Guide · · Hand Pallet Trucks
Pallet truck hire or buy: when owning costs less than hiring
Pallet truck hire makes sense for a few days or weeks; if you need a truck for months, buying one usually costs less. Typical UK hire rates, checked in October 2026, are about £38 to £40 a week ex VAT for a hand pallet truck and £195 to £215 a week for a powered one. Our new hand pallet trucks start from £76 ex VAT and electric pallet trucks from £390 ex VAT, before the freight, duty, delivery and VAT on your written quote. We sell only; we do not hire.
What does pallet truck hire cost in the UK?
Hire firms price pallet trucks by the day or by the week. The typical UK rates we found when we checked in October 2026 were about £38 to £40 a week ex VAT for a hand pallet truck, also called a pump truck or pallet jack, and about £195 to £215 a week ex VAT for a powered (electric) pallet truck. Rates vary by hire firm and area, so ask what your hire quote includes, such as delivery, collection and damage cover, and compare like with like.
For a short job, hire is the sensible choice: you pay for the days you use, the truck goes back when the job ends, and nothing is left in the corner of the warehouse afterwards. The sums change when the job does not end. A truck hired every week of a busy season, or kept on hire because it is easier than sending it back, adds to the bill every week it stays.
What does it cost to buy a pallet truck instead?
A new hand pallet truck from our range starts from £76 ex VAT, and a 2 t hydraulic hand pallet truck is from £78 ex VAT. Powered trucks start higher: our electric pallet trucks start from £390 ex VAT, and a 1.5 to 2 t lithium-ion walkie pallet truck is from £400 ex VAT.
Those are the prices on the product pages, per unit in GBP ex VAT. Your written quote adds freight, import duty, delivery to your site and VAT, and it is valid for 30 days. For a single hand pallet truck, freight and delivery are a large share of the delivered total, so compare the delivered figure on the quote with your hire bill, not the price on the product page. The price guide lists the starting price of every range.
Pallet truck hire or buy: 26 weeks of hire costs compared
The table adds up the typical weekly hire rates, checked in October 2026, over six months. The hire figures are ex VAT and cover the hire charge only.
| Weeks on hire | Hand pallet truck (£38 to £40 a week) | Powered pallet truck (£195 to £215 a week) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | £38 to £40 | £195 to £215 |
| 2 | £76 to £80 | £390 to £430 |
| 3 | £114 to £120 | £585 to £645 |
| 4 | £152 to £160 | £780 to £860 |
| 5 | £190 to £200 | £975 to £1,075 |
| 6 | £228 to £240 | £1,170 to £1,290 |
| 7 | £266 to £280 | £1,365 to £1,505 |
| 8 | £304 to £320 | £1,560 to £1,720 |
| 9 | £342 to £360 | £1,755 to £1,935 |
| 10 | £380 to £400 | £1,950 to £2,150 |
| 11 | £418 to £440 | £2,145 to £2,365 |
| 12 | £456 to £480 | £2,340 to £2,580 |
| 13 | £494 to £520 | £2,535 to £2,795 |
| 17 | £646 to £680 | £3,315 to £3,655 |
| 21 | £798 to £840 | £4,095 to £4,515 |
| 26 | £988 to £1,040 | £5,070 to £5,590 |
Buying new from us: a hand pallet truck from £76 ex VAT and an electric pallet truck from £390 ex VAT, plus the freight, import duty, delivery and VAT on your written quote. Read down the column for your truck until the hire total passes the delivered figure on your quote: that week is your break-even, and every week of hire after it costs more than owning would have. For a truck you keep, that point usually comes within a few months.
When hiring a pallet truck is the better choice
Hire wins when the need is short or uncertain:
- A one-off job. A stock take, an office move or a single delivery that arrives on pallets.
- A few days or weeks. Cover while your own truck is being repaired, or a short seasonal peak.
- A truck you need once. A specialist model for a single job that your site will not use again.
We sell new equipment only, so for a job like these a local hire firm is the better choice, and we will tell you so if you ask us.
When buying a pallet truck costs less than hiring
Buying usually wins once the truck stays:
- You need it for more than a few months. The hire bill grows every week; a truck you own has no weekly charge.
- You need several trucks. Freight is shared across the order, so the delivered cost per truck falls as the quantity rises.
- The truck works every day. Goods in, replenishment and loading run all year, not for one season.
- You want the same truck every time. Your staff know it, it suits your pallets, and it is there when the lorry arrives.
Order one truck or a fleet: any quantity is welcome, and your written quote confirms the price for your quantity. Every truck is inspected before dispatch, with photos and video sent to you, and comes with a 12-month warranty: see warranty and returns.
What owning a pallet truck involves
A hand pallet truck is simple to own. Under PUWER 1998 work equipment must be suitable for the job, kept in good repair and used by people who have been shown how to use it. In practice that means a quick check before use (wheels, forks, handle and the lift and lower), keeping the wheels free of shrink wrap and strapping, and having the hydraulic unit serviced if the forks stop holding their height. Ask a competent person whether LOLER 1998 thorough examination applies to your truck.
A powered truck adds a battery and a charger. Lithium-ion trucks can be topped up in breaks; lead-acid trucks want a full charge each day in a ventilated area. Spare wheels, batteries and chargers for the trucks we sell are quoted on request.
Pallet trucks you can buy instead of hiring
Questions people ask
Do you hire pallet trucks?
No. London Pallet Trucks sells new equipment only. For a job of a few days, a local hire firm is the better choice.
How much does it cost to hire a pallet truck in the UK?
Typical UK rates, checked in October 2026, are about £38 to £40 a week ex VAT for a hand pallet truck and about £195 to £215 a week ex VAT for a powered one. Rates vary by hire firm and area.
When does buying a pallet truck cost less than hiring?
Usually once you need it for more than a few months, or need several trucks. Compare your hire bill with the delivered price on our written quote.
Is an electric pallet truck worth buying instead of hiring?
If it works most days, usually yes: powered pallet truck hire runs at about £195 to £215 a week, while our electric pallet trucks start from £390 ex VAT before freight, duty, delivery and VAT.
Can I buy a pallet truck in London?
Yes. We deliver new pallet trucks to business sites across London and the rest of the UK.
What does owning a pallet truck involve?
Pre-use checks, users who have been shown how to use it under PUWER 1998, and keeping it in good repair. Ask a competent person whether LOLER thorough examination applies to your truck.
Sources: HSE: Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), HSE: Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER)
