Forklift Rental Singapore

Forklift rental prices in Singapore

Here are our current forklift rental prices. They are honest ranges, not a headline number with everything stripped out of it.

Where you land in the range depends on four things: the capacity you need, the mast height, how long you are taking it for, and how hard the truck will be worked. A 1.5 tonne electric on a single day shift sits near the bottom. A 5 tonne diesel running double shifts on a rough yard sits near the top.

Short term forklift hire: daily and weekly rental prices

Need a truck for a day or a week rather than a month? These are our short term forklift hire rates. Short hire costs more per day than a monthly rental. That is normal, and it is the same everywhere: a truck out for two days cannot be planned around, and it still needs servicing, delivery and a slot in the fleet.

Rates reviewed August 2026. Where you land in each range depends on capacity, mast height and how hard the truck will be worked.

What you can rent from us

Counterbalance forklifts

The standard forklift. No outriggers, forks at the front, weight at the back. This is what you want for loading and unloading lorries, moving pallets around a yard, and general warehouse work where aisles are a normal width.

Reach trucks

For narrow aisles and high racking. The mast reaches forward into the rack, so the truck itself does not have to. If your aisles are around 2.7 to 3 metres and your racking goes above 6 metres, this is the right tool. See our reach truck page for the detail.

VNA trucks

Very Narrow Aisle, for aisles down to about 1.6 metres. These need guided aisles and are a bigger commitment, but they free up a lot of floor. We are the exclusive Zowell VNA agent in Singapore, and we do racking too, so one team can quote both sides. See VNA forklifts.

Pallet trucks and stackers

Not every job needs a full forklift. An electric pallet truck moves pallets from dock to racking faster than a man with a hand pallet jack, and needs far less training. A stacker adds lift, usually to the second or third beam level. $200 to $450 a month, and often the cheapest way to take load off your forklift.

Electric or diesel?

This is the question we get asked most, and the answer is usually decided by where the truck works rather than by running cost.

If the truck spends any real time indoors, it is electric. Diesel exhaust in an enclosed warehouse is a health and safety problem, not a preference. If the truck lives outside on uneven ground, or you need above 5 tonnes, diesel is usually the practical answer.

The one that catches people out is multi-shift electric. A lead-acid battery needs a full charge and a cooling period, so a truck running two shifts either needs a second battery and a changeover, or a lithium pack that can be charged during breaks. Worth thinking about before you commit, and we cover it properly in our guide to lithium versus lead-acid batteries.

What capacity do you actually need?

Do not just take your heaviest pallet and pick that number. A forklift's rated capacity is quoted at a standard load centre, usually 500mm. If your load is deeper than that, or you are lifting high, the truck can carry less than its badge says.

• Weigh your heaviest realistic load, including the pallet.
• Measure how far the weight sits from the fork heels. Long or deep loads shift the centre forward and cut capacity.
• Check the height you need to place at. Capacity drops as the mast goes up.
• Add a margin. Sizing exactly to your heaviest load leaves nothing for the day something heavier turns up.

We go through this properly in our forklift capacity guide. If you are unsure, send us the load weight and the height, and we will tell you the class of truck you need.

Short term forklift hire or long term rental?

Short term, days to a few months

Use it for a peak season, a stock take, a one-off project, or cover while your own truck is being repaired. You pay a bit more per month, but you carry no residual risk and you hand it back when the work stops.

Long term, 12 months and up

Better monthly rate, and the truck is effectively yours to run without the capital outlay or the resale problem at the end. Servicing is built in, so your cost per month is a known number rather than a series of surprise repair bills.

What is included

• Preventive maintenance for the whole rental period, on schedule, by our own technicians.
• Breakdown support island-wide. We carry common parts, and we crimp hydraulic hoses ourselves rather than waiting on a supplier.
• Wear and tear from normal use.
• A replacement truck if yours is off the road long enough to hurt, subject to availability.

What is not included

Being straight about this saves an argument later.

• An operator. You supply the driver, and from 1 January 2027 they will need refresher training within the previous 3 years. See the new MOM rule.
• Fuel or electricity.
• Damage from misuse. Forks through a rack upright, a mast bent by overloading, a truck driven into a wall. Accidents happen, but they are not wear and tear.
• Tyre damage from debris or unsuitable ground.
• Insurance. Not included in the rental.
• Delivery and collection on short term hire. Charged separately and shown on the quotation before you agree — it is a low-bed truck each way, so it depends on your location and the size of the truck, and Tuas and Jurong Island cost more than the mainland. On a rental of 12 months or more we absorb it and it is built into the monthly rate.

