Tank too large for freight lift gate?

[BMac91]

So, my 8ft acrylic tank is scheduled for delivery today and I get a call that the pallet is 9-10ft long and is too big for their lift gate. They asked if I had a good bit of help to get it off or to turn it on the lift gate. I thought those were two very drastic differences, lifting a 370lb pallet off an 18 wheeler or simply turning it on the lift gate... either way, I took today off work, it is getting done today.
Any last minute advice on delivery or working with them to get it off the truck?

 

[millerkid519]

Don't drop it.
Lift with your knees.

 

[BMac91]

Don't drop it.
Lift with your knees.

Sound advice!

 

[eddiegunks]

Back a pick up up to the trailer and slide it off into the pickup.

Tell them to send a real liftgate. Most commercial vehicle lift gates hold around 3000 pounds if i remember correctly.

Basically you are paying extra for a lift gate. So make them send the correct tool for the job. It sounds like they plan to put it on a smaller truck.

they just need help turning it and the lift gate will then set it down.

Maybe the gate is not 8 feet wide. (It should be).

You may have to take the tank off the pallet and have the gate send down the 8foot tank. Maybe the pallets make it too long for the gate. But 8 ‘ should be doable.

The drivers are usually pretty helpful/cool.

 

[BMac91]

Back a pick up up to the trailer and slide it off into the pickup.

Tell them to send a real liftgate. Most commercial vehicle lift gates hold around 3000 pounds if i remember correctly.

Basically you are paying extra for a lift gate. So make them send the correct tool for the job. It sounds like they plan to put it on a smaller truck.

they just need help turning it and the lift gate will then set it down.

Maybe the gate is not 8 feet wide. (It should be).

You may have to take the tank off the pallet and have the gate send down the 8foot tank. Maybe the pallets make it too long for the gate. But 8 ‘ should be doable.

The drivers are usually pretty helpful/cool.

Yes, the driver called me to confirm delivery time and he was much more knowledgable than the scheduling assistant about the process. He said it is coming on a 53' lift gate truck and the lift gate is 8' wide, so he needed some help turning it on the lift gate was all. I told him my wife and I are both home and he said between the three of us, it should be plenty of help. Luckily it is acrylic and the full, palleted item only weighs 370lbs. My last glass tank was a 6' 210 and that think weighed every bit of 400lbs empty with nothing else, so I am hoping this one is way better.

Thanks again guys, will update with pics later!

 

[ragin_cajun]

Yes. Plenty of pictures. We need more build threads. Detailed, pic heavy, something others can follow later.

Good luck. Congrats!

 

[BMac91]

So, bad news. Had no issues whatsoever unloading it, the driver was able to do everything and get it off no problem. However, during shipping it seems to have sustained quite a bit of damage. The left side bottom joint was smashed, like a blunt force break, so something must have hit it during transit.
Spoke with the manufacturer, they are getting started on another and hope to have it sent out in 2 weeks instead of the 6 weeks this one took. Fingers crossed for the second one.

 

[monkeybike]

I can guarantee they put a forklift fork into it at some point. Freight terminal forklift operators give zero f's about freight. I've received freight transfer pianos with forks blown thru the soundboards multiple times.

 

[millerkid519]

Man that sucks. On the bright side tho it wasn't a little tap during transit and leaked once you had it set up

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

So, bad news. Had no issues whatsoever unloading it, the driver was able to do everything and get it off no problem. However, during shipping it seems to have sustained quite a bit of damage. The left side bottom joint was smashed, like a blunt force break, so something must have hit it during transit.
Spoke with the manufacturer, they are getting started on another and hope to have it sent out in 2 weeks instead of the 6 weeks this one took. Fingers crossed for the second one.
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Sorry to hear about the shipping incident. Do they want that one back? If not, you should see what it would take to cut that end off and put a new side on it. It would be a few inches shorter, but still a big tank.

From the pictures, it looks like it came with Rio pumps in the back. I can tell you from experience that they are a bit noisy from the git go, and it doesn't take them long to get a bit obnoxious. You might want to replace them before you get the tank all setup and they are not accessible.

Good luck!