Tail lift

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A tail lift, called a liftgate in North America, is a device mounted at the back of a work van, truck, or lorry. It helps move goods between ground or a loading dock and the vehicle bed, either up or down. Most tail lifts run on hydraulics or pneumatics, though some are mechanical. They are operated with an electric switch.

A tail lift can reduce the need for a forklift and can bridge the height gap between a dock and the vehicle bed. They come in many sizes, from standard vans to large trucks, and most models lift up to about 2500 kg. Some heavy-duty lifts can handle even more.

Tail lifts are grouped by design type:

- Parallel Arm: Two arms on both sides of the platform guide it as it extends. Usually uses either two hydraulic cylinders or one cylinder with a cable-pulley system. These are common on small trucks because they’re simple and affordable.

- Railgate: Similar to column lifts but with outrails that guide the platform. The platform is larger and lifts vertically. They’re valued for steady, vertical movement, useful for fragile goods, but have moderate lifting capacity.

- Column: Strong, with tracks on the vehicle body. The platform lifts vertically and can reach higher than the bed level. Good for vehicles with low bed heights, but the platform often stays at a 90-degree angle to the tracks, which can be tricky on uneven ground.

- Cantilever: Uses hinged rams attached to the chassis. The rams extend to tilt or raise the platform. They can act like a ramp, which helps when loading on uneven ground.

- Tuckunder: The platform folds under the load bed when not in use, saving space and letting people move around the truck. Dual-cylinder versions usually lift heavier loads. One maker traces the first tuckunder back to 1957.

- Slider: The platform folds under the bed and then slides out from under it. They can handle very high lifting capacities.

In North America, the term liftgate is the common name for this rear-loading hydraulic lift. The word liftgate is also used for the rear door of some vans or crossovers, sometimes called a rear hatch.

Modern liftgates often include features like remote control, automatic height adjustment, and built-in safety systems to make loading and unloading easier and safer.