One More Moving Question: Do You Want A Ramp Or A Liftgate?

Business Blog

Renting a moving truck is usually an easy task, with the hardest decision being who's going to drive that thing. There is one more choice you have to make, though -- do you get a truck with a pull-out ramp or a truck with a powered liftgate? Both are very helpful, but depending on what your priorities are for the move, one may be a better choice than the other.

Fall Risk

The pull-out ramps are sturdy and should have ridges along the sides of the ramp to help keep hand trucks from rolling off. However, if you're trying to carry a heavy item up the ramp, the weight of the item can make the hand truck wobble. If it moves too much, it can end up dumping a box or two on the ground.

Liftgates don't always have ridges or rails, but the level platform is wide, and the boxes aren't going to move. If you are worried about a fall risk or don't like the idea of trying to control a wobbly hand truck on a ramp, a liftgate is better.

Easy on the Muscles

If you are moving a lot of items and want to conserve your energy, the liftgate definitely wins. All you do is carry the items to the liftgate (and you can use a hand truck for this), load them on, and then let the gate do the lifting. Someone up inside the truck can then scoot the furniture or boxes over to a spot in the truck.

Admittedly, pulling a hand truck up a ramp doesn't require too much effort, but you still have to pull the hand truck while keeping it balanced, and you still have to walk up and down the ramp.

Engine and Battery Use

Of course, there are situations in which the ramp is more efficient. Ramps that you pull out don't need the truck to be on, and they don't use up power or fuel from the truck. Liftgates do need the truck's engine to be on (you may be able to find some that are battery-operated at the lift, but your typical moving box truck will use the engine's power). So if you want to preserve the fuel you have or not put extra strain on the battery, a pull-out ramp is better.

Now, liftgates do hold a lot -- they have a large footprint. So you wouldn't have to turn the truck on and off that much. But it's still an issue to consider.

Speedy Moving

One of the drawbacks to using the liftgate is that it takes time for it to lower and raise. You'll end up waiting a bit while you place each load in the truck. Again, you'd be lifting quite a few boxes at once, but if you need to move fast, that delay could be difficult to handle. With the ramp, your move is as speedy as you and your friends are.

You may want to visit a truck rental place and see how long it takes to lower and raise the liftgate, as well as to see how big the platform is. Contact a box truck rentals company to see what they have that you can look at.

25 September 2017