The short answer
The carrier transports the freight, but where standard unloading ends and who performs additional handling depend on the carrier's rules and the service booked.
Do these first
Tell me how the freight will physically leave the truck before booking.
- Confirm the dock — usable dock, ramp or ground-level only.
- Confirm unloading equipment — forklift, pallet jack, crane or liftgate.
- Describe final placement — truck-side, threshold or farther inside.
Standard delivery has a defined handoff point
TForce Freight's general pickup-and-delivery rule says freight is ordinarily unloaded immediately adjacent to the delivery vehicle unless another service applies. Its tariff separately covers inside delivery, extra labor and special equipment.
Heavy or unusual freight changes the plan
Carrier tariffs can assign more loading or unloading responsibility to the shipper or consignee for heavy, long or bulky freight. Those limits are carrier-specific.
The carrier is normally responsible for
- Moving the freight between origin and destination
- Bringing it to the point of delivery
- Releasing it to whoever signs for it
The receiver is normally responsible for
- Unloading the freight from the trailer
- Supplying the dock, forklift or people to do it
- Any handling past the point of delivery
Sources
- https://www.tforcefreight.com/downloads/UPGF-102-R-20231002.pdf
- https://nmfta.org/resource/what-is-a-bill-of-lading/
Tell me how the freight will be unloaded
Include the dock, equipment and final-placement requirements before booking so the correct service is requested.
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