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Forklift or hand unload
Forklift unload or hand unload: say which, before you book.
Every freight quote has a question about access, and it is the one people guess at. A forklift at both ends is a two minute unload. No forklift is a tailgate, a pallet jack and a driver on the ground, or cartons off the pallet by hand. Each is fine; each is a different job.
Or call Jayden on 0494 820 639, 7am to 5pm weekdays.
Quick answer
Forklift unload or hand unload: what should I tell the carrier?
Whether there is a forklift at each end and whether it will be there at delivery time, whether the truck meets a dock, a yard or a kerb, the pallet weight, and the street and the hours. A forklift at both ends is a two minute unload and the cheapest way to move a pallet; no forklift is a tailgate drop or a hand unload of the cartons, each quoted up front. Getting it wrong means a redelivery at full cost.
The three unloads
What is the difference between a forklift unload, a tailgate unload and a hand unload?
| Unload | What happens | Needs | Time on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forklift | Your forklift lifts the pallet off the deck, or off the dock. | A forklift rated for the pallet, someone to drive it, and a dock or a yard the truck can reach. | Minutes. |
| Tailgate | The truck's tail lift lowers the pallet to the ground and the driver jacks it to flat, hard ground. | A truck with a tail lift, a pallet inside the lift rating, concrete or bitumen to roll on. | Ten to twenty minutes a pallet, more on a tight site. |
| Hand unload | The cartons come off the pallet by hand, onto a trolley or straight inside; the empty pallet stays on the truck or comes off too. | Someone at the address to help, a clear path, cartons a person can lift. | Depends on the carton count; a full pallet can be half an hour or more. |
Vans carry a pallet jack but no lift, so a van to a site without a forklift is a hand unload. Rigids from ten positions up, the semi and the B-double need a dock or a forklift at both ends. Tailgate delivery covers which trucks carry a lift and the weight each one takes.
What to tell us
What should I say about access when I book?
- 01Forklift, yes or no, at each endAnd whether it will be there at the time of delivery. A forklift that is on another job at 2pm is no forklift.
- 02Dock or groundA dock at truck height, a yard the truck can drive into, or a kerb. Each one suits a different vehicle.
- 03The pallet weightA tail lift takes 1,000 to 1,250 kg on our fleet; a forklift at the far end must be rated for the pallet; a hand unload needs cartons a person can lift.
- 04The street and the hoursA narrow street, a steep driveway, a low awning, a gate that locks at 3pm. The driver can plan for all of them; none of them can be solved from the cab at the address.
Why it matters
What happens when the access is wrong on the booking?
A dock truck arrives at a site with no forklift and cannot unload. The freight goes back on the truck, the booking becomes a redelivery on a tailgate vehicle, and the day's run is late for everyone behind it. That is the expensive version, and it is why the quote prices the tailgate and the time on site up front when you say there is no forklift, and why a hand unload is quoted with the carton count rather than guessed. Waiting time on a dock is also on the invoice, so a receiver who can take a 7am to 3pm window keeps the rate honest. What moves the price has the rest.
Getting a number
Tick the access at each end and the right truck is on the quote.
Two addresses, the pallet count, the weight and the access at each end. Shared and dedicated come back priced together, with any tailgate or hand unload shown as its own line.
Questions about unloading
What if there is a forklift at pickup but not at delivery?
Say so. The pickup is a forklift load and the delivery is a tailgate drop or a hand unload, so the truck is chosen for the delivery end and the time on site is priced for it.
What is a hand unload?
The cartons come off the pallet by hand at the address, onto a trolley or straight inside, because there is no forklift and no room or reason for a tailgate. It is quoted on the carton count and needs someone at the address to help.
Can the driver bring a pallet jack?
Trucks with a tail lift carry one, and vans carry one for moving pallets inside the vehicle. A pallet jack only rolls on flat, hard ground; it does not do steps, grass or gravel.
Do I pay for waiting time?
Time on a dock beyond the unload is on the invoice, which is why it is cheaper to give a window the receiver will actually take and to have the forklift there when the truck arrives.
Does a hand unload cost more than a tailgate?
Usually, because it takes longer. Both are priced on the quote when you describe the access; the figure depends on the carton count and the site.
What if I do not know what is at the delivery address?
Ring the receiver and ask three things: forklift, dock, and the hours. If you cannot, book it as no forklift and the quote covers the tailgate; if a forklift turns out to be there, the unload is simply faster.
Prefer to talk? Call Jayden on 0494 820 639. The fleet, with deck, payload and tail lift ratings, is on the vehicles page.
Related questions
- What is a POD and how do I get it?
- How do I pack a pallet for freight?
- How does a Sydney metro pallet delivery work?
- When is a pallet pickup free?
Page updated 16 October 2026. Facts on this page are kept in step with the facts page; terms are explained in the glossary; the suburbs we stop at are on the areas page. Written by the team at 360 Operations Group, Prestons NSW; follow 360 on LinkedIn.