UniCarriers Americas is not a brand most buyers look up on purpose the first time, but it is the entity behind the Nissan forklift line that has been running in North American warehouses, manufacturing plants, and port terminals for decades. When Nissan Forklift Corp consolidated with TCM and Atlet under the UniCarriers Holdings umbrella in 2013, the resulting brand absorbed three distinct engineering traditions: Nissan's IC counterbalance DNA, TCM's Japanese warehouse-equipment heritage, and Atlet's Swedish narrow-aisle and reach-truck development lineage. The machines that came out of that combination are more varied than most buyers realize, and the financing on them works the same as any major brand truck.
We fundmaterial handling equipmentfrom $50k, and UniCarriers iron sits right in our book. If you are replacing an aging Nissan counterbalance fleet, adding reach trucks to a narrow-aisle DC, or picking up used UniCarriers units at auction, we handle the paper. Application-only to $400k, recent operating statements above that, and most deals are funded inside two weeks. B and C credit is evaluated on the full picture, not just the score.
The UniCarriers Equipment Line
The core of the UniCarriers catalog in North America runs through two main families. The SA and SB IC counterbalance line covers LPG and diesel units from 3,000 to 15,500 pounds, built on a platform that carries forward Nissan's long-running pneumatic-tire IC design with hydrostatic power steering and wet-disc brakes standard on most capacity classes. Mast options on the SA/SB line include two-stage, three-stage, and quad-stage configurations with triplex free-lift for standard warehouse ceiling clearances and quad free-lift versions for high-bay applications above 25 feet.
The electric side includes the TX and BX series four-wheel counterbalance units from 3,000 to 7,000 pounds with AC drive motors and integrated regenerative braking. These sit in the same application space aselectric counterbalance forkliftsfrom other major brands, and buyers evaluating a fleet transition from LPG to electric will find the UniCarriers electric catalog a practical alternative to evaluate before committing to a single brand. The Atlet-derived reach truck products, branded under the UniCarriers name in North American markets, cover single-deep and double-deep pallet applications and include very-narrow-aisle options for operations running aisle widths tight enough to require aturret truck or VNA configuration.
Parts support in North America is handled through a regional distribution network that carries Nissan-legacy parts alongside current UniCarriers catalog items. The two families share significant component overlap on fasteners, seals, and electrical components, which keeps parts availability manageable for fleets running a mix of pre-2013 Nissan-branded and post-2013 UniCarriers-branded equipment. That overlap matters to your financing decision because it affects service cost over the term of the loan.
Where UniCarriers Equipment Shows Up
The Nissan and UniCarriers brand has been particularly strong inmanufacturing facilitiesand in automotive parts distribution, sectors where the IC pneumatic counterbalance is the daily workhorse and where the Nissan-era reputation for durable powertrain components built real loyalty. You will find these fleets in tier-1 and tier-2 automotive supplier plants in the Southeast and Midwest, in food-and-beverage co-packing operations, and in general distribution centers that standardized on Nissan units years ago and have been rolling the same platform for multiple refresh cycles.
The Atlet narrow-aisle heritage shows up most clearly in European-style DC configurations, where higher racking density and tighter aisles demand reach and VNA equipment that can hit pallet positions at 35 to 40 feet with precise control. As North American distribution centers increase racking density in response to industrial real-estate costs, particularly in major port-adjacent logistics markets, UniCarriers' narrow-aisle product line has become more relevant to buyers who previously ran only counterbalance equipment.
Used UniCarriers and Nissan-branded forklifts move regularly through dealer channels and equipment auctions. The older Nissan units, particularly the UGDJ and MAP series from the 2000s and early 2010s, are well-documented machines with established service histories, and buyers comfortable sourcing used equipment often find them at favorable hours-to-price ratios. We financeauction and private-party forklift purchaseson UniCarriers equipment with the same structure as dealer transactions, provided the unit has a verifiable serial number and inspection documentation.
Refinance and Leaseback on UniCarriers Fleets
Operators who bought Nissan or UniCarriers equipment outright, or who financed through a dealer program that has since been paid off, sometimes have equity sitting in the fleet with no plan to monetize it. Asale-leasebackconverts that equity into operating cash without removing the equipment from service. You sell the units to a finance company, receive the cash, and continue using the trucks under a lease agreement. The fleet stays on your floor; the cash goes where your operation needs it.
For operators with an existing loan on UniCarriers equipment,equipment refinancingcan reduce the monthly payment by extending the term, capture cash if the units have appreciated or the original loan was conservative on collateral value, or simply move the deal to a lender with better terms than the original captive or bank financing. We review the payoff amount, the current equipment value, and the cash-flow picture, then structure the deal around what actually makes sense for the operation rather than what fits a standard bank template.
Fleet refresh timing is a real consideration here. UniCarriers and Nissan counterbalance units are often run well past the 10,000-hour mark in operations with solid maintenance programs. If you are sitting on a fleet of 6,000-hour units that still have useful life but want to start positioning for replacement, a leaseback now can fund the deposit on a new-equipment order and give you a structured exit from the current fleet when the new units arrive. We have structured that kind of bridge more than once.
How the Funding Process Works
Submit the unit count, make, model, serial numbers if available, and the vendor or seller details. For new equipment from a dealer, a quote or invoice works. For used or auction purchases, a bill of sale or auction confirmation is the starting point. The application is one page; it captures your business entity, ownership, and basic financial profile. We review and respond with a term sheet, typically the same day or next business day for deals in our standard range.
Forapplication-only transactionsunder $400,000, no financial statements are required. For larger fleet deals, recent business operating statements is the standard documentation. Closing involves a security agreement, UCC filing, and in most cases an insurance certificate naming the lender. The entire process from application to wire typically runs five to twelve business days depending on deal complexity and how quickly the vendor can confirm delivery. For in-stock equipment, we have funded in under a week when the borrower moved quickly on their end.
Get Your UniCarriers Deal Structured
New, used, or auction-sourced, single unit or a fleet of twenty, we fund UniCarriers and Nissan-branded forklifts from $50k on the same timeline as any major brand. Purchase, lease, refinance, or sale-leaseback, the structure depends on what your operation actually needs. Submit the deal and we'll have a term sheet back fast. Most UniCarriers transactions fund in seven to fourteen days.