subject: Do I Need A Lift-gate With My Shipment? [print this page] Lift-gates are a piece of equipment that those that are shipping regularly heavier loads of cargo may need to worry about from time to time depending on the exact specifications of their shipment. If all you are shipping with your Atlanta courier service is packages that weight less than 100lbs, then you're not going to have to worry about this. If, on the other hand, you're shipping something that weighs more than 100lbs, you are probably going to need to pay for a lift-gate to accompany your shipment.
A lift-gate is a piece of equipment that attaches on to the back of a truck. Because most large trucks have cargo spaces which are several feet above ground level, it is difficult to load extremely heavy packages from the ground into the truck, and likewise to unload off the truck. The lift-gate is the piece of equipment which lowers and raises cargo between the ground and truck level.
If your packages weight more than 100lbs individually, then you are going to be required by most companies to use one. They will charge you a nominal fee for the rental of this piece of equipment. At those weights it is required, as they do not want any employees hurt by trying to lift heavier packages up and down from that height. Most courier employee organizations do not allow their members to even try and do so.
The lift-gate will not be required if both the facility that the packages are being picked up from, and the locations that they are being delivered to, are equipped with loading docks. The entire purpose of a loading dock is to put the warehouse floor at the same level as that of the truck bed. That eliminates the need for one to lower or raise any cargo, as it can simply be hauled straight off the truck.
Having loading docks is good for more than just allowing you to circumvent the rental of a lift-gate. It is also a large time saving device, which saves you money in the long run. The less time you have to pay workers to be hauling things into your warehouse, the more time they can spend doing other more important tasks. Therefore, you can save money in multiple ways if you have loading docks at your facility, due in large to the fact that you don't have to worry about using a lift-gate.
