Dealing with freight deliveries without loading dock.

[Innovate1]

Occasionally (maybe once a year) I have something large sent to me by freight that I need to unload at my residence garage. Looking at moving and will have a 30 x 40 detached garage with room for a few more things. Where I am now I have a small tractor with loader because of some land. I have a friend with a shop and fork lift that I can have it delivered to and then go there with my pickup and get it. Then unload with the tractor. This is a bit of work but is ok for up to about 500 lbs which covers everything so far.

At the new location I won't have the tractor and the friends place to deliver to. What do people do in this situation beside have delivery with a lift gate?

 

[LXCam]

You buy my manual battery power hydraulic forklift. It's great for smaller palletized loads and has a 1500lb rating. Been pricing these on eBay to see what they average and it looks like between a grand and $1500. Really handy if you can't accommodate a forklift or loader.

Like this: https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...&ved=0ahUKEwi1w6jCzovfAhUQT6wKHb20BYYQgTYInQY

 

[moserjj]

I recently picked up a big Joe manual stacker just like the link above for $600. It lifts 2k pounds to 11 feet and is the handiest darn thing. I have pallet forks for my skid steer but the stacker is way more useful. Watch for used ones, many of the manual stackers like mine just take a 12v deep cycle battery

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[yeldogt]

Occasionally (maybe once a year) I have something large sent to me by freight that I need to unload at my residence garage. Looking at moving and will have a 30 x 40 detached garage with room for a few more things. Where I am now I have a small tractor with loader because of some land. I have a friend with a shop and fork lift that I can have it delivered to and then go there with my pickup and get it. Then unload with the tractor. This is a bit of work but is ok for up to about 500 lbs which covers everything so far.

At the new location I won't have the tractor and the friends place to deliver to. What do people do in this situation beside have delivery with a lift gate?

Is there an issue doing the lift gate? This maybe a regional item .. but in the mid-atlantic have never had an issue getting a lift gate. It's all dependent on the final delivery company .. and that's typically the difference I have encountered between the residential/commercial delivery option. I have had lots of stuff delivered in the past 2 years and even when they say that the service is only a drop -- I have never had a problem making sure there was a pallet lift on the truck .. (this used to be an issue). I always tip the driver .. first.

 

[Bretny]

By father had a machine shop out of our garage for many years. He would get a pallet of 12x12x12in stainless steel blocks. He had a pallet that would cover the top of his pickup at the same height as the truck deck. The driver new to call and wait down the street. He would come and they would shove off all the steel blocks to the top of the pallet. At the shop he also had a big joe manual pump stacker. That thing was great and worked until the day he sold it.

 

[Swegner99]

Is there an issue doing the lift gate? This maybe a regional item .. but in the mid-atlantic have never had an issue getting a lift gate. It's all dependent on the final delivery company .. and that's typically the difference I have encountered between the residential/commercial delivery option. I have had lots of stuff delivered in the past 2 years and even when they say that the service is only a drop -- I have never had a problem making sure there was a pallet lift on the truck .. (this used to be an issue). I always tip the driver .. first.

I'm in the southwest and you get a discounted shipping rate if you receive without needing a liftgate. I just have all my large items delivered to work and unload with the forklift.

 

[Bretny]

Many places you can also just have the felivery held at the freight dock and go pick it up. I had to do this once for an engine. It also saved me a few hundred on delivery.

 

[Spulen81]

I've done the same thing with a few engines and my scissor lift. Its generally cheaper too.

 

[Higgins]

Have a bobcat, so I just have things delivered to the house. Slide material to back of the trailer and i'll pick it up, and away I go. One driver complained he wouldn't be able to turn around at the end of the street. Told him hem may want to take drivers training, as the mayflower moving truck that delivered our stuff down to TN had an extended cab, plus the trailer and was able to spin the sucker on a dime with space to spare!!! - LOL

 

[bochnak]

Liftgate service is $30-60, so I pay for that. Way cheaper than buying my own equipment to help unload.

 

[Mirage]

At the new location I won't have the tractor and the friends place to deliver to. What do people do in this situation beside have delivery with a lift gate?

Whereabouts are you? I route/load for a major regional LTL carrier and we do a lot of a private residence deliveries now, I get probably 75% of those out on my 40' liftgate trailers unless its one of my real far off routes (53' or 48') and even then the drivers are usually pretty good about meeting a customer somewhere if they are able to. We are also running 4 little Hino box trucks for stuff under 500 lbs, I know a bunch of our competitors are running some 28' box trucks too for the same purpose.

As stated already cheapest option is to pick it up at the terminal if you have a pickup anyways.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

Many places you can also just have the felivery held at the freight dock and go pick it up. I had to do this once for an engine. It also saved me a few hundred on delivery.

