Got gear sitting idle? Put it to work.
Trailer, digger, bobcat, whatever's parked up doing nothing. Put it on TrailerMates and it earns without you being there for it. We run the bookings, the payments and the customers, program your smart lock, and back you up so you are not carrying the risk on your own. You own the asset and earn the income , without ever meeting a hirer.
See what your gear could earnOwner places open soon. See the numbers for your own gear in under a minute, then join the waitlist to hear first.
Your gear should earn while you sleep
We run this model ourselves, every day. Any hire site will take your listing, that part is easy. It is what happens after somebody books it that catches owners out, and that is the part we built.
- Facebook Marketplace: tyre-kickers, no-shows, haggling over ten bucks.
- Cash and transfers, and chasing the ones that never turn up.
- No ID checks, so every hire is a gamble on who shows up.
- Texting lock codes and arranging every handover by hand.
- No tracking, no backup, no one to call when it goes wrong.
- Free to list, because you do the work.
- The app takes the booking, then you still do the handover in person.
- Someone is at your gate at 7am Saturday, and you have to be there for it.
- Keys passed hand to hand. No smart lock, no code, nothing automated.
- Your availability is only the hours you can personally be there.
- You knock back the bookings that land while you are out.
- Customers find your gear online and book themselves .
- They verify ID and pay before they arrive. No cash, no dodgy hirers.
- Verified once, verified everywhere. Returning hirers arrive already checked, at no cost to you.
- Smart locks are automatic, you never meet a hirer . No 7am doorbell.
- We collect every payment and pay you weekly. Never chase a cent.
- We answer the customers, day and night. Not you.
- You set your own hours. Run it 24/7, or evenings and weekends only.
What you're actually getting
Anyone can buy a trailer. What earns from it safely is the system behind it, and that is what We supply. Set out below as a schedule, because it is the product. One part is an optional add-on, and it is marked. What each part does is stated plainly. How it is built is not.
Identity, licence and risk screening
Every hirer is verified before an access code exists. Not a photo of a licence emailed over and filed somewhere, a real check that the document is genuine and that the person holding it is the person on it.
Verification is only one gate. Bookings are also screened for risk and for the patterns that tend to show up before a bad hire, and one that does not stand up never reaches your gear . Someone who has already caused a problem does not quietly come back under a new booking.
No verified identity, no code. It is not a warning someone has to notice. Every check and every attempt is recorded and dated, so if a hire goes wrong later you are not relying on memory.
Verified once, across the whole network. A hirer verified on any TrailerMates trailer is already verified when they book yours, so you never pay to check the same person twice. Every hirer we verify makes every owner's trailer cheaper to run and quicker to book.
Contactless release control
Smart lock and single-use access code, fitted to Our specification so that release runs through the platform rather than through you. You are welcome to meet a hirer if you want to. You just never have to.
If you would rather not be there, the hirer is automatically sent full video instructions for the exact piece of equipment they are collecting the moment their booking is confirmed, so they can get it hooked up and away without you. No handover, no licence to inspect, no key to hand over.
Each smart lock costs $299, paid once you've signed your agreement. We program it at our shop and post it to you to fit, and it's yours once paid.
Condition capture on every hire
The platform makes the hirer document the gear at pickup and again at return. Every hire, no exceptions, and nothing required from you.
Repair network access
Introductions to the repairers TrailerMates already works with, so you are not starting from a cold search the first time something needs fixing. Any terms remain between you and the repairer.
GPS tracking, for maximum protection
You can add GPS tracking to any piece of equipment . You see where it is, where it has been and when it moved, which counts for most in exactly the situations that cost the most: gear that has not come back, a hirer whose story does not match where the equipment actually went, or something you simply cannot find.
Trackers are an optional extra and carry an additional cost , set out in your agreement. Plenty of owners run without them. The ones with higher value gear rarely do.
Why this can't just be copied
Anyone can buy a trailer and a padlock in an afternoon. The verification, the record-keeping and the software sitting behind them took years and real money, and none of it works on its own. It only works because all of it exists together. And it compounds: every hirer we verify stays verified across every TrailerMates trailer, so the network gets cheaper to join and quicker to book with every hire. A copycat starts from zero.
Where the line sits. TrailerMates supplies the platform and the access hardware, and runs the booking, verification and payment layer. You own your gear and it never leaves your possession. It is only ever released to a hirer who has passed Our checks. We are not your insurer, your repairer or your lawyer. What is included, what it costs, how damage and disputes are handled, and what applies to your particular equipment and location are set out in full in your written agreement before you sign anything.
Why it works
Real income from gear you already own, without the overheads, the staff or the guesswork.
Low cost to start
No joining fee and no franchise cost. The only upfront cost is a $299 smart lock per item, and it's yours once paid. Your gear stays yours, on your books, and you can sell it whenever you like.
Barely any time
Fully unmanned and contactless. You're never tied to the place waiting on someone. A few hours a week keeping it clean, fuelled and ready is all it takes.
We run the hard part
Bookings, payments, customer questions, marketing, the website, all us. You never have to chase a customer or answer the phone at 9pm.
