For many people and businesses, dockless unloading is a serious problem. For others, the term ‘no dock, no problem’ means problem solved! What would you do if you had to make a bulky delivery to a customer who doesn’t have a dock or unloading dock?
What if a person ordered something from you that had to be delivered to your home? How many private residences have docks to unload their merchandise? In fact, how many have forklifts to help you unload a single pallet, let alone a grand piano or fountain for your backyard? None!
Therefore, you need some means of unloading your truck or van once you arrive at your destination. Many drivers have limited time allotments for each delivery, so guess what they sometimes try to do. Download it by hand! They may have a buddy in your cab, and they can also strap down the receiver to help manually lift this grand piano valued at over $10,000 from the back of the van or truck to the ground.
Guess what happens? If you have it! Someone loses their grip on the highly polished surface, or slips and trips under the heavy weight, and the piano falls to the ground and breaks. Your client not only has a claim for the piano, but also has a claim for compensation from his driver and anyone else injured in the debacle.
Unloading without dock: crane vans
Now consider the situation where you use a transport company that employs crane trucks for such work. They know the potential dangers of delivering such items to locations without a dock or proper unloading equipment. By using the services of a trucker who understands these issues, you may be able to avoid such serious problems.
If you ever have a situation where you may have to unload at a location without a dock, then it is important to ensure that your drivers are never faced with the decision of whether or not to attempt a manual unloading.
You can do this by using a tow truck to pick up and deliver your goods. You can avoid the hassle of property damage and manual handling claims and personal injury damage by using a van or truck equipped with a built-in gantry crane to load, deliver and unload the items the customer ordered. These can range from the aforementioned grand piano to a load of steel bars that are too heavy for anyone to attempt to unload by any other means.
Avoid manual handling claims
Manual claims handling can be very costly to you, either through direct liability payments or higher insurance premiums. Apart from that, it is certainly better to protect van and truck drivers, and any other employees involved in loading and unloading goods, by providing the best possible handling equipment to your drivers and customers.
That’s what Crane vans offer. These vans and trucks allow you to load and unload your deliveries at ground level. Why risk it when the solution is here for you?