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Tailgate delivery
Tailgate delivery: when you need one, and when you do not.
A tailgate, or tail lift, is a platform on the back of the truck that lowers a pallet to the ground. It is the answer when the delivery address has no dock and no forklift, and it changes the truck, the time on site and the price, so it goes on the quote up front.
Or call Jayden on 0494 820 639, 7am to 5pm weekdays.
Quick answer
When do I need a tailgate truck?
You need a tailgate delivery when the delivery address has no dock and no forklift: shops, workshops, farms, building sites and homes. A tail lift lowers the pallet to the ground and the driver jacks it to the nearest flat, hard ground. On our fleet the 2 tonne truck's lift takes 1,000 kg and the 4 tonne truck's 1,250 kg; the 6 and 8 pallet trucks carry one as an option, and the rigids from ten positions up need a dock or a forklift. Say there is no forklift when you quote and the tailgate and the time on site are priced up front.
When you need one
When do I need a tailgate truck?
- No loading dock and no forklift at the delivery address: shops, offices, workshops, farms, building sites, homes.
- A dock the truck cannot back onto: a steep driveway, a low awning, a tight street.
- A forklift that is there but not available at the time of delivery, or rated below the pallet weight.
- Pickups from a site with pallets stacked at ground level and nothing to lift them with.
You do not need one when either end has a dock at truck height, or a forklift and someone to drive it. A forklift at both ends is the cheapest way to move a pallet, and it is why the quote asks about access before it asks about the freight.
The trucks
Which trucks carry a tailgate?
| Vehicle | Positions | Payload | Tail lift |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 tonne truck | 4 | 1,900 kg | Rated to 1,000 kg |
| 4 tonne truck | 6 | 3,990 kg | Rated to 1,250 kg |
| 6 pallet truck | 6 | 3,790 kg | Available as an option |
| 8 pallet truck | 8 | 5,200 kg | Available as an option |
The rigids from ten positions up, the semi and the B-double are dock vehicles: they need a dock or a forklift at both ends. Vans carry a pallet jack but no lift, so a van delivery to a site with no forklift is a hand unload of the cartons, not a pallet to the ground. The whole fleet with deck and payload is on the vehicles page.
What the driver needs
What does a tailgate delivery need on site?
- 01A pallet inside the lift ratingA 2 tonne truck's lift takes 1,000 kg, a 4 tonne truck's 1,250 kg. A heavier pallet needs a forklift at the receiving end or has to be split before it is loaded.
- 02Flat, hard groundThe pallet comes off on a hand pallet jack, which rolls on concrete and bitumen and stops dead on gravel, grass, steps and steep slopes. Delivery is to the first flat, hard ground the jack can reach, usually the kerb, the driveway or the roller door.
- 03Room for the truckThe lift folds down behind the truck and needs about two metres of clear ground behind it, plus the space to park. A narrow street or a shared driveway is worth mentioning when you book.
- 04Someone to receive itA name and a number at the address, and the hours the site is open. The driver signs the pallet over and the proof of delivery records who took it and when.
Cost
What does a tailgate add to the price?
A tailgate changes the truck, which can change the rate, and it adds time on site: lowering a pallet and jacking it to the door takes longer than a forklift lifting it off. Both go on the quote when you say there is no forklift, and neither appears on the invoice as a surprise. The thing that costs real money is not saying so: a dock truck arrives, cannot unload, and the job becomes a redelivery at full cost. What moves the price of a pallet delivery sets out the parts.
Getting a number
Say there is no forklift, and the right truck is on the quote.
Put the two addresses, the pallet count and the weight into the quote tool and tick the access at each end. A tailgate truck and the time on site are priced up front, in minutes, beside the dock option so you can see the difference.
Questions about tailgate delivery
What is a tailgate delivery?
A delivery on a truck with a tail lift, a platform that lowers the pallet from the deck to the ground, for addresses with no dock and no forklift. The driver then moves the pallet on a hand pallet jack to the nearest flat, hard ground.
How heavy a pallet can a tailgate lift?
On our fleet, 1,000 kg on the 2 tonne truck and 1,250 kg on the 4 tonne truck. A heavier pallet needs a forklift at the receiving end or is split before loading.
Can the driver take the pallet inside?
To the first flat, hard ground the pallet jack can reach: a driveway, a roller door, a kerb. Not up steps, across grass or gravel, or through a doorway narrower than the pallet. Say where it has to end up and the quote says what is possible.
Do I need a tailgate for a residential delivery?
Almost always, unless someone at the address has a forklift. Residential deliveries also need the truck to fit the street and the driveway, so say which it is when you book.
Does a tailgate cost extra?
It can change the truck and it adds time on site, and both are priced on the quote when you say there is no forklift. Nothing is added afterwards. The expensive version is not saying so and paying for a redelivery.
Can you collect pallets with a tailgate truck?
Yes. Empty pallet stacks at ground level with no forklift are lifted on the tailgate and jacked onto the truck, and the pickup is priced the same way.
Prefer to talk? Call Jayden on 0494 820 639. Forklift at one end and not the other? Forklift unload versus hand unload covers what to tell us.
Related questions
- Forklift unload or hand unload: what to tell us
- What is a POD and how do I get it?
- How do I pack a pallet for freight?
- 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.