Tailgate lifts: what you need to know

If you’re planning commercial upfitting for your fleet, consider adding tailgate lifts. These handy machines can benefit your business in many ways. Here’s an overview of how tailgate lifts can help your operation.

How a tailgate lift works

Tailgate lifts are installed at the rear of trucks or vans. Powered by your vehicle’s battery, the machine raises and lowers a platform between the ground and the vehicle’s load bed. Tailgate lifts come in various sizes and bear weights up to 2,500 kilograms. You can also use a lift to bridge the gap between your vehicle and a loading dock.

Types of tailgate lifts

You can choose from several models of tailgate lifts, depending on the vehicle you’re fitting and the loads you’re carrying:

• Column lifts attach to the vehicle vertically with an H-frame and are suited for smaller trucks with limited clearance.

• Cantilever lifts are mounted to the chassis, fold upwards and are excellent for heavy loads.

• Tuckaway lifts are chassis mounted and have a foldable split platform that tucks away underneath the vehicle’s rear, maintaining full access to the back.

• Parallel arms are excellent for pickup trucks, with a platform attached to two parallel arms that guide it out and away from the mainframe.

• Railgate lifts are like column lifts, with a platform attached to rails mounted to the vehicle.

• Slider lift platforms slide out from underneath the vehicle bed instead of lowering and folding like a tuckaway lift. A slider lift has one of the highest weight capacities.

Benefits of tailgate lifts

Using tailgate lifts has many advantages for your assets and your employees:

1. Improves safety. The delivery crew never has to bend over to lift heavy items when you use a tailgate lift. It also eliminates the risk of heavy objects falling. You prevent workplace injuries and reduce downtime.

2. Improves efficiency. Tailgate lift systems are easy to use and allow operators to quickly load and unload items without the help of another employee on a forklift. You can move more things more quickly with a vehicle fitted with a tailgate lift.

3. Saves money. Fewer employee injuries and improved efficiency add up to more money in your business’s bank account. Investing in a tailgate lift will pay for itself in the long run.

Truck accessories and commercial upfitting in the GTA

At Hitch City, we carry a wide range of truck accessories to make your fleet more efficient and safer. Besides tailgate lifts, we have exterior toolboxes, racking systems and shelving kits. We also carry a comprehensive line of towing and trailer hitches. To learn more about our products and services, contact Hitch City today.