It's come up in a number of threads, and again recently, that use of a liftgate can be unsafe to drivers and freight. While it is certainly true that liftgate use can be dangerous, it is also true that liftgate use can be safe if precautions are taken.
As with any tool (including trucks), a liftgate can be operated in a safe or unsafe manner. Actions that increase liftgate safety include:
1. Purchase high-quality, reliable equipment.
2. Include cart stops on the liftgate; devices that pop up from the lift gate surface that help keep items rolling off the the end.
3. Purchase a self-leveling lift gate that keeps the load level.
4. Purchase a large-platform liftgate that gives you room to work on the gate with freight on it too.
5. Do not allow anyone but yourself or your co-driver to operate the liftgate.
6. Know the weight of your freight and liftgate capacity. Do not overload. Over-buy capacity when purchasing a lift gate. If your carrier requires 2,500 lbs capacity, buy 3,000 or more.
7. With items that are top-heavy, like tall computer server cabinets worth $1,000,000, rig a "seat belt" of sorts to prevent the item from tipping or rolling off the end. Hook a ratchet strap into your E-track at the rear and on both sides of your truck. Run it outside the truck to the end of the liftgate. Then use it like a seat belt around the item to keep the item upright and on the gate. You might even invest in a hand winch. Secure it to a load bar inside the truck and run a strap around the item. Push the item out of the truck onto the gate, while your co-driver controls the exit by winching out slack bit by bit.
8. Never attempt to put a piece of freight in motion that is beyond your ability to control once it starts moving. Recruit extra help to put more hands on risky freight or have dispatch send you some.
9. Maintain the liftgate as per manufacturer's instructions.
10. Read the liftgate operator's manual and follow the directions. Pay special attention to the safety warnings.
11. If you have an audience, take a moment to instruct all observers on what is about to happen and that they should keep their distance.
12. Work our communications and routines with your co-driver, such as the one on the switch never runs the gate without getting a "ready" signal from the other.
13. Purchase a liftgate with a remote control that can be operated while standing on the gate or on the ground, whichever is better in the current circumstances.
14. Before runing the liftgate loaded, run it empty through its full range as a "pre-trip" and to verify that it will provide a good landing area for the freight that will be rolled off it.
15. Before putting freight on the gate, put the right kind of wheels or devices under or on it for safe handling. For example, don't rely on the little tiny wheels some computer cabinets have. Strap that sucker to a high-quality tripod appliance cart. Use the cart's wheels and handles to better control the item. Use a Johnson bar to put a pallet jack, tripod dollies, or platform dollies under the item.
16. Buy a Forearm Forklift and use it to better control the freight, or invent another way to use straps to create loops on the outside of difficult items that make them easier to control.
17. If you are unloading curbside on a busy street at night in the in Manhattan (true story), use safety cones to block the lane and create safe space in which to work. Wear reflective safety vests. Use truck flashers and safety lights to mark off the edges of the liftgate.
18. If it is raining, cover the freight with a waterproof tarp and wrap the tarp securely around the freight like you would a furniture pad or shrink wrap. Secure the tarp with large rubber bands used by household goods movers. Knowing the freight will stay dry allows you to take the time you need for cautious use of the gate. Put on high-quality rain gear to keep yourself dry (fits well, actually works) and take all the time you need to be safe working in the rain.
19. If you are spec'ing out a new truck with a liftgate, tell your vendors that you want the truck body floor, crash plate, sill, and liftgate to form a uniformly flat surface so freight will roll easily in and out of the truck. Avoid humps, ridges and dips to the extent possible.
20. If you are in a hurry to get a lift-gate load off your truck, take that as a signal that something is wrong. Cease work and do not resume until you have figured out where the distracting stress is coming from. If your mind is on anything other than the liftgate load you are dealing with, your mind is improperly focused, actually it is dangerously out of focus. If you are on or around a liftgate load, keep your mind in the liftgate zone.
21. If you find yourself exerting a lot of physical strength when loading or unloading a lift gate load, take that as a sign that something is wrong. Cease work and figure out another way; get help or think about tools or rigging that can be used to make the job easier and safer. If a shipper or consignee is pressuring you to move faster, be willing to call dispatch and ask to be taken off the load. Stick to your guns. Safety takes priority!
