About Shawbrook Crane Finance
Shawbrook Bank occupies an important position in the UK crane finance market as the lender most likely to say yes where Lombard, Close Brothers or Siemens Financial say no or load the rate heavily. For crane hire businesses with older mobile cranes, used rough terrain equipment or assets from less common brands, Shawbrook's willingness to underwrite on the business case - rather than purely on asset age or brand - makes them a valuable option.
Shawbrook is particularly relevant for small to mid-sized crane hire businesses (crane fleets of 5–25 units) that operate a mix of ages and brands, and who need a lender that can view the portfolio holistically. Their finance lease capability is also useful for crane hire companies that prefer to match asset finance payments to contract income and avoid residual value risk at end of term.
For the very largest crane purchases (£5m+) or the most competitive rates, Lombard and Siemens Financial will generally be the better options. Shawbrook's strength is in the middle market: used cranes, aged 5–15 years, capacity 15–100 tonnes, financed by established SME crane hire businesses.
Shawbrook Crane Finance Rates - October 2026
| Asset Type | Finance Type | Rate Range | Term | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New mobile crane | HP or Finance Lease | 5%–8% | 3–7 yrs | £10,000 | £3m |
| Used mobile crane (<5 yrs) | HP or Finance Lease | 6.5%–10% | 2–6 yrs | £10,000 | £2m |
| Used mobile crane (5–10 yrs) | HP | 9%–13% | 2–4 yrs | £10,000 | £1m |
| Rough terrain crane | HP or Finance Lease | 6%–11% | 2–5 yrs | £10,000 | £1.5m |
| Crawler crane | HP | 6.5%–11% | 2–5 yrs | £25,000 | £2m |
| Non-mainstream / older model | HP | 10%–13% | 2–4 yrs | £10,000 | £750k |
Indicative rates as of October 2026. Subject to credit underwriting and asset inspection.
Strengths and Limitations
Strengths
- Strong appetite for used crane finance where tier-one lenders restrict
- Considers non-mainstream crane brands on a case-by-case basis
- Finance lease available - suited to crane hire cashflow management
- Up to £3m maximum - covers most single crane acquisitions below the very largest capacity
Limitations
- Not competitive with Lombard or SFS on rate for large new crane purchases
- Lower maximum (£3m) than tier-one lenders
- Seriously adverse credit profiles are better served by specialist lenders