Tail Lift Truck Hire — Freight Delivery Without a Loading Dock
Quick Cargo provides tail lift truck hire across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Australia-wide through our freight network.
A tail lift is a hydraulic platform on the back of the truck that lowers your freight to ground level. It's the simplest way to deliver pallets and heavy items to locations that don't have a loading dock — no forklift needed, no special equipment, just a clean drop to the ground.
When You Need a Tail Lift
A tail lift is the right choice when there is no loading dock and the site has flat, ground-level access. It lowers palletised or heavy freight to the ground in minutes, with no forklift needed at the other end.
That covers most shopfront, office and retail deliveries, residential drops, and any site where the ground is firm and level.
If the site is rough, uneven, or you need freight placed in a specific spot on site, a Moffett forklift truck is the better option.
What a Tail Lift Can Handle
Palletised goods, cartons, appliances, retail stock, e-commerce deliveries, gym equipment, anything that needs lowering to ground level. Tail lift capacity is typically up to 1 tonne.
Express or General Freight
Tail lift trucks are available on both our services:
Express — booked time slot, priority handling, fastest route. Best for same-day or time-critical drops.
General — cost-effective option with a tail lift, moving through our shared freight network. Best for standard deliveries where a day or two of transit is fine.
Coverage
Tail lift trucks are available Australia-wide — across metro Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, between east coast cities, and to destinations right across the country. Get a quote and we'll confirm availability on your route.
What to Know Before You Book
Here are the practical things buyers typically ask before booking a tail lift delivery:
What type of freight suits a tail lift? Tail lifts work best for palletised goods, cartons, appliances, retail stock, and bulky items up to 1 tonne that need lowering to flat, accessible ground. They are not suited to rough or uneven surfaces — if access is difficult, a Moffett forklift truck or HIAB crane truck is better.
How do I get a price? Use the instant quote form, select tail lift as your vehicle type, and a price is returned in seconds. For regular freight or business accounts, a freight business account gives access to discounted rates and a shipment dashboard.
What do I need to have ready? Your freight must be packaged and ready to load. Review our packaging requirements if you are unsure. For palletised freight, ensure the pallet is stable and within the 1 tonne capacity. Let us know at booking if there are any access restrictions at pick-up or delivery.
What are transit times? Express tail lift deliveries are booked with a time slot and take the fastest available route — best for same-day or next-day drops between Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. General freight moves through the shared network; allow a day or two for metro routes and longer for regional destinations. See interstate freight options for more detail on east coast routes.
Is my freight covered? Freight insurance is available and recommended for higher-value goods.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a tail lift truck? A truck with a hydraulic platform that lowers freight to ground level for easy unloading.
When do I need a tail lift? When delivering to a location without a loading dock, like a shopfront, office, or residential address.
How much can a tail lift handle? Up to 1 tonne.
Is a tail lift cheaper than a HIAB or Moffett? Generally yes. A tail lift is the simplest unloading option.
Get an instant quote — select tail lift as your vehicle type and we'll price it in seconds.