22. Keep an escape plan in mind. Anticipate how the item may go out of control and where it may fall. Be prepared to run or jump out of the way to keep from getting hurt yourself. Don't sacrifice yourself for the freight.
As with any tool (including trucks), a liftgate can be operated in a safe or unsafe manner. Actions that increase liftgate safety include:
1. Purchase high-quality, reliable equipment.
2. Include cart stops on the liftgate; devices that pop up from the lift gate surface that help keep items rolling off the the end.
3. Purchase a self-leveling lift gate that keeps the load level.
4. Purchase a large-platform liftgate that gives you room to work on the gate with freight on it too.
5. Do not allow anyone but yourself or your co-driver to operate the liftgate.
6. Know the weight of your freight and liftgate capacity. Do not overload. Over-buy capacity when purchasing a lift gate. If your carrier requires 2,500 lbs capacity, buy 3,000 or more.
7. With items that are top-heavy, like tall computer server cabinets worth $1,000,000, rig a "seat belt" of sorts to prevent the item from tipping or rolling off the end. Hook a ratchet strap into your E-track at the rear and on both sides of your truck. Run it outside the truck to the end of the liftgate. Then use it like a seat belt around the item to keep the item upright and on the gate. You might even invest in a hand winch. Secure it to a load bar inside the truck and run a strap around the item. Push the item out of the truck onto the gate, while your co-driver controls the exit by winching out slack bit by bit.
8. Never attempt to put a piece of freight in motion that is beyond your ability to control once it starts moving. Recruit extra help to put more hands on risky freight or have dispatch send you some.
9. Maintain the liftgate as per manufacturer's instructions.
10. Read the liftgate operator's manual and follow the directions. Pay special attention to the safety warnings.
11. If you have an audience, take a moment to instruct all observers on what is about to happen and that they should keep their distance.
12. Work our communications and routines with your co-driver, such as the one on the switch never runs the gate without getting a "ready" signal from the other.
13. Purchase a liftgate with a remote control that can be operated while standing on the gate or on the ground, whichever is better in the current circumstances.
14. Before runing the liftgate loaded, run it empty through its full range as a "pre-trip" and to verify that it will provide a good landing area for the freight that will be rolled off it.
15. Before putting freight on the gate, put the right kind of wheels or devices under or on it for safe handling. For example, don't rely on the little tiny wheels some computer cabinets have. Strap that sucker to a high-quality tripod appliance cart. Use the cart's wheels and handles to better control the item. Use a Johnson bar to put a pallet jack, tripod dollies, or platform dollies under the item.
16. Buy a Forearm Forklift and use it to better control the freight, or invent another way to use straps to create loops on the outside of difficult items that make them easier to control.
17. If you are unloading curbside on a busy street at night in the in Manhattan (true story), use safety cones to block the lane and create safe space in which to work. Wear reflective safety vests. Use truck flashers and safety lights to mark off the edges of the liftgate.
18. If it is raining, cover the freight with a waterproof tarp and wrap the tarp securely around the freight like you would a furniture pad or shrink wrap. Secure the tarp with large rubber bands used by household goods movers. Knowing the freight will stay dry allows you to take the time you need for cautious use of the gate. Put on high-quality rain gear to keep yourself dry (fits well, actually works) and take all the time you need to be safe working in the rain.
19. If you are spec'ing out a new truck with a liftgate, tell your vendors that you want the truck body floor, crash plate, sill, and liftgate to form a uniformly flat surface so freight will roll easily in and out of the truck. Avoid humps, ridges and dips to the extent possible.
20. If you are in a hurry to get a lift-gate load off your truck, take that as a signal that something is wrong. Cease work and do not resume until you have figured out where the distracting stress is coming from. If your mind is on anything other than the liftgate load you are dealing with, your mind is improperly focused, actually it is dangerously out of focus. If you are on or around a liftgate load, keep your mind in the liftgate zone.
21. If you find yourself exerting a lot of physical strength when loading or unloading a lift gate load, take that as a sign that something is wrong. Cease work and figure out another way; get help or think about tools or rigging that can be used to make the job easier and safer. If a shipper or consignee is pressuring you to move faster, be willing to call dispatch and ask to be taken off the load. Stick to your guns. Safety takes priority!
22. Keep an escape plan in mind. Anticipate how the item may go out of control and where it may fall. Be prepared to run or jump out of the way to keep from getting hurt yourself. Don't sacrifice yourself for the freight.
