Getting goods to a destination is one thing. Unloading those goods and products onto a loading dock or elsewhere is another. Many freight transportation trucks have beds high above the ground, making getting their precious cargo into your loading bay challenging.
Fortunately, the best transportation trucks employ liftgates to make loading and offloading cargo easier for everyone involved. Today, let's break down what a liftgate is, how it works, and why it's essential for loading and offloading freight.
What Is a Liftgate?
A liftgate is a mechanical device that either lifts goods and products into a truck's bed or brings goods in a truck's bed down to the ground. It's a flat platform that extends slightly out from the back of a car, then descends to the ground level. After loading or unloading cargo, the liftgate can raise back up to the truck's level.
Liftgates are also called tail lifts. They can only be installed at the back of trucks to assist with loading/unloading. Some pickup trucks have liftgates; however, the most powerful or hydraulic lift gate models get used with heavy-duty freight trucks or vehicles operated by professional distributors.
Depending on the model, liftgates utilize different mechanisms, including pneumatic or hydraulic systems. Regardless, most liftgates operate via an electric relay switch. The operator can then control the liftgate movement from within the truck and slowly raise or lift the gate to load or unload cargo.
The majority of liftgates can hold up to about 5,000 pounds of weight. Since they can carry so much, they are often relied on whenever drivers or goods recipients don't have the equipment to load or offload cargo (or if using other equipment is impractical for some reason).
While the primary use of liftgates is to lift heavy things or liquid freight, they can also be used as bridges to help goods get into or out of trucks, depending on their elevation. Liftgates have many significant benefits, such as:
- Reducing the likelihood of people sustaining injuries when loading and offloading cargo
- Reducing the possibility of damage to property or goods
- Reducing the number of human resources needed to load and unload cargo
When Are Liftgates Necessary?
- No Loading Dock
- Construction Sites
- Residential Shipping
No Loading Dock
Liftgates are beneficial devices, and you can leverage them in various circumstances. The first of these ordinary circumstances is when you (or the truck driver) do not have access to any loading dock.
While some facilities have dedicated shipping receiving areas and docks, many do not. Suppose your facility can't load or unload a standard trailer from a warehouse or inventory bay. In that case, you might find loading and offloading cargo time-consuming and physically laborious.
Fortunately, a liftgate can streamline the process. You don't have to physically load cargo into a truck or take cargo from a truck to your warehouse shelves. While you can also use forklifts, forklifts can't always get into narrow or confined areas. They can also be challenging to maneuver around fragile items without accidentally damaging goods or products.
Liftgates are perfect for loading and offloading cargo onto dollies or other hand-maneuvered equipment for further transportation to or from a facility.
Construction Sites
Liftgates are also highly important when delivering goods or taking products from construction sites. Most construction sites, by definition, are unfinished; they usually revolve around the building or demolishing structures.
If that's the case, those buildings likely don't have functioning loading docks for receiving or loading materials. Liftgates allow construction workers and on-site personnel to load and offload cargo quickly and easily without straining their backs or damaging essential materials. You can also use them to load dangerous chemicals that may need careful transport on or off worksites.
Residential Shipping
On top of the above circumstances, residential shipping tasks frequently use liftgates and flexibility. Many American homes require freight delivery for products, raw materials, or transporting things they make to their customers or shipping centers.
But no average home has a dedicated loading dock for receiving freight. On top of that, things get tricky if shipments are too big for regular shipping services like FedEx or USPS (which can drive and park on standard residential roads quite easily).
The simple solution is to use a freight truck with a liftgate. A liftgate allows the driver to load or unload cargo from the back of their vehicle without requiring the homeowner or recipient to have dedicated equipment on hand for the task.
Liftgates are particularly useful for residential deliveries when goods like furniture or home building materials need to be delivered on-site.
What's the Difference Between a Liftgate and a Tailgate?
In the freight and shipping industry, "tailgate" is the Canadian name for the liftgate. Both perform the same function. In Canadian shipping, liftgates descend to load or unload freight by moving from the ground back to the truck's deck or bed.
Suppose you contact a shipping company that talks about tailgates with its trucks. In that case, odds are it's a Canadian company, and they mean American liftgates.
Bottom Line
Ultimately, liftgates are critical tools that most transportation companies use all the time. With a liftgate's assistance, you can load or offload cargo before sending it on its way with your partnered carrier service or freight transportation company.
Good news — RPM works with many skilled and experienced freight drivers who love to use liftgates, thanks to their convenience. When you work with RPM, you'll connect with drivers who can get your goods where they need to go and make loading and unloading those goods easier. Contact RPM today.
Sources:
Lifting and Material Handling | Environment, Health and Safety
What is Liftgate Service and Do You Need it? | Central Restaurant
Is a Power Liftgate Worth It? And How Does the Tech Vary From Car to Car? | Motortrend.com
