Fuel for Thought

Slide It In

After years of tucking it away, now I can just slide it in and slide it out. Once it is out, it is huge. And talk about smoothness, it goes up and down gently. Yes, that’s right, I’m talking about a liftgate.

While many expediters are familiar with the Palfinger slider liftgates, and they do make very good equipment, I too am now the owner of a slider… a Dhollandia slider liftgate. My last two trucks both had liftgates, both had Waltco tuck-under style liftgates. While I had no issues with the Waltco liftgates, I was ready to try something new this time. The difference is night and day.

This new Dhollandia slider liftgate has a 4400 lb.capacity. It is easy to slide in and out and the platform is lighter than the Waltco liftgates that I had previously. I did splurge on a few options for this liftgate. Like my previous liftgates, this one came standard with a wired remote, but you may remember that I added wireless key fob remotes to my Waltco, well, this Dhollandia had the option for a wireless remote and foot controls on the platform (I opted for all of the above). And the platform on the Dhollandia is extra large. My Waltco liftgates had 80” wide X 60” long platforms, although suitable to get the job done, this time I opted to GO BIG. At 94.5” wide X 79” long, this platform has plenty of room to maneuver freight without the concern of stepping off the edges. The wireless remote and the foot controls allows you to stabilize any freight rather  than being tethered to the truck. I also opted for the all aluminum platform, one it is lighter than a half galvanized steel platform and two, aluminum does not rust. I also chose to add the optional cart stops. I had these on my previous liftgate and found them to be very useful. I have only been using this liftgate for a couple of weeks now, but my initial impressions are that I made the right choice for a liftgate. Dhollandia does have the option to also include hydraulic landing gear, but I did not choose this option. Manual crank landing gear works well for the few times I actually need to use it, most of my freight is liftgate work and not forklift loaded or unloaded.

Costwise, there is not a big difference between the Dhollandia slider and the Waltco tuck-away liftgates. Yes, the Dhollandia is slightly higher in cost, but the added benefits that come with the Dhollandia far outweigh the cost difference. The cost could be more comparable to the tuck-away liftgates if you choose not to add all the options. Oh, and I forgot to mention another important feature of the slider over the tuck-away style, the slider bolts/welds to the frame without cutting away any of the existing truck frame and there is no need to cut away any of the door frame of the box to accommodate the liftgate. The result is a stronger truck frame at the rear and a stronger door frame on the box. Win Win.

If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.

- John D. Rockefeller

See you down the road,

Greg