The short answer
A liftgate is a truck-mounted platform that raises or lowers freight between vehicle height and ground level. It solves the height problem, not the inside-placement problem.
Do these first
Confirm that the freight can physically use the requested liftgate.
- Send finished pallet dimensions — platform size varies.
- Send pallet weight — rated capacity varies by equipment.
- Confirm workable ground — the truck needs room to deploy the platform.
When it is used
Typical cases include no dock, no ramp, ground-level businesses and residential or small commercial sites.
TForce Freight treats hydraulic or electric lifting/lowering devices as a separately requested service. FedEx Freight also lists liftgate at pickup and delivery as separate service options.
A liftgate can
- Lower palletized freight from the trailer to the ground
- Raise palletized freight from the ground to the trailer
- Be worked with a pallet jack on the platform
- Serve a business or a home with no dock
A liftgate cannot
- Move freight into a building
- Handle a pallet larger or heavier than the platform is rated for
- Work on a slope, soft ground or somewhere the truck cannot deploy it
- Stand in for inside delivery, which is a separate service
Important to know
- There is no universal liftgate platform size.
- There is no universal liftgate weight limit.
- A pallet can be too large or heavy for the assigned equipment.
- Liftgate does not automatically include inside delivery.
What to tell us
- Pallet length and width
- Pallet height
- Weight of each handling unit
- Pickup or delivery liftgate need
- Dock availability
- Ground condition
Do not assume
- Every pallet fits every liftgate.
- The service can always be added after the truck arrives.
- Liftgate means room-of-choice delivery.
Sources
Tell us if there is no dock
Include pallet dimensions, weight and liftgate need before booking so the right truck can be sent.
Request a Freight Quote