Tennesseahawk
Veteran Expediter
I'm looking at a truck with a liftgate. This truck also has a 28' box. What smaller companies do you know of that utilize liftgates well, AND know how to load that size box for t/t rate?
Liftgate trucks and small carriers
- Thread starter Tennesseahawk
- Start date
zorry
Veteran Expediter
My guess would be that truck is better suited to a cartage company or a contract carrier,either one speacializing in liftgate work. But why?
In expedite I see little extra money with a liftgate. It will get you loads you weren't "up for" but there's no great rate premium.
Chgo has a cartage outfit (Chicago Suburban Express. CSX). If you have a few 55 gallon drums coming they will likely bring them. Hard work.
Or you can do appliance delivery. Again, do you want to work that hard ? My point is I don't see an expedite carrier doing enough gate work to become a carrier of choice because I have a gate.
In expedite I see little extra money with a liftgate. It will get you loads you weren't "up for" but there's no great rate premium.
Chgo has a cartage outfit (Chicago Suburban Express. CSX). If you have a few 55 gallon drums coming they will likely bring them. Hard work.
Or you can do appliance delivery. Again, do you want to work that hard ? My point is I don't see an expedite carrier doing enough gate work to become a carrier of choice because I have a gate.
Tennesseahawk
Veteran Expediter
I've had a liftgate before. Yes, I want to work that hard. My liftgate got me more than a couple 1000+ mile loads, including one from Manhattan to Culver City, CA (Sony studios). I got plenty of concert runs, a few of which needed a liftgate. So, in the end, it's about having a tool available, because if you don't, you'll never know what you miss.
As far as having a great premium... I've gotten 150-250 before for liftgate use (250 was usually for both shipper and consignee needing it). But again, in the end, you'll never get offered that run without one; so you can chalk the whole profit of that run up to having it.
As far as having a great premium... I've gotten 150-250 before for liftgate use (250 was usually for both shipper and consignee needing it). But again, in the end, you'll never get offered that run without one; so you can chalk the whole profit of that run up to having it.
pearlpro
Expert Expediter
It really depends on the Carrier, Ive had a liftgate on my truck, never used it, but If your booking freight with several carriers etc yes its a tool that can get you some deliverys, Studio and Concert type work, Convention, or delivery of Home based goods youll need it, Im going to decide on lift or no lift pretty quickly as a new truck order will hopefully be coming in Oct. Currently I dont use it at all for freight delivery. The Alum deck liftgates can save you considerable weight and are far easier to fold and unfold and use.
Tennesseahawk
Veteran Expediter
You are correct. Auto freight has no uses for liftgates. I'm not looking to put one on. The truck I'm looking at already has one, so I'm trying to find a company that will utilize it. Thus, the thread.
tenntrucker
Expert Expediter
A liftgate to me means they want me to unload something, not going to happen. I have a bad hip and only run no touch freight, that why auto freight is a good fit for me.
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Tennesseahawk
Veteran Expediter
Not necessarily true. Many liftgate loads I've had were simply because the consignee didn't have a dock. I used the pallet jack to get the stuff off my truck, and into his building. Piece o cake.
moose
Veteran Expediter
Hate to state the obvious, but many L/G loads will require team drivers.
&/or fully certified drivers.
it'll be a boat anchor.
for the large box utilization, i'd be (@ least) call US Express. as they have the TT loads.
(again, sorry, not what you want to read).
personally, for a solo driver, id stay away from anything but a class7 22 footer dry box.
(unless you have a unique freight to begin with)
&/or fully certified drivers.
it'll be a boat anchor.
for the large box utilization, i'd be (@ least) call US Express. as they have the TT loads.
(again, sorry, not what you want to read).
personally, for a solo driver, id stay away from anything but a class7 22 footer dry box.
(unless you have a unique freight to begin with)
Tennesseahawk
Veteran Expediter
Talk about thinking inside the box.
Deville
Not a Member
LG loads are team? Since when?
Deville
Not a Member
Ceva would be a place I would go to if I was leaving the FED.
As far as liftgates go, I have had them & they are worth there weight in gold. They will help you get the odd load here & there. At one time liftgate loads were premium pay. Now i've heard that they play games with the pay adding it to the rate buy lowballing the run pay. I know guys that have told there companies they cut the liftgate off the truck & not to bother them anymore with crappy labor intensive low paying liftgate loads.
zorry
Veteran Expediter
Some shippers /carriers require a team for LG loads for safety reasons. The frieght may be too heavy or awkward to be safely handled by one person.
It's not unusual for us to do a delivery where another team is dispatched to assist the delivery.
It's all about safety and customer service.
It's not unusual for us to do a delivery where another team is dispatched to assist the delivery.
It's all about safety and customer service.
Solo delivery drivers use lift gates by themselves all day long. You see it all the time on city streets with food delivery trucks.
Expedite solos and teams use lift gates.
There are lift gate loads where the customer insists on handling the freight on both ends and the driver does nothing but run the lift gate up and down.
Many ways to use a lift gate.
We had 3 trucks down there, i'm a believer.