This is the way to go. You don't need equipment and they are generally happy to do it because they don't have to pay a driver or spend the fuel to get it to your house. Extra benefit is you can go when it works for you instead of getting a delivery window like "Between 8am and 6pm".

 

[Innovate1]

Lift gate is possible and I have done that for some things but for other things I didn't have a choice as they wanted to do a semi delivery. That was only one thing that I can remember. I think typically for a lift gate the load has to be transferred locally which works for most things depending on who the shipping company is. But we use Uship for some things - its a reverse auction shipping company that has really good rates for larger items. Got the tractor that way. With a company like that you have to coordinate the local lift gate yourself and being a separate deal costs a bit. They expect you have a loading dock and at least a pallet jack.

 

[Augus7us]

You buy my manual battery power hydraulic forklift. It's great for smaller palletized loads and has a 1500lb rating. Been pricing these on eBay to see what they average and it looks like between a grand and $1500. Really handy if you can't accommodate a forklift or loader.

Like this: https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...&ved=0ahUKEwi1w6jCzovfAhUQT6wKHb20BYYQgTYInQY

This is what I did. I have a big joe walk behind counterweight lift. I paid 250 for her and she has saved my bacon more times than I can count. Just keep your eye out, the walk behinds never go for what the riding units go for.

-Clint

 

[yeldogt]

Lift gate is possible and I have done that for some things but for other things I didn't have a choice as they wanted to do a semi delivery. That was only one thing that I can remember. I think typically for a lift gate the load has to be transferred locally which works for most things depending on who the shipping company is. But we use Uship for some things - its a reverse auction shipping company that has really good rates for larger items. Got the tractor that way. With a company like that you have to coordinate the local lift gate yourself and being a separate deal costs a bit. They expect you have a loading dock and at least a pallet jack.

I have had to do direct ship on some items. Maybe it's my location in the Mid-Atlantic. All the delivery trucks seem to have a lift gate now.

At my PA place -- I cannot get a semi into the drive. That has required either a delay or small cost for a smaller truck

 

[Hdonly0]

I have this to take care of the heavy stuff.

 

[coljar]

Make friends with a local business that has a loading dock. You'd be surprised how easy it is and just slip their guy a few bucks for helping you load it. I have such a place close by, but the owner is an old high school acquaintance.

 

[GMCGarage]

I have a long drive. I am gonna have them lift gate it onto the back on my pickup, then use my tractor with forks to lift off the pickup. If I didnt have the tractor, I would have them unload to the ground, then drag it to where i need it.

 

[rsanter]

I have it sent to my work, then I use their forklift to put it in my truck

You can also buy a 4 post lift. Move the lift outside and adjust to the height of the truck

 

[finn]

Make friends with a local business that has a loading dock. You'd be surprised how easy it is and just slip their guy a few bucks for helping you load it. I have such a place close by, but the owner is an old high school acquaintance.

When my lift was scheduled to be delivered, the driver called from forty miles out and asked if I had a car trailer. I answered affirmatively, and he said he would call me back in a few minutes.

Ended up that he called in a favor at a local manufacturing company a few minutes from my house. They used their fork lift and dock to pull the lift from the front of the trailer and dropped it on my car trailer.

I had a skid steer and forks, but the loading dock was fast and easy. I unloaded it from the car trailer at my leisure.

 

[Stuart in MN]

If you have the space for it at your new property you could build your own loading dock - put in some sort of retaining wall, and grade in a ramp, something like this:

 

[Bretny]

Good idea but im sure in alot of places that still dosnt qualify as a business.

 

[Bad Eye Bill]

I have this to take care of the heavy stuff.

I'd like to see more pictures of this setup if possible please. Thanks.

 

[rpcraft]

Usually if you let the delivery company know in advance you have no dock they will send it on a lift gate truck. It might cost you 50 to 75 bucks extra but to me that is worth the trouble of not having to invent a way to get the stuff out of the back of a truck or haggle with unpacking, tipping, sliding, etc etc. If the operator is properly skilled you can get most any pallet size item off on a liftgate. It might be a pants crapping experience (I have seen some skethy lift gates, lol), but just stand back and let them take the risk in dropping it before you sign any paperwork. So long as you are willing to help push it up your driveway and across any concrete or asphalt I have never met a driver that was not willing to guide it where I wanted.

 

[Hdonly0]

I'd like to see more pictures of this setup if possible please. Thanks.

Here are a few more pictures.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Good idea but im sure in alot of places that still dosnt qualify as a business.

Some really don't care if it is a business or not, they just want to be able to load/unload off the road and out of traffic.

HD shipped my gutters by semi truck in 32' sections. They asked about off loading and I told them I have a long drive parallel to the road. I verified to them that the driver can pull off into my driveway easy and it wouldn't be a problem. The driver was pretty happy when he arrived.

