What is a liftgate fee?
What is a liftgate fee? It is the accessorial an LTL carrier charges when the truck has to lower your pallet to the ground because there is no dock to back into.
What is a liftgate fee paying for
A liftgate is a hydraulic platform on the back of the trailer. It takes a pallet from trailer height to ground level. Not every truck in a carrier's fleet has one, so the carrier has to route the shipment to a trailer that does, which is what you are paying for as much as the equipment itself.
It is charged per stop. A shipment that needs one at pickup and again at delivery is charged twice.
When you need one
Any delivery without a loading dock. Homes, almost always. Small retail units, storage facilities, job sites, offices and most self-storage addresses. If the receiver has a forklift and a dock, you do not need one, and it is worth asking rather than assuming.
A pallet weighing more than the liftgate's capacity is a different problem, and it usually means breaking the shipment down or booking different equipment.
Related terms
Quick answers
How much does a liftgate cost?
It varies by carrier and lane, and it is quoted per stop rather than as a flat national number. It is always cheaper declared up front than added afterwards.
Do I need a liftgate at both ends?
Only where there is no dock. Many shipments load at a warehouse dock and deliver to a place that has none, so one end is common.
Tell us the dock situation
If you are still asking what is a liftgate fee when the invoice lands, the answer arrived too late. Send us the addresses and it goes in the quote.