What to expect from a liftgate delivery?

[John Piwaron]

What should I expect when something is delivered to my house via a truck with a liftgate? I've never had this done before.

It's a TS. I'm assuming it'll be in a few boxes. I have a refrigerator dolly and a mover's dolly to help get the boxes into the garage. Where they're going to sit while I plot my next move into the basement.

[Glen Blanchard]

You should get notification when the saw has arrived along with a request to establish a delivery date. Every time I have had liftgate delivery, which I can count on one hand, the driver has been nice enough to use the pallet jack to place the item in my garage. This has resulted in my having to do very little.

[Prashun Patel]

All they're really obligated to do is get it from the truck down to the ground. You will then be responsible for getting it into yr garage. The tsaw will likely be on a crate. The wings and fence will likely be in smaller boxes that can be hand carried (with effort).

[Charles Lent]

The drivers usually show up with a pallet jack to lift and move the boxes. They bring them out onto the lift gate, lower them to the ground and will usually place them where you want them if this is a short distance over relatively level ground such as into your garage from a paved driveway, although I don't think they are actually required to do this final placement, but I've never had one refuse to do this when it was a reasonably easy task for them. They won't do it if the driveway isn't paved, there are steps involved, or the driveway is a steep slope between the truck and the garage.

Charley

[Steve Kohn]

The drivers usually show up with a pallet jack to lift and move the boxes. They bring them out onto the lift gate, lower them to the ground and will usually place them where you want them if this is a short distance over relatively level ground such as into your garage from a paved driveway, although I don't think they are actually required to do this final placement, but I've never had one refuse to do this when it was a reasonably easy task for them. They won't do it if the driveway isn't paved, there are steps involved, or the driveway is a steep slope between the truck and the garage.

Charley


This has been my experience also. I've had 4 major machines with liftgate delivery. Every one of the drivers has moved the crate/box from the tailgate of the truck up the driveway and into the shop for me. I always tip the driver $20 for the service because it saves me more than that to rent a pallet jack.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

As stated by others, all they are obligated to do is put it on the ground at the street.

However, everytime they have been nice enough to use their pallet jack to move my machines either to my shop or my carport. The one time we put them on the carport, the guy offered to move it to the shop but it had been raining for several days and I was afraid his pallet jack would bog down and tear up the grass getting to the shop. It was just too wet to attempt it.

[John Coloccia]

Ditto. I've never even had to ask if they'd help me get them inside. I have a pallet jack so it wouldn't be a big deal, but they've always dropped it to the ground and brought it into the shop (or wherever) with me. Still, have a backup plan in case you get the one ornery guy that's having a bad day.

One guy I had really was having a bad day. He couldn't get the gate to go back up with something I was shipping out and he was stuck. While he was waiting for help, instead of tipping him I ran into the shop really quick and made him a nice pen :)
He seemed to appreciate that. Standard would be a little tip for the help, though. $20 seems reasonable.

[Alan Lightstone]

This has been my experience also. I've had 4 major machines with liftgate delivery. Every one of the drivers has moved the crate/box from the tailgate of the truck up the driveway and into the shop for me. I always tip the driver $20 for the service because it saves me more than that to rent a pallet jack.
That's just what I do. It's always worked.They are usually quite nice about it.

[Ron Natalie]

I agree. I've usually found the drivers helpful beyond what they are required to do. With my NC home (where the shop is), they can pretty much back the truck up into the shop, so they will use the pallet jack to put the thing in the right place. In my VA home where they have to unload on the street (180' from my garage), sometimes they'll dump things there and I'll unpack it and move it myself, but I've had them help me drag stuff on hand trucks or even just help me carry the box up to the house.

[Mike Goetzke]

Just like others have said, when local shipping company calls make sure there is a pallet jack on the truck (don't ask them about moving equipment into the garage). I have had four large deliveries in the past and have always had the items put in the garage - the $20 tip goes a long way. Inspect the packages before they move it. When I had a 15" planer delivered I saw couple holes in the crate but didn't look like much but later determined the crate must have fallen on it's side - all ended well but I should have refused the delivery.

Most important, since you can't see the whole machine in the time the delivery guy is willing to stay make a comment on the bill of good like - acceptance pending final inspection of goods.


Mike

[Van Huskey]

Every driver I have ever dealt with always brought it right where I wanted it and was very nice about it.

[David Weaver]

I tip the guy $20 also, and the guy I get (same guy every time) is very helpful and doesn't mind while I open the crate quickly to check over an item. He's always been patient before knowing whether or not I'll get a tip, and he's run the package (each time I've gotten them) downhill into my garage, which is going above and beyond in my opinion. He lets his pallet jack down until it's just skidding some and it creeps down the driveway.

I have never ordered extra service beyond liftgate from any company (a seller of exercise equipment wanted an extra $100 to guarantee the freight company would put the package in my garage if i have a paved driveway, and the delivery guy scoffed at that because I guess the freight company maybe doesn't see much of that $100).

I've had folks from other services, like the garbage men refuse tips. If the freight guy isn't allowed to take a tip at some point, I'll be pissed. I think he deserves it.

[Zach England]

I have had a few residential lift gate deliveries or tools and lumber. Most times the drivers have taken the crate or pallet to my back door. Sometimes they have just gotten it to the street and driven away. When drivers have taken it to my back door I have always offered a tip and have had them both accepted and refused.

