Care For Your Box Truck Liftgates: What To Know
Care For Your Box Truck Liftgates: What To Know
There are a wide variety of box truck liftgate applications because of the wide variety of vehicle designs and lifting demands. A few key issues must be addressed before settling on the ideal liftgate.
Looking for a liftgate but not sure where to begin? We look at the various liftgates for box trucks that you may utilize.
WHAT WILL THE LIFTGATE BE LIFTING?
Knowing what the liftgate will be lifting is essential to establishing the necessary style, lifting capability, platform size, and other choices. The efficient loading and unloading of cargo from trucking equipment is made possible by the use of advanced hydraulic systems. Consider that other criteria will likely further narrow compatibility, but this is a crucial step in reducing the number of suitable liftgate types for any specific usage.
SIZE OF THE PLATFORM
To know how much space you'll need for loading, you must consider every possible scenario. For instance, a Railgate's stated load width of 83 inches can be closer to 80 or 81 inches at the platform's back, depending on the self-closing mechanisms and other design features.
LIFTING CAPACITY
When selecting a box truck with a lift gate, a user's first consideration will be its maximum permissible lifting capability. If the user knows the liftgate will never have to move more than 800 pounds at a time, then they have a greater selection of lifts from which to pick than someone who has to move more than 2000 pounds.
OPTIONS - LIFT GATE FOR BOX TRUCK
Lifting equipment that requires wheels or a cart is more likely to benefit from a Cart Stop or Retention Ramp. These features are not always standard on many Railgate and Tuckunder versions, so it is important to ask about when considering your next liftgate.
PLATFORM MATERIAL
Operators in very corrosive locations will want a platform resistant to corrosion. At the same time, those transporting liquids that are easily spilled will benefit from a loading surface made of a material that enables liquid to flow through it.
WILL THE VEHICLE NEED TO LOAD OR UNLOAD AT A RAISED DOCK?
Many businesses experience a snag when they discover they need to load and unload cargo at both an elevated port and street level. There are various types of liftgates that all work to address this issue.
• Tuckunder lifts, as its name implies, stow away under the truck's bed, so they're out of the way whenever the back of the truck meets a dock.
• Dropping platforms are available on several Railgate types, allowing the platform to be stored out of the way when not in use.
• Truck bed heights may fall short of loading dock heights in several cases. This scenario suggests the potential usefulness of the "above bed" feature of the Railgate paradigm.
WHAT ARE THE VEHICLE DIMENSIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS?
Likewise, the lift gate for box truck types that work best with a specific vehicle will be determined by the vehicle's specs. Choosing the correct liftgate is crucial based on several parameters, including body width and bed height.
BED HEIGHT
The height of the truck's bed is also a crucial factor, especially when considering a tuckaway-style gate. To take this measurement, make sure your truck is parked on flat ground and measure from the floor of your box to the ground. One contributing factor is the size of the platform and the
required bed height range are important to ensure that the platform will be able to stow and
unstow, along with being able to travel from the back of the truck to the ground correctly
during use. When determining how far a liftgate's platform may be lifted or lowered, the term
"travel" is used. It means that the lift gate for the box truck will not work if the height of the
the vehicle's bed exceeds its maximum or minimum travel.
OVERALL WIDTH
Knowing the overall body width is also a vital first step in choosing your lift gate for a box truck
because most are designed to fit certain body widths.
WHY CHOOSE TEXAS HYDRAULIC AND EQUIPMENT, LLC
Texas Hydraulic and Equipment is a company that stands out in the industry because of its expertise in servicing and repairing hydraulic liftgates. Many major organizations in the United States have facilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and Texas Hydraulic has been their go-to liftgate repair shop since 1945.
BOX TRUCK LIFTGATE INSTALLATION AND REPAIR IN DALLAS
We're happy to support the success of companies in Dallas, Desoto, and Mesquite, Texas, where we grew up. When your lift gate for box truck stops working correctly, you can rely on us to help you replace it or solve the problem quickly. When you need a liftgate installed or repaired on your box truck, please don't hesitate to give us a call.