10 Tips for Spec’ing the Right Liftgate

Liftgates can benefit truck fleets, but incorrect specifications can cause problems. e.g., Gates not lowering fully, truck sitting too low, battery power running low. This can lead to pallet jack/handcart inaccessibility, low battery, and delayed deliveries.

Here are the top 10 things to consider when specifying a liftgate:

1. Application: Consider the application when choosing a liftgate—some work better in specific applications than others. Consider how the liftgate will be used, its type of cargo, and its length, width, height, and weight. There are many differences between moving plants, car parts, grocery products, beverages, batteries, and bakery products.

   Select a liftgate to handle the application’s weight; Maxon Lift’s BMR Columnlift can take up to 6,600 lbs. According to Arnold Kowal, director for after-sales service support at Maxon Lift, “[t]he gate spec is based on use and application. How much does a product weigh, and how big is it? A level-ride liftgate is needed to prevent tipping if a product is a tall or top heavy.”

2. Correctly Calculate Weight: According to NACFE’s Otto, who spent 40 years at Cummins, a truck delivering 2,000 to 3,000 pounds of goods will not require a vehicle with a 6,000-pound capacity. It’s essential to factor in product weight, the weight of the equipment used to move the product, and the weight of the driver.

   Pallet jacks, dollies, or carts can increase capacity weights by 100 to 1,000 pounds, while a driver jumping on the liftgate may add 200 pounds or more. Maxon’s Anton Griessner advises ” calculating the weight of everything that will be on the liftgate,” as an electric pallet jack alone can weigh 1,000+ pounds and may overload the gate.

3. Get a Liftgate Spec’d for the Vehicle: As a rule of thumb, specify the largest liftgate the delivery location can handle. Liftgate selection depends on the type of vehicle, from a pickup truck to a straight truck, van to a tractor-trailer. Liftgate width and platform sizes are determined by vehicle width.

   If a vehicle needs a hitch to pull a trailer, the trap may impede platform operation, and it can cost a lot to change this later. When spec’ing a liftgate for a trailer, the type of trailer affects liftgate selection. Smaller and medium-duty liftgates aren’t designed for the pounding a trailer can give them.

4. Choose the Right Type of Door: Swing-open doors are the least expensive option for most trucks but are incompatible with rail-style gates. Tuck-away or cantilever gates work best with swing-open doors and provide the most prominent platforms.
5. Consider Laden Versus Unladen: It is necessary to know the unladen height of a truck to correctly specify a liftgate, as selecting a liftgate based on laden height (the height of the truck when it sits lower to the ground) could result in a liftgate that doesn’t reach the ground.

   It’s equally important to consider truck height when it’s fully laden, or at its lowest point, which dictates minimum clearance requirements. Every truck model has its own laden and unladen height dimensions based on its body specifications, which can be used as a reference to guide liftgate selection.

6. Know Thy Gates: Four common types of liftgates are:

   Tuck-under: Tuck-under liftgates stay out of the way until needed and tilt to form a ramp.

   Rail or column-lift: Rail liftgates have a large, level platform and stay aligned with the bed during use.

   Cantilever: Cantilever liftgates keep cargo level, have a large platform, and come with foot controls.

   Slider: Sliders stow horizontally. Light-duty liftgates are best for light to moderate loads.

   Each industry has a model gate that works best for it, and fleets must determine which configurations are best for their operations.

7. Understand Platform Ride: The wrong pattern can cause problems.

   4 Keys to Spec'ing the Right Liftgate: inquire whether it’s a level-ride or standard-ride platform, type of load, terrain, and more important factors. Most liftgates have level-ramping or level-ride platforms (stability with top-heavy/tall loads); level-ramping ride better for unlevel areas.

8. Spec Adequate Platform Depth: Fleets must ensure the liftgate platform is large enough to handle cargo, equipment, and driver. Typical liftgates can handle freight equal to or less than 96″ wide and 48″ deep.
9. Plan for Power: “Liftgates take a lot of amps to operate when moving,” says Otto. “They use a bunch of Power briefly (200-300 amps). Any liftgate system often needs auxiliary batteries to manage high amperage output.

   Fleets must determine how to charge these batteries, considering weather/climate, lifts/day, gate use, and distance between stops.” Anti-idling laws challenge the ability to meet changing needs with Group 31 batteries, so fleets may need dedicated batteries and boosting charge systems. Solar Power can help, providing a trickle charge to keep batteries topped off and extend battery life by 50%.

10. Plan for Longer Lifecycles: Many fleets operate delivery trucks until their maintenance needs make costs prohibitive (5-7 years, but up to a decade with technological advances). Selecting a liftgate with galvanized steel or aluminum can extend its life. Galvanized steel is coated with zinc oxide to prevent oxidation, while aluminum is lighter, corrosion-resistant, and pricier. Much rides on spec’ing the right liftgate; reach out to your liftgate specialist before deciding.

Source: https://www.truckinginfo.com/10192270/10-tips-for-specing-the-right-liftgate