3D Fab tables can be quite heavy, and depending on the size and type, it’s very possible liftgates can’t handle them.
To start with, liftgates generally can’t handle anything larger than 4’x8’. And some can’t even handle those dimensions. They are simply too large to roll out and clear the truck with a pallet jack.
Some tables, such as those advertised as super heavy-duty with very thick walls, can weigh 2,000 – 3,000 pounds even in smaller sizes. Those are going to be right out because you can’t count on a truck having a liftgate that can handle more than 1,500-2,000 lbs.
Tables like the ones we build at Texas Metal Works can get liftgate services up to our 40×80 units for sure, with no weight problems.
If you’re trying to get a bigger, or heavier, table than a liftgate can handle, and you don’t have a forklift, we’ve seen people do a number of things:
- Use a farm machine like a tractor with forks to unload.
- Have the table shipped to their work location or a friend’s location with a forklift, then take a trailer with a roll-off liftgate over there to bring the table back to your location where you can roll it off (if you got a unit with casters), or potentially hoist it off if you have something like a small bridge crane.
- Have the vendor (TO) ask the LTL carrier to hold the shipment at the nearest terminal and drive over to the terminal with a trailer to pick it up.