trailers · Equipment & asset finance
Dog trailer finance
A dog trailer roughly doubles what your tipper can carry per trip. We structure the finance so the extra payload more than covers the repayment.
What is dog trailer finance?
Dog trailer finance is funding for a trailer with its own front steerable axle group, towed behind a rigid truck, secured against the trailer. Truck and dog combinations are the standard high-payload cartage setup in Australian quarry and civil work, and dog trailers are long-life, readily financed assets.
The truck and dog combination is an Australian cartage staple because it carries close to a semi-trailer payload while remaining manoeuvrable enough for suburban sites and quarry access roads. The dog trailer has its own steerable front axle group, so it tracks well behind the truck and can be uncoupled to leave the rigid working alone when a smaller load is needed.
For an operator already running a rigid tipper, adding a dog trailer is usually the cheapest way to lift revenue per trip. The finance is modest compared with buying a second truck, no extra driver is needed, and the asset lasts twenty years or more. Your broker can look at whether funding the trailer alone or refinancing truck and trailer together produces the better overall position.
Dog trailer finance at a glance
| Typical price range | $50,000 – $200,000 |
|---|---|
| Finance term | Up to 84 months |
| Useful life | About 20 years |
| New or used | Used dog trailers are traded regularly out of cartage fleets; new builds in aluminium are popular where maximising payload is the priority. |
| Indicative rates (Chattel mortgage) | 6.9% – 14.5% p.a. · rate history |
| Finance structures | Chattel mortgage (recommended), Trailer finance, Equipment loan |
How lenders assess dog trailer finance
Dog trailers are financed as standalone trailer assets and can be funded separately from the truck. Lenders look at body material, hoist, chassis, suspension and drawbar condition. Aluminium bodies value well because they carry more payload. Where a truck and dog are bought together, lenders can often write one facility covering both. Established cartage operators are approved on standard terms; new operators typically need trading history or a deposit. Private sales require PPSR clearance and registration transfer.
Before you buy
- Check the drawbar, turntable and front axle group closely; the steering assembly takes constant load and is expensive to repair.
- Compare aluminium against steel on tare weight — the payload difference across thousands of loads is significant money.
- Confirm the combination complies with mass and dimension limits in every state you cart in before you commit.
Commonly financed
Hercules truck and dog trailer · Muscat quad dog trailer · Roadwest tri-axle dog · Howard Porter dog trailer · Bruce Rock Engineering dog trailer
Estimate dog trailer repayments
- Number of repayments
- 60
- Balloon at end of term
- $25,000
- Total interest (est.)
- $35,384
- Total repaid (est.)
- $160,384
This calculator provides an estimate only and does not account for fees, charges or the specific terms a lender may offer. It is not financial advice or an offer of finance.
Key terms
What is dog trailer finance?
Dog trailer finance is a secured loan or lease used to buy a dog trailer, with the trailer as security. Terms commonly run 48 to 84 months and the trailer can be financed independently of the truck that tows it.
What is the difference between a dog trailer and a pig trailer?
A dog trailer has a steerable front axle group and a rear axle group, so it carries its load fully on its own axles and tracks the truck closely. A pig trailer has a single axle group near the centre and puts some load through the drawbar.