Proven tech, handled for you
Online booking, ID checks and your smart lock's programming, all managed by us, with GPS tracking available as an add-on. High-tech for your customers, zero tech headaches for you.
How it works
Four steps from "interested" to earning.
Have the gear
A trailer, a mini digger, a bobcat, a scissor lift, whatever's in demand near you. Already own it? Even better. We'll tell you what earns best in your area.
We set up your lock
You buy a smart lock for each item. We program it at our shop and post it to you to fit, add GPS tracking if you want it, and once we've checked the lock works, list your gear on the TrailerMates site.
Customers book you
Our customers book your gear online, verify their ID and pay, all through our platform. You set which hours it's available.
You earn
You earn from every hire of your gear. We collect the payments, handle the customers and the support, and pay you weekly.
Who does what
You bring
- The gear (yours, and it stays yours)
- Somewhere secure to keep it, at home or on your yard
- A few hours a week to keep it clean and ready
- A $299 smart lock for each item, which you fit
We bring
- The TrailerMates brand and our existing customers, already booking every week
- The booking platform , payments and ID verification
- Smart locks programmed and managed, GPS available
- All the customer service , we answer the calls, not you
- Marketing, the website and the bookings
- Onboarding and the systems to run it all
Foundation locations
We're building the owner waitlist now. Owners on it hear first when places open in their area, and get first pick of areas and equipment types.
Keen to know more?
Work out what your gear could earn just below, then join the waitlist. It takes about two minutes. Rather talk it through first? Call us. You'll get our own team in Brisbane, not a call centre, and there's no obligation.
See what your gear could earnOr reach us directly: 0420 399 277 · support@trailermates.com.au
Becoming a TrailerMates owner is not a franchise. You are not buying a business, a territory or the right to trade under our brand, and there is no joining fee. The only upfront cost is the smart lock for each item, which you buy for $299 and own. TrailerMates operates a hire marketplace. Your equipment is yours at all times and stays in your possession. TrailerMates provides the booking platform, the access hardware and the support around it, and holds the relationship with the hirer. TrailerMates does not lease, rent, or take possession of your equipment. Owner places are not open yet, and joining the waitlist creates no obligation on either side. Places are subject to eligibility, site suitability and approval. Earnings depend on demand and are not guaranteed. Owners are responsible for holding appropriate insurance for their equipment and for checking any local council or planning requirements that apply to keeping hire equipment at their property. Some equipment types require the hirer to hold a licence or competency ticket, and TrailerMates will set those conditions per item. This page is general information only and does not form part of any agreement.
What could your equipment earn?
Pick your trailers, machines or attachments and see an estimate of what you'd keep each month hiring them out. Hire runs through our booking platform with smart-lock access and ID-checked hirers, so your gear can go out without you there. Machines go out on dry hire, operated by the hirer.
Showing an example. Choose yours below and it takes its place.
Loading the calculator. If picking an item doesn't change the numbers, refresh the page.
Machines go out on dry hire, so the hirer operates them. Self-collection suits machines that sit on a trailer within the hirer's towing limit, usually no more than 3.5 tonnes for machine and trailer together. Bigger machines need a float, and delivery isn't in these figures.
Share of the time it's available that gets booked. Trailers book by the hour and machines by the day. After-hours demand differs by type, so it's set separately for each.
Where every dollar goes
| Hire income | $864 |
| TrailerMates commission (10%) | -$86 |
| Platform fee ($19 per trailer or machine) | -$19 |
| ID checks $2 once per customer new to TrailerMates. Anyone already verified with us costs you nothing. | -$35 |
| Card processing Charged by our payment processor: 1.75% + 30c per transaction | -$24 |
| You keep / month | $700 |
| Smart lock, one-off $299 per trailer or machine, paid when you join. It's yours once paid. | $299 |
| Lock paid back in | 13 days |
One 8x5 Tandem Cage , three ways to hire it out
Short hire or long hire?
The per-booking fees are the same on every hire. Short hires earn more per hour; long hires fill days of the calendar with one booking and one handover.
| Booking | Hirer pays | Commission | Card | You keep | Kept | Per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8x5 Tandem Cage, 4 hrs | $30.00 | -$3.00 | -$0.83 | $26.18 | 87% | $6.54 |
| 8x5 Single Axle Cage, 4 hrs | $20.00 | -$2.00 | -$0.65 | $17.35 | 87% | $4.34 |
| 8x5 Hydraulic Tipper, 4 hrs | $40.00 | -$4.00 | -$1.00 | $35.00 | 88% | $8.75 |
| 10x6 Hydraulic Tipper, 4 hrs | $70.00 | -$7.00 | -$1.53 | $61.48 | 88% | $15.37 |
| Car trailer, 3 hrs | $88.00 | -$8.80 | -$1.84 | $77.36 | 88% | $25.79 |
| Car trailer, 12 hrs | $176.00 | -$17.60 | -$3.38 | $155.02 | 88% | $12.92 |
| Car trailer, 24 hrs | $200.00 | -$20.00 | -$3.80 | $176.20 | 88% | $7.34 |
| Car trailer, 3 days | $440.00 | -$44.00 | -$8.00 | $388.00 | 88% | $5.39 |
| Car trailer, 5 days | $744.00 | -$74.40 | -$13.32 | $656.28 | 88% | $5.47 |
Not included in these figures
These are your costs as the owner, and they come out of what you keep.