[Mike Watts]

I had a delta drill press delivered a few months ago and it was scheduled to be delivered with a liftgate truck. They called at the last minute and rescheduled for the next day as they were way behind and somehow forgot to schedule the next day with a liftgate. TALL truck. The driver and I finally figured out that we could back my pickup to the truck and lower it to the bed, back the pickup up to the shop and lower it from the pickup to the shop. He could have just refused and said he had to reschedule since this took considerable effort but he was very nice and felt so bad about having to offload this way that he refused the tip. Free shipping so I did not even bother telling the company what had happened.

[Jim O'Dell]

I always thought that curb delivery was on the ground, as my flat screen TV was last Saturday. If I hadn't moved it, they would have backed over it!!!:p Dishwasher 3 years ago. Driver helped me get it off the back of the semi. :eek:
Lift gate was where they would move it inside if reasonable, as the driver did with my TS 2 years ago. Used a pallet jack to move it into the shop. Wouldn't take any money. Talked a lot about the dogs barking in the backyard. Great guy, and not a youngun either. Jim.

[glenn bradley]

Similar experience here. It is explained that they will drop it at the curb but, the driver has always brought the tools I've had delivered, right into the shop for me without my even asking. I have managed to tip a couple of them but, one guy wouldn't hear of it.

[John Piwaron]

Well, it arrived. And went exactly as described. I was the last delivery of the day. The driver had a pallet jack in the truck with the saw. He brought it out, lowered it to the street, and without my asking pulled (with a bit assistance from me pushing) it up a slight incline in the drive to the garage, turned it, and pushed it into the garage. I signed in the appropriate places. He then wrote about it being accepted pending my inspection of the contents. Really complete service on the part of R&L Trucking.

Later on I removed the plastic wrap and took all the hand carryable stuff to my basement shop, including anything I could carry from inside the actual tablesaw box. Moving the saw itself will come later.

Thanks for all the information!

[Brian Elfert]

The only time I got a lift gate delivery was a Pioneer Plasma TV. The driver brought it up my 200 foot driveway and even helped me lift it into the house. He also waited a couple minutes while I opened it up and made sure the screen was not cracked. (That model TV had lots of issues with cracked screens during delivery. Some folks had multiple broken TVs delivered.)

I've never ordered a large tool that was delivered via truck. Most of my freight deliveries go to the freight terminal and I pick them up there. It saves me the $75+ residential delivery fee and I don't have to be home. Most terminals are open 24x5 or nearly so, but they are way less busy in the afternoons.

[John Piwaron]

How's that plasma look? :) Rough Cut must look extra clear on it! :D

I'd have considered terminal delivery but I'd have no way to bring such a heavy thing home. And I'm not as young as I once was. :( I do like the stories of helpful delivery people. Going above and beyond when delivering the package.

At this time, I'm taking everything off the saw that I can so I can bring it in without 1) giving myself a hernia 2) blowing out my back again. I'm about down to taking the motor out and that'll be the last thing. Then there's the matter of taking other stuff out of the basement to make room for all of this. . . . .

[Dave Lehnert]

Another thing to consider. If you work at a place that has a receiving dock, have it delivered there. I use to work on a dock and employees would do this (Ok with management first). Most time they came on a truck line that we received each week anyway. Was no trouble at all for us and was kinda a perk for working there.

[ray hampton]

Another thing to consider. If you work at a place that has a receiving dock, have it delivered there. I use to work on a dock and employees would do this (Ok with management first). Most time they came on a truck line that we received each week anyway. Was no trouble at all for us and was kinda a perk for working there.


a loading dock are convenient, then the crate can be unpack and the machine transfer to a pick-up if the crate will not fit the pick-up bed

[Brian Elfert]

Most of the stuff I've received by truck hasn't been as heavy as a table saw. A saw I probably would have delivered to my house. I didn't have any choice on the TV.

I own a nice trailer and used to have a pickup so I could just have the freight terminal load it in with their forklift. Interesting thing you realize about freight terminals is they are built with the floor at the height of a semi trailer. It is not easy to get things in and out of vehicles that are not dock height. One place had a very steep steel ramp that the forklift driver had to back down with my load. Other freight terminals do have a concrete ramp somewhere for people who pick things up without a dock truck.

[ray hampton]

Most of the stuff I've received by truck hasn't been as heavy as a table saw. A saw I probably would have delivered to my house. I didn't have any choice on the TV.

I own a nice trailer and used to have a pickup so I could just have the freight terminal load it in with their forklift. Interesting thing you realize about freight terminals is they are built with the floor at the height of a semi trailer. It is not easy to get things in and out of vehicles that are not dock height. One place had a very steep steel ramp that the forklift driver had to back down with my load. Other freight terminals do have a concrete ramp somewhere for people who pick things up without a dock truck.

the way that we did it were, the truck driver would pull the pallet with a pallet truck then a fork lift would pick the pallet up and move it to the dock,,m to load a truck when the dock was wrong height require a fork lift to placed the pallet in the end of the trailer and use the second pallet to push the first pallet farther toward the front , we also use a small walking fork lift that we use sometime to load a trailer