Four questions to ask before you sign anything

Ask these of any rental company, including us. A straight answer to all four tells you more than the monthly rate does.

• Who pays for tyres and wear parts?
• Is delivery and collection included?
• What happens when the truck breaks down?
• Is there a replacement truck while mine is being repaired?

Our answers, so you can hold them against anyone else's. Tyres and wear parts from normal use are ours; damage from debris or misuse is yours. Delivery and collection are absorbed on any rental of 12 months or more, and on short term hire they are charged separately and shown on the quotation before you agree. On a breakdown our own technicians come out — we carry common parts on the van and crimp hydraulic hoses in our own workshop, so most repairs do not wait on a supplier. If the truck will be off the road long enough to hurt your operation, we arrange a replacement, subject to what is free at the time.

If a company will not answer one of the four in writing, that is the answer.

How to get a better rate

Five things that genuinely move the number, from the side of the table that sets it.

• Ask for a used truck. A well-maintained used or reconditioned unit rents for less than a new one and does the same work. Ask what we have rather than assuming you need new.
• Commit to a longer term if your work is steady. Twelve months or more drops the monthly rate and gets delivery and collection absorbed. If the work is genuinely short, do not commit — a long contract you exit early costs more than the discount was worth.
• Get servicing inside the contract. A rate with maintenance included is a number you can budget. A cheaper rate with repairs on top is not a rate, it is a guess.
• Ask for the quote itemised. Compare two quotes line by line. A lower monthly figure with delivery, servicing and tyres excluded is usually the more expensive deal.
• Check whether a truck is the right answer at all. If the real problem is that the warehouse is full, a VNA truck or better racking can save more than any rental discount. We are Singapore's exclusive Zowell VNA agent, so ask us before you rent another counterbalance.

How fast can you get one?

For common sizes, often the same week, and sometimes the same day if we have the right truck sitting ready. The realistic answer depends on what you need. A 1.5 to 3 tonne counterbalance is the most commonly stocked size. A 7 tonne diesel or a VNA truck with a specific mast height may need lead time.

WhatsApp us the capacity, the height and the date you need it, and we will tell you honestly what is available rather than promising and then apologising.

Rent first, then buy

If you are undecided, rent the truck you think you want and run it in your own warehouse for a few months. You will learn things a spec sheet cannot tell you: whether the aisle really is wide enough, whether the charge point is in the right place, whether the operators get on with it.

If you then want to buy, talk to us about putting part of what you have paid toward the purchase. We also sell used forklifts that we have serviced ourselves, so you know the history rather than guessing at it.

Moving warehouse and need a truck to cover the gap? See our page on warehouse relocation and closure for how a short-term rental fits into a move.

What we need to quote you properly

You do not need all of this, but the more you can tell us, the closer the first number will be.

1. Heaviest load, including the pallet.
2. Highest place you need to lift to.
3. Indoors, outdoors, or both.
4. Aisle width if you are working in racking.
5. How long you need it, roughly.
6. Shift pattern. One shift, two shifts, or occasional use.
7. Site access. Loading bay, ramp, or ground level.

Three mistakes worth avoiding

Renting on capacity alone. The badge number is quoted at a standard load centre. A wide or deep load can put a 2.5 tonne truck out of its depth well before 2.5 tonnes.

Forgetting the ceiling. A tall mast needs headroom to lift, and also headroom when it is lowered. Check the collapsed mast height against your lowest doorway, not just your highest rack.

Choosing electric without a charging plan. Where does it charge, on what circuit, and when? A lead-acid truck on a double shift without a second battery will let you down in the second half of the day.

Why rent from M&C

• We service what we rent. Our own technicians, our own workshop, so a breakdown is our problem to fix and not a phone call to a third party.
• bizSAFE 3 certified and island-wide across Singapore.
• Multiple brands, including Toyota, BYD, Mima and Zowell, so we recommend the truck that suits the job rather than the only one we carry.
• Racking too. If the real problem is the layout rather than the truck, we can quote both.
• A person answers the WhatsApp. Not a form, not a queue.

