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
Sources
- https://www.tforcefreight.com/downloads/UPGF-102-R-20231002.pdf
- https://fedexfreight.fedex.com/ratingNonSecQuoteList.do
- https://nmfta.org/news/10-pointers-to-avoid-most-common-bill-of-lading-errors/
Tell me if there is no dock
Include pallet dimensions, weight and liftgate need before booking so the right truck can be sent.
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