subject: Understanding Lift Gate Service [print this page] There are times when you ship something with a Kansas City courier service that you may be told that you're going to have to spend some extra money on your shipment because they need to provide extra equipment or services in order to ship your goods. To some people this probably sounds like a money grab, but if you understand some of these services and equipment better you can quickly see why they are necessary. One of the more common additional pieces of equipment that is needed for a shipment is known as a liftgate.
Liftgates are used when you're shipping with trucks. This is not a piece of equipment that you're going to be told that you have to pay for if you're shipping something in a parcel van or with a small car delivery service. If you're shipping something that is being carried in a delivery truck or semi however, you may need a liftgate, and that need is going to be determined entirely by weight.
The simple rule is that if you're shipping anything which weighs more than 100lbs, you're going to need a liftgate. This is the weight of each individual package, not of the whole shipment though. So if you're shipping 10 boxes which weight 40 lbs each but which can be carried individually, you should not require a liftgate. If you're shipping those 10 boxes strapped together though, you absolutely will.
This is because courier companies have rules in place which prevent employees from having to lift cargo weighing more than 100lbs both up to the level of the truck, and down from that same height. This is simply too strenuous and could lead to many injuries and worker compensation claims, so they require the use of a liftgate on all orders over that weight. That is why you will be required, and not simply be given an option, of renting this equipment if your shipment exceeds the weight limitation.
There is one exception to this rule concerning liftgates. This is where loading docks come into play. Loading docks aren't only important because they increase the efficiency of someone making a delivery, but they are also useful because they can cut costs by eliminating the need for equipment like liftgates. With a dock, there is obviously no need to lift cargo up or down, as it can simply be unloaded or loaded directly from the facility to the truck and vice versa.