- Registration
- Insurance
- Servicing, tyres, tracks and bearings
- Wear parts and repairs
- Delivery, if a machine needs a float
- Depreciation
- Income tax
- Optional add-ons, like GPS tracking
Estimates only, for illustration. Owner places are not open yet, and the fees shown are what we currently plan to charge; final fees are set out in your owner agreement. This is not a forecast, a guarantee or financial advice, and your results may be higher or lower. What an item earns depends on location, demand, season, pricing and condition. Figures assume a 30-day month. Trailers are priced at TrailerMates' current hire rates and book by the hour. Business hours are taken as 8 hours a day, and after hours each trailer type is counted at its own share of business-hour demand: 30% for the 8x5 Tandem Cage, 30% for the 8x5 Single Axle Cage, 100% for the Heavy Duty Car Trailer, 30% for the 8x5 Hydraulic Tipper, 30% for the 10x6 Hydraulic Tipper. Machines and attachments are priced at typical South East Queensland dry-hire day rates, taken from published market prices in October 2026; actual rates would be set for each item. They are counted as one-day bookings. With 24/7 pickup and return, machines are counted at 15% more booked days than with business hours only, and never more than every day of the month. Attachments are counted as add-ons to a machine's booking, with no smart lock, platform fee, ID check or per-transaction card fee. Figures include TrailerMates' 10% commission, a $19 monthly platform fee per trailer or machine, $2 ID verification charged once per new customer (with 60% of hires assumed to be from customers new to TrailerMates; customers already verified with TrailerMates incur no charge), card processing of 1.75% + 30c per transaction charged by our payment processor. Monthly figures exclude the one-off $299 smart lock per trailer or machine, which is shown separately. The comparison assumes 8 business hours a day for hiring it yourself and on free sharing sites, where you must be there for every handover, bookings lost to no-shows of 10% and 3% respectively, and no fees to the owner on sharing sites, which are generally free to list on. Figures exclude registration, insurance, servicing, repairs, wear parts, delivery, depreciation and tax.
Join the owner waitlist
Owner places are opening soon. Tell us about you and your gear, and you'll hear first when places open in your area. It takes about two minutes, and there's no commitment either way.
You're on the waitlist
Thanks. You're on the waitlist.
What happens next
- We'll be in touch when places open Owners on the waitlist hear first.
- You get the full terms to review The owner agreement, the fees and how damage is handled, with no obligation.
- If it suits you, you sign up Then we get your gear set up and listed.
Questions in the meantime? Call 0420 399 277.
Owner questions, answered
Thinking about renting out your trailer? Here's what owners in Logan, Brisbane and South East Queensland ask us most.
How much can I earn renting out my trailer?
It depends on the trailer, where it's kept and how many hours it's available. Use the calculator above for an estimate. Car trailers and tippers earn more per hire than cages.
When can I start?
Owner places are opening soon. Join the waitlist below and you'll hear first, with the full terms to review before anything is signed.
Why do you cost more than the free sharing sites?
Because your trailer can be hired when you're not there. Free sites need you home for every handover. With us it can go out around the clock, so you keep a little less per booking but can take far more bookings. See the calculator above.
Do I have to meet the people who hire my trailer?
No. Hirers collect and return it with a single-use access code, and they're sent video instructions for your trailer when they book. You can meet them if you want to, but you never have to.
Who checks the people hiring my trailer?
We do. Every hirer is verified before an access code is issued. No verified identity, no code.
Do I pay to verify every hirer?
No. Each hirer is verified once, and it counts across every TrailerMates trailer. If they've already booked with us, they arrive verified and there's nothing to pay.
What happens if my trailer is damaged?
The hirer is responsible for damage during their hire. Your trailer is photographed at every pickup and return, so there's a dated record of its condition. How damage claims are handled is set out in your owner agreement.
Is there a fee to join?
No joining fee. The only upfront cost is a $299 smart lock for each item, and it's yours once paid. After that, we take a commission on each hire plus a small monthly fee per trailer, both shown in the calculator above. Optional add-ons are extra.
Who fits the smart lock?
You do. We program your lock at our shop and post it to you with fitting instructions. Once it's on, we check it works before your gear goes live.
Is this a franchise?
No. You're not buying a business, a territory or the right to use our name. Your trailer stays yours and stays at your place.
What can I list?
Cage, box, tipper and car trailers, plus plant like diggers and bobcats. Anything that goes on the road must be registered and roadworthy.
Do I need an ABN?
No, you can apply without one. If you become an owner, we report your earnings to the ATO as the law requires, and you declare them in your tax return.
Can I choose when my trailer is available?
Yes. Make it available 24/7, business hours only, or weekends only.
How do I get paid?
Your share of each hire is paid into your bank account every week. We set up your bank details securely once you're approved.
Where do you operate?
Slacks Creek, and we're expanding across Logan, Brisbane and South East Queensland. If your trailer's in the area, join the waitlist below.