How much down on a forklift?

Reference points, not a rate sheet: an established business with 700+ credit and prior commercial financing paid as agreed can see $0 down. An established business with strong credit and no prior commercial financing is usually around 10%. Established with credit in the 600s, 15% to 25%. A startup can see 15% only with exceptional personal credit; weaker credit on a startup file means up to 40% down. Every file is reviewed individually.

Forklift financing and leasing — one unit or a fleet, new or dealer-used, any brand.

A warehouse adding six electric Toyotas for a new contract. A lumber yard replacing a tired Hyster with a rough-terrain unit. A contractor buying a used Sky Trak telehandler off the dealer's lot. A 3PL standing up a distribution center with twenty reach trucks and pallet jacks. Twenty-two years of material handling financing, with the approval in hand before the dealer's sales rep asks who's funding it.

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Who we fund

Warehouses, 3PLs, and distribution centers — single replacements and full fleet packages.
Manufacturers and fabricators — IC and electric forklifts for the shop floor, plus the attachments.
Lumber yards, building-supply, and nurseries — outdoor pneumatic-tire and rough-terrain units.
Contractors and construction companies — telehandlers and rough-terrain forklifts, often alongside other jobsite iron.
Food, beverage, and cold-chain operations — freezer-rated electrics and walkie riders.
Equipment dealers and rental yards — we fund your customer's purchase and pay you direct.

What we finance

IC cushion and pneumatic forklifts — Toyota, Hyster, Yale, CAT Lift Trucks, Doosan/Bobcat, Clark, Mitsubishi, Komatsu, Linde.
Electric forklifts, reach trucks, order pickers, walkie riders — Crown, Raymond, Toyota, Jungheinrich, Hyster-Yale, with the chargers and batteries on the same loan.
Telehandlers and rough-terrain forklifts — JLG/Sky Trak, Genie, JCB, Manitou, CAT, Xtreme, Sellick.
Heavy-capacity and container handlers — Hyster, Taylor, Kalmar, Hoist.
Attachments and racking — clamps, rotators, push-pulls, and pallet racking when it ships with the equipment order.
Fleets — multi-unit packages on one approval, with units added under a master agreement as the operation grows.

Lease or finance

Forklifts are one of the few equipment classes where a true lease often makes sense. Electric fleets in a high-cycle warehouse are typically run five to seven years and returned; a fair-market-value lease keeps the payment low and the replacement cycle clean. A single IC unit a shop will run for fifteen years is usually a straight purchase on an equipment finance agreement. We quote both and let your CPA pick.

Pneumatic-tire forklift working an outdoor yard

How much down

The ranges below are reference points so you know roughly where a file lands — they are not a rate sheet. We review every situation individually, and once we've seen your file we'll tell you exactly what the down payment is.

Established business, 700+ credit, prior commercial financing paid as agreed: $0 down.
Established business, strong credit, first commercial financing: around 10%.
Established business, credit in the 600s: plan on 15% to 25%.
Startup or under two years in business: forklifts hold their value, so a startup can be considered — the down payment follows the personal credit score: 15% with exceptional credit, up to 40% for weak credit.

Every file is reviewed on its own merits. Time in business, bank statements, the specific unit, and comparable credit all move the number — the tiers above are where files usually start, not where they have to end.

What we don't finance

Auction purchases
Private-seller purchases
Glider trucks
Repairs to existing equipment
Refinances of current loans (cash-out refi on free-and-clear equipment only — call for details)

Frequently asked

Do you finance used forklifts? Yes. Dealer-reconditioned used units are the most common deal we see, usually with an hour-meter reading and a service report. We do not finance private-party purchases.

Can I finance a whole fleet? Yes, as one package on one approval. Application-only approvals typically run to $250,000; larger fleets are underwritten with financials.

Do you do forklift leasing? Yes. Fair-market-value leases for electric fleets you plan to turn over, $1-buyout leases when you want to own the unit at the end, and equipment finance agreements when you want it on the balance sheet from day one.

How fast? Approvals in 24 to 48 hours on application-only files, funding in 3 to 5 business days. Dealers hold units once they see the approval.

Ready to talk about the forklift you're buying?

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Tell us about the unit or the fleet.

Send the dealer quote if you have one. Three minutes on the phone and you'll know what your deal looks like.

(801) 332-9756

What our customers say

Real reviews from operators we've funded. Verified five-star reviews from our public profile.

★★★★★
“I have been in commercial truck sales since 1998 and have dealt with multiple finance companies over the years. I have been working with Spencer at Trust Alliance Capital for about 6 years now. Trust Alliance is my only alternative finance company in the industry. Spencer is absolutely the most personable and responsive person I have ever dealt with. Thanks for all you do.”
— David B., Greensboro NC · Truck Sales, 25+ years in the industry · worked with Spencer

★★★★★
“As a new startup, Logan helped me find the easiest financing with little hassle. The whole experience was awesome — especially the ability to walk into a dealership and negotiate a price knowing you have already been approved. Will go this route from now on.”
— Jason M., OK · New Startup · worked with Logan

Forklift financing by state

Same programs, same lease-or-finance options — applied to your state's warehouse corridors, dealers, and industries. Click your state for local context.