Rental versus waiting for a grant

Companies often delay a truck decision hoping a grant will cover it. Usually it will not — the main SME grants target productivity systems rather than equipment. If cash flow is the real problem, rental solves it directly. The detail is in can you get a government grant for a forklift in Singapore?

Diesel means storing fuel

If you rent diesel, the fuel has to live somewhere on your site, and in Singapore diesel is a licensable material. What that means in practice is set out in storing diesel inside your warehouse: what MOM expects

Servicing, whether you rent from us or not

Servicing is included while a truck is on hire from us. We also service and repair trucks we did not supply, on all makes — Jungheinrich, Toyota, BYD, Crown, Nichiyu, EP, Linde, Mitsubishi, Nissan, TCM, Hyster and more.

• We do not charge a call-out fee. No trip charge, no diagnosis fee. You pay for the work, not for us turning up. Most companies here charge $30 to $90 a trip.
• Breakdown response within 4 hours, island-wide.
• Free fault code lookup. Photograph the code on the screen and the data plate, send it to us, and we tell you what it actually means — usually within the hour, at no charge. We keep an indexed library of 4,460 entries covering 2,368 distinct fault codes across 7 brands, and 1,959 service manuals.
• Prices published: maintenance visits from $80 per truck, battery from $180, hydraulic hose from $250, brake overhaul from $900, tyres from $250 a pair.

Full detail, including what each price covers, is on our forklift servicing and repair page.

Going deeper on price

The rates above are the summary. If you want the full working — what pushes a rate up or down, how the tonnage bands are set, and what a fair quote looks like — see how much forklift rental costs in Singapore. And if you are still weighing renting against buying outright, rent or buy a forklift in Singapore puts three years of numbers side by side.

Frequently asked questions

How much is forklift rental in Singapore?

From $500 a month. Electric counterbalance 1.5 to 5 tonnes runs $550 to $1,700 a month, diesel 1.5 to 7 tonnes runs $550 to $1,900, and pallet trucks and stackers run $200 to $450. Capacity, mast height, rental length and how hard the truck works decide where you sit in the range.

How much does it cost to rent a forklift for one day in Singapore?

Short hire starts at $8 a day for an electric pallet truck or stacker, $19 a day for a reach truck, $21 a day for an electric or diesel counterbalance, and $69 a day for a VNA truck. Weekly hire starts at $55. Rates reviewed August 2026.

Is servicing included in the rental?

Yes. Preventive maintenance and breakdown support are included for the whole rental period, carried out by our own technicians. You supply fuel or electricity and an operator.

Is there a minimum rental period?

We do short term and long term. Short term suits a peak, a project or cover during a repair. Long term from 12 months gets a better monthly rate. Tell us how long you need it and we will quote the right structure.

Can I rent a forklift and then buy it?

Yes. Renting first is the sensible way to test a truck in your own warehouse. If you decide to buy, talk to us about putting part of the rental toward the purchase.

Do you deliver island-wide?

Yes, anywhere in Singapore. On a rental of 12 months or more we absorb delivery and collection — it is built into the monthly rate. On short term hire it is charged separately and shown on the quotation before you agree, because it is a low-bed truck each way. The charge depends on your location and the size of the truck, and Tuas and Jurong Island cost more than the mainland.

Should I rent electric or diesel?

Electric for indoor work, because diesel exhaust indoors is a safety problem. Diesel for outdoor and rough ground, and for capacities above 5 tonnes. If you go electric on a multi-shift operation, plan the charging before you commit.

How quickly can I get a forklift?

Common sizes are often available the same week and sometimes the same day. Larger diesels and VNA trucks with specific mast heights may need lead time. Send us the spec and the date and we will give you a straight answer.

What happens if the rented forklift breaks down?

Call or WhatsApp us and we come out. Breakdown support is included. We carry common parts and crimp hydraulic hoses ourselves, so most jobs do not wait on a supplier. If the truck will be off the road long enough to hurt your operation, we look at a replacement.

Do I need a licensed operator for a rented forklift?

Yes. The operator needs a valid WSQ Operate Forklift certification, and from 1 January 2027 they must also have completed refresher training within the previous 3 years. The duty to check that sits with you as the employer or occupier, not with us.

Can you rent a forklift for one day?

Short term rental is available. For a genuine one-off lift it is worth telling us what you are moving, because sometimes a different piece of equipment or a one-off service visit is the cheaper answer than a day rate.