Rental looks simple from the outside — a monthly rand figure, a delivery date, a contract. Inside the number is a stack of cost components, and how those are bundled determines whether you've got a great deal or a problem waiting to happen.
Short-Term Rental (STR) — 1 to 35 months
STR rates are higher per month because the asset has to recover its cost over a shorter horizon and absorb redeployment risk. STR usually includes: - The machine, delivered to site - Standard maintenance based on average hours - Routine 250/500/1000-hour services - Replacement truck if yours is down >24 hours
STR usually excludes operator damage, abuse, fork tine replacement and specialised attachments.
Long-Term Rental (LTR) — 36 to 60 months
LTR rates are significantly lower per month, but the contract is firm. LTR typically includes everything STR does, plus: - Tyre replacement schedule - Battery replacement (electric, year 4) - Annual operator refresher training - Telematics dashboard
Rent-to-Own (RTO)
RTO works like LTR but transfers ownership at end-of-term for a residual amount (typically 11%).
What's never included
- Fuel or electricity
- Operator wages
- Site insurance (we recommend asset cover at 1.8% of value/year)
- Damage caused by collision, overload or improper use
Reading a quote properly
Ask for: monthly rate, included service hours, exclusions, residual value, replacement-truck SLA. If any of those are missing, push back.
