Service
Truck finance, structured around the work it hauls.
A truck is a contract on wheels. We finance prime movers, rigids, tippers and trailers for owner drivers and fleets across WA and Australia, with the cartage work behind the purchase built into the credit story.
Financing the truck and the work behind it
Rockwall Finance arranges truck finance across Perth, WA and Australia wide: prime movers and road trains, rigids and tippers, curtainsiders and fridge trucks, tilt trays and car carriers, and the trailers, dollies and bodies that complete the combination. We are brokers with a credit background, and on truck deals that shows up in one place above all: the work behind the truck goes into the application, not just the invoice.
Most trucks are bought for a reason a lender should hear about. A cartage contract won, a subcontract from a larger fleet, a route that has outgrown the current truck, a tipper needed for a civil job. An owner driver with a signed agreement reads very differently from a bare asset request, and presenting that properly is most of the value of using a broker who knows transport.
What we finance
- Prime movers, rigids and road train combinations, new and used
- Tippers, curtainsiders, fridge bodies, tilt trays and crane trucks
- Trailers, dollies and bodies, bundled with the truck or funded separately
- Light commercial trucks and last mile delivery fleets
- Dealer sales, auction purchases and private sales
- Owner drivers, subcontractors and established fleets
Owner drivers and new ABNs
The hardest truck deal on paper is the first one: a driver going out on their own, often with a new ABN and no trading history. It is also one of the most common, and it is fundable with the right preparation. Lenders want to see the income stream, which usually means a cartage agreement or subcontract, your driving and industry history, and some skin in the game through a deposit or trade in. Some lenders treat experienced drivers moving into their own truck as a known quantity; others will not look at an ABN under two years. Knowing which is which saves weeks. We have arranged plenty of first truck deals, and we will tell you honestly what your position supports before anything goes near a credit team.
Used trucks, auctions and private sales
Transport runs on used gear, and truck lending reflects it. Lenders look at the truck's age at the end of the term rather than at purchase, and many will work to a ceiling around 25 to 30 years at term end, which keeps surprisingly old prime movers fundable on sensible terms. Kilometres, condition and maintenance history shape the lender field. Auction and private sale purchases are routine with preparation: ownership and encumbrance checks, the truck's details and history, and the finance approved before you bid rather than after. If the timing involves the end of the financial year, our EOFY settlement guide covers what can realistically settle and how fast.
The structure, in plain terms
Most trucks are funded under a chattel mortgage: the truck secures its own loan, your business owns it from day one, the interest and depreciation are claimed through the business, and GST registered operators generally claim the GST on the purchase price at the next BAS. Balloons are useful on trucks when they are set against the truck's realistic trade cycle, and dangerous when they are set high just to make the weekly number look good on a contract that might not renew. We set the term and balloon against the work, and we work alongside your accountant on the tax side.
Fleets and the next truck
For operators running several trucks, each purchase sits inside a bigger position: existing finance, contracts in delivery, drivers to pay before the invoices clear. Sometimes the right answer is not one more loan but a restructure across the fleet that frees up cash flow. And if you add trucks regularly, ask us about a master asset finance facility: an approved limit set up in advance that each truck draws against, so you buy like a cash buyer when the right unit comes up instead of starting a new application every time. The same whole of operation approach applies across our equipment and asset finance work, and for tippers and watercarts working civil jobs, our excavator and earthmoving finance page covers the plant side.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get truck finance with a new ABN?
Often, yes. A new ABN narrows the lender field but a contract changes the conversation: an owner driver with a signed cartage agreement or a subcontract from an established transport company gives the lender a visible income stream to assess. Most new ABN truck deals are built on some combination of that contract, industry experience as an employed driver, a deposit, and sometimes property backing. We put the work behind the truck into the application, which is the difference between a decline and an approval for most first time operators.
How old a truck can I finance?
Older than most people expect. Trucks are working assets with long service lives, and lenders look at the truck's age at the end of the loan term rather than at purchase. A common ceiling is somewhere between 25 and 30 years at term end depending on the lender, which means a fifteen year old prime mover on a shorter term is still very fundable. Kilometres, condition and maintenance history shape which lender fits, and private sales add ownership and encumbrance checks. The structure has to match the truck's realistic remaining life.
Can the trailer be financed with the truck?
Yes. Trailers, dollies and bodies can be financed alongside the prime mover or rigid, either as one combined facility or as separate loans depending on what suits the deal and the lender. Fit outs like tippers, curtainsiders, fridge bodies and cranes mounted on trucks can generally be included. Bundling keeps one repayment against the working combination, while separate facilities can make sense when the trailer will outlive or be traded separately from the truck. We structure whichever way serves the operation.
What deposit do I need for truck finance?
Established operators buying through dealers are often funded with no cash deposit, particularly on newer trucks. Deposits come into play with new ABNs, older trucks, private sales and larger amounts, where ten to twenty percent or a trade in strengthens the application and brings more lenders to the table. A trade in is treated as a deposit in most structures. The honest answer depends on the truck, your entity and the work behind the purchase, and we will tell you before anything is lodged.