My dispatcher actually said this

"FMCSA regulations require that hydraulic liftgates, as part of vehicle equipment, must be fully lowered and secured against unintended movement during transit
. The liftgate platform should be completely stowed, with all hydraulic components retracted, to prevent it from dropping, lifting, or swinging outward while driving.
Key FMCSA Securement Requirements:

• Fully Lowered: The liftgate must be in its lowest, fully retracted (stowed) position.
• Physical Lockdown: If not securely held by its own mechanism, additional tie-downs or locking pins must prevent any vertical or horizontal movement.
• Performance Standards: The securement must withstand
  0.8g
  0.8 forward
  0.5g
  0.5rearward
  0.5g
  0.5 lateral, and
  0.2g
  0.2 upward forces.
• Inspection: Operators must ensure the liftgate does not obscure lights or license plates and is not capable of becoming unsecured during transit.

If a hydraulic liftgate is not in the stowed position, it must be secured using appropriate tie-downs to meet the requirements of 49 CFR 393.100-393.136. '

 

I have not used every Maxon model? What one you talking about.

Maxon manuals are about useless. Sometimes the actual locking mechanism is hard to find, but you can't have a situation where a hydraulic hose or seal fails and liftgate falls to the road


The Maxon with chains


And Maxon with hydraulic lock.
:

 

A lot of those rail lift gates operate the same way:

You lower the gate a few inches and then you can extend the platform?

Then to transport you raise the gate, fold up the platform, and then raise the lift gate all the way? All the way at the top you are not supposed to be able to extend the platform?

That is because the lock for that liftgate is at the top. When the platform is folded up and ran up to the top stops, the lock pins are supposed to come out automatically and lock the platform and gate mechanically. You can hear them lock the gate. Sometimes you can see them

 

Maxon says there are locks. They advertise there are automatic locks. It is in the manual: https://www.maxonlift.com/products/columnlift/bmr

 

I have used those lifts before and you can hear the locks

One of the most common failures of these lifts it the position switch that allows these lift locks to retract fails. The pump will run, the hydraulics will energize, but the lift will not move. It will be stuck on the locks that will not retract because of the position switch.