Pile of smokeless coal

Guide to Pallet Delivery of Smokeless Fuel and Logs

Housefuel uses 3rd party hauliers to ensure that our Approved Smokeless Fuel and Log products can be delivered to your door when you choose. This requires a tail lift delivery, otherwise known as kerb-side delivery. Here is what to expect.

 

A Guide to Tail Lift Deliveries & What to Expect.

 

Larger palletised deliveries are slightly trickier than your average letter or the latest hotly anticipated computer game. When it comes to larger deliveries, such as a whole pallet of coal or a shed load of firewood, it's time to call in the big guns.

So, if you're expecting a larger delivery, here's some information on what to expect and the dimensions of the most commonly used delivery vehicles. Hopefully, it will help alleviate any issues before the delivery takes place.

How it Works:

Regarding larger deliveries, most haulage companies have a contractual obligation to deliver the goods 'kerbside'. This means by the side of the kerb, where you would expect a parked car to be. The reason? Most haulage firms will not want to back such heavy vehicles onto customers' driveways and risk damaging them.

Usually, with more oversized deliveries, an 18-tonne lorry is used as the driver may have multiple drop-offs on any given day. However, if you think access may be an issue, we recommend speaking to the company you purchased the goods from to see if a smaller delivery vehicle can be arranged (due to access). We have provided a generic size guide for 7.5 and 18-tonne vehicles below if you think access may be an issue.

Most deliveries are made to the kerbside, as shown below.

The pump pallet truck: Deliveries cannot be made on the following:

  • Steep inclines
  • gravel
  • soft surfaces (such as grass)

The driver will use a pump pallet truck when offloading goods from the delivery vehicle. This piece of kit lifts the pallet from underneath and enables the driver to manoeuvre the pallet. Due to their small wheels and the weight of larger deliveries, they do not operate on steep inclines, gravel or soft surfaces. This is another reason deliveries are stated as kerbside, as it's almost always a guaranteed flat, solid area.

 

Vehicle: 7.5 tonne
Payload: 2,800 kg

Technical Specification: 7.5 tonne Lorry Feet In M
Length 27'4 328" 8.33
Height 11'6 138" 3.50
Width 8'2" 98" 2.48
Tail Lift Width 6' 72" 1.82
Tail Lift Length 6' 72" 1.82

 

Vehicle: 18 Tonne
Payload: 10,000 kg

Technical Specifications: 18 Tonne Lorry Feet In M
Length 32'5" 389" 9.88
Height 12' 144" 3.65
Width 8'3" 99" 2.51
Tail Lift Width 7' 84" 2.13
Tail Lift Length 7' 84" 2.13