 

[reader2580]

I have my loads held at the freight terminal and they load the freight right into my trailer.

It not only saves me the cost of the lift gate, but I also don’t have to take a half day off to wait for the truck.

 

[Bad Eye Bill]

Thanks Hdonly0. How much can you lift before the front end gets a bit light? Looks like a lot of leverage.

 

[TractorJeff]

Judging by the Tire size and the Wheel weights peeking out.
I'd bet the Front has a little extra weight on it too!

 

[rpcraft]

Some really don't care if it is a business or not, they just want to be able to load/unload off the road and out of traffic.

HD shipped my gutters by semi truck in 32' sections. They asked about off loading and I told them I have a long drive parallel to the road. I verified to them that the driver can pull off into my driveway easy and it wouldn't be a problem. The driver was pretty happy when he arrived.

This, there concern is if it has a dock and material handling equipment.

 

[Bad Eye Bill]

Judging by the Tire size and the Wheel weights peeking out.
I'd bet the Front has a little extra weight on it too!

I expect there is extra weight on the front but I can't see any in those pics.

 

[samss]

JD4300 with front bucket/forks. If it's bigger than a box truck, I have to meet them at the end of the driveway.

 

[Hdonly0]

Thanks Hdonly0. How much can you lift before the front end gets a bit light? Looks like a lot of leverage.

I pulled the engine out of a JD 490E excavator that weighs around 900 lbs. It was about all I could pick up with it. The Case930 that my lift is on has a box in front full of railroad track iron. The front didn't lift but the lift cylinder was about maxed out.

 

[cvairwerks]

When I’ve had big stuff shipped in, I cut a deal with a local rental yard to off load it from the truck to my trailer. Last time I needed to do it, the cost was a couple dozen doughnuts and a twelve pack of Dr. Pepper. I pulled up and the yard guys had the load transferred before I could get out of the truck.

 

[yeldogt]

I guess people are not reading ... the OP will no longer have the friends loading dock nor will he have his tractor at his new place.

With a suitable truck you can save the last leg of a shipment going directly to the transfer station -- but you still have to get it off your truck .... this needs equipment.

Think the OP will find that it's easy and not very expensive to have it dropped in his driveway -- tip the driver and they help move it in.

 

[matt_i]

Many places you can also just have the felivery held at the freight dock and go pick it up. I had to do this once for an engine. It also saved me a few hundred on delivery.

At time of shipping setup "HOLD AT TERMINAL FOR CUSTOMER PICKUP....CALL ***-YYY-ZZZZ" and this will get you what you want.

Tread cautiously when entering a freight terminal, its truly amazing how fast they run the forklifts and with how little care they load and unload semis.

Always inspect a shipment and note *any* damage to it in writing before signing your name anywhere. If you sign at the super tiny print which says "received in good condition" you own it. If there's obvious damage, leave it there and contact the vendor you purchased it from. Don't be persuaded into loading it on your vehicle despite complaints from the terminal.

 

[8mpg]

I have been looking for a way to lift heavier things in the shop... whoever mentioned the BigJoe forklift is onto something. I can get a used one for a couple hundred more than I can build a gantry crane.

 

[Punkinhead]

I live at the end of a dead end cul de sac in a residential neighborhood so even a truck with a lift gate isn't going to appreciate delivering to my house, especially if my neighbors leave their cars parked on the street. Turning around is going to be a major pain in the ****. So I always do what others suggested when I have a heavy shipment - I have it held at the nearest freight terminal where they'll cheerfully load it onto my trailer. Then I have the luxury of backing the trailer into my garage and unloading at my leisure with an engine hoist or some cobbled together solution.

 

[rpcraft]

I've done the terminal pick up on a tool chest once and had zero regrets about it. I was even able to pick it up around 3 in the morning because freight terminals never really close, lol. I had somewhere to be at 8 AM so that is my excuse.

 

[Augus7us]

I have been looking for a way to lift heavier things in the shop... whoever mentioned the BigJoe forklift is onto something. I can get a used one for a couple hundred more than I can build a gantry crane.

Maybe I'm just paranoid lol. But after I bought my first big tools I wanted to do two things: Move and load them up for me on demand or move and load them up on someones truck if I flipped one, which I've done quite a few times.

I bought a Grob 36" bandsaw by mistake at an industrial auction and had it and a truckload of tools shipped to me, long story. At the time I figured I'd just pop them on craigslist and flip them and make enough to pay for the one tool I wanted to keep... Good luck finding someone that can show up and load a bandsaw the size of a vw beetle. I thought I was going to have to take a torch to it and take it to the dump, which I didn't want to do at all.

Enter Big Joe! $250 and she works like a champ, minus a bad safety switch I jury rigged and need to replace. In fact she just made unloading my new 700b compressor a walk in the park compared to what I would have had to do.

-Clint