Spread the cost of a container handler from £90,000 to £280,000 with flexible finance options. HP, lease, or refinance, compare rates from 40+ lenders.
Yes, container handlers are financed as a standard asset purchase, usually on hire purchase or a lease, with the machine itself acting as the security. UK prices typically run £90,000 to £280,000, and most deals are written over 36–84 months with a deposit of around 15–25%. Decisions typically take 5–10 working days. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.
Typical Cost
£90k – £280k
Approval Speed
5–10 working days
Valuation usually required
Rates From
6.3% APR
Your estimate
Indicative only. Not a quote and not an offer of finance.
Pre-filled with a typical container handler price. Indicative only, not a quote.
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Check EligibilityOn a purchase price of £160,000: a 10% deposit of £16,000, then 48 monthly payments of £3,375 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £178,000, including the deposit. The rate you are offered depends on your business and the asset.
Guide prices for sizing a finance agreement, not quotes. Manufacturers in this market mostly price on application, so where a current UK list price could not be confirmed the row describes a specification class rather than naming a model. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine or specification | Guide price | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Hyster Empty Container Handler | £90,000 – £160,000 | Empty Container Handler |
| Hyster Laden Container Handler | £150,000 – £250,000 | Laden (Reachstacker) Container Handler |
| Konecranes SMV Empty Container Handler | £100,000 – £170,000 | Empty Container Handler |
| Kalmar Reachstacker | £160,000 – £280,000 | Laden Container Handler (Reachstacker) |
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Check EligibilityContainer handlers qualify for the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA), letting you deduct the full cost from taxable profits in the year of purchase, subject to the current AIA limit, with any balance above it attracting writing-down allowances in later years given the size of a typical handler purchase. Hire purchase lets you claim capital allowances as you own the asset from day one. Finance lease payments are treated as a revenue expense and are usually fully deductible against profits.
Container handlers are bought by ports, inland container depots, freight forwarders and larger logistics operators moving shipping containers between storage, rail and road transport. Because of the ticket price, most operators finance rather than buy outright, whether through hire purchase to own the asset over its working life or through refinance to release capital from a handler already owned. Empty and laden handlers are genuinely different pieces of equipment, an empty handler stacks unloaded containers using a top-lift or side-lift frame, while a laden reachstacker is built to lift a fully loaded container and needs a heavier chassis and lifting capacity, and lenders price and assess the two differently. Replacement is usually driven by hours run and the cost of maintaining hydraulics and the lifting frame on an older machine, and the used market is specialist but active given how long container handlers typically stay in service.
Several of our 200+ lenders specialise in businesses with imperfect credit histories. You may need a larger deposit or personal guarantee, but options exist. Checking your options here does not affect your credit score, because we do not run a credit search to match you. A lender will run their own checks only if you decide to apply.
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