally triggered by damage rates on long loads handled crossways, by a cantilever racking installation that needs a truck able to work its aisle, or by a site running out of yard and needing to store product more densely indoors.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
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.
Side loader finance questions
Is a multi-directional truck the same thing as a side loader for finance?
They overlap. A traditional side loader carries the load on a deck alongside the chassis, while a multi-directional truck can also operate as a conventional counterbalance. The latter is generally the more liquid asset because it does two jobs, which can work in your favour when a funder is assessing future value.
Can the side loader and cantilever racking be funded together?
Yes, and that pairing makes sense to a funder. The racking becomes a fixture with little recovery value, while the truck stays mobile and saleable. Combining them into one facility gives a balanced asset mix rather than asking a funder to lend against steelwork bolted to somebody else’s floor.
Are these trucks available on contract hire?
Sometimes, though less often than mainstream forklifts because the dealer networks are smaller and the machines are more bespoke. Hire purchase is the more usual route. Where contract hire is offered it tends to come from the specialist dealer rather than from a general fleet provider.
Does an outdoor timber yard application cause problems?
No, but it should be declared. Yard machines weather, and a funder assessing what the truck will be worth in several years wants an accurate picture. Timber yards are the natural home for these machines, so it is an expected application rather than anything a funder would treat as unusual.
What documentation do funders want on a specialist truck like this?
The supplier quotation with full specification, including capacity, deck length and power type, plus your usual business information. On a used machine add the serial number, hour reading and service history. Because the model range is unfamiliar to some underwriters, a clear specification does a lot of quiet work in getting an approval.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
Also in forklift and warehouse equipment finance
- Counterbalance forklift finance
- Electric forklift finance
- Diesel forklift finance
- Gas and LPG forklift finance
- Reach truck finance
- Manual pallet truck finance
- Powered pallet truck finance
- Stacker truck finance
- Very narrow aisle truck finance
- Order picker finance
- Industrial telehandler finance
- Container handler finance
- Tow tractor finance
- Pallet racking finance
- Cantilever racking finance
- Mezzanine floor finance
- Warehouse shelving finance
- Conveyor system finance
- Sortation system finance
- Automated storage and retrieval finance
- AGV and autonomous mobile robot finance
- Pallet wrapper finance
- Strapping machine finance
- Weighing equipment finance
- Dock leveller finance
- Industrial door finance
- Floor scrubber finance
See everything we fund in forklift and warehouse equipment finance →
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 07581 364281 · serving Leeds, York, Harrogate, Wakefield, Selby, Tadcaster & across North & West Yorkshire.