A forklift arrives on a trailer, and in the twenty minutes between the truck stopping and the driver leaving, several things can go wrong that are expensive and nearly impossible to fix afterwards. The machine can be unloadable because of where you asked it to be delivered. It can arrive damaged with nobody having documented it. Or you can sign a delivery receipt that says you accepted it in good condition before you have started it. None of that is unusual and all of it is preventable. This guide covers what happens on delivery day, what the driver is and is not responsible for, and the short inspection that protects you before you sign.
Get Free Quotes 👑Forklifts move on flatbeds, step decks or lowboys depending on size, and are either driven off under their own power via ramps or lifted off by a machine at your end. Some dealers run their own trucks, which gives them control over timing and handling; Discount Forklift, for example, operates an in-house logistics team and truck fleet for nationwide delivery. Others use third-party carriers, which is perfectly normal but means the person delivering has no relationship with the seller and no authority to resolve anything. Ask which you are getting, because it changes who you call if something is wrong.
This causes more failed deliveries than anything else. A loaded step deck is roughly seventy feet long and needs room to turn, back up and stop level. Low branches, tight gates, sharp corners, soft ground, steep aprons, low power lines and parked cars all defeat it. Walk your approach before the delivery date as though you were driving a tractor-trailer into it, and if there is any doubt, arrange to meet the truck somewhere accessible and move the machine the last stretch yourself. A driver who cannot get in will leave, and you will pay for a redelivery.
Establish in advance how the machine comes off. If it is driving off under its own power, somebody has to operate it, and that person must be a trained and evaluated operator under OSHA 1910.178(l) because driving a forklift down a ramp is a powered industrial truck operation like any other. If it is being lifted off, confirm what equipment is doing the lifting and who is supplying it. Many carriers will not operate your new machine and are not insured to, so assuming the driver will handle it is a common and costly surprise.
You want a trained operator present, a clear level area to set the machine down on, and preferably somebody not involved in the unload to take photographs. Level matters more than people expect: setting a forklift down on a slope or on soft ground while it is being manoeuvred off a trailer is how damage happens. If it is an electric truck, know where it will be charged and whether the circuit exists, because discovering that after the truck is on the ground is not an emergency but it is an avoidable annoyance.
The delivery receipt is a legal document stating you received the machine in the condition shown. Once signed without notation, claiming damage afterwards becomes extremely difficult, because the carrier will reasonably say it left them in good order. Before you sign, walk the machine with a camera: mast, forks, overhead guard, counterweight, tires, seat, controls and any visible fluid. Photograph the hour meter and the data plate. Compare against the listing photographs you were sent. Ten minutes here is the cheapest insurance in the transaction.
If you find anything, write it on the delivery receipt before signing, specifically and legibly, and photograph the annotated document. Vague notes like "possible damage" are weak; "deep gouge and bent metal, left fork heel" is strong. Take the driver name and the carrier name. If damage is significant, you can refuse delivery outright, though that is a decision to make on the phone with the seller rather than alone on the spot. The single rule is simple: never sign a clean receipt for a machine you have not looked at.
Once it is on the ground and the paperwork is settled, start it cold and let it run. Cycle the mast to full height and down, tilt fully both ways, and drive it forward and reverse. Do a hydraulic drift test with a load at height. Check fluid levels, because transport does not cause leaks but it does reveal them. On an electric truck, check the battery state and the date code against what you were told. If anything differs from the description, call the seller the same day, while the delivery is fresh and the paperwork is current.
Larger machines are themselves oversize loads and need permits, with fees that vary by state, size and weight, and those fees are normally quoted separately from the delivery. For heavy trucks this can be a meaningful number and it is worth confirming before purchase who is paying it. Oversize moves also come with route and timing restrictions, which means the delivery window may be narrower than you expect and may exclude certain days or hours. Ask early if your machine is large.
Confirm six things with the seller: the delivery date and window; whether their carrier or a third party is bringing it; how the machine comes off the trailer and who operates or lifts it; whether permits apply and who pays; what paperwork arrives with it, including the invoice with the serial number, any warranty document and the capacity plate information; and who you call if something is wrong on the day. Six questions on the phone prevent nearly every delivery problem that exists.
An invoice carrying the machine serial number, which ties your payment to that specific truck. Any warranty document, with coverage, duration and who performs the work stated. The operator manual if available, which matters more than people think for a used machine. And if an attachment is fitted, the corrected capacity data plate, because the plate must reflect the truck as configured and that is the number an OSHA inspector will read. If the plate has not been corrected, raise it before you sign anything.
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On a flatbed, step deck or lowboy depending on size, then either driven off under its own power via ramps or lifted off by equipment at your end. Some dealers run their own fleet; others use third-party carriers who have no authority to resolve problems.
Often not, and many carriers are not insured to operate it. Establish in advance how it comes off and who does it. If it is driven off, that person must be a trained and evaluated operator, because driving a forklift down a ramp is a powered industrial truck operation.
Walk it with a camera: mast, forks, overhead guard, counterweight, tires, seat, controls and any visible fluid. Photograph the hour meter and data plate and compare against the listing photographs. Ten minutes before signing is the cheapest insurance in the transaction.
Write it on the delivery receipt before signing, specifically and legibly, and photograph the annotated document. Be precise rather than vague. Take the driver and carrier names. For significant damage you can refuse delivery, but call the seller before deciding alone.
Check before the date. A loaded step deck is around seventy feet and needs room to turn, back and stop level. Low branches, tight gates, soft ground, steep aprons and parked cars all defeat it. If in doubt, meet the truck somewhere accessible and move it the last stretch.
For larger machines, usually yes, since the load is itself oversize. Fees vary by state, size and weight and are typically quoted separately from delivery. Oversize moves also carry route and timing restrictions, so confirm early who pays and how narrow the window is.