The plain definition
Kerbside delivery means the carrier delivers your pallet to the nearest safe, accessible hard-standing point at the delivery address — typically the pavement, driveway entrance or yard edge — and no further. The driver is not obliged to take the pallet through a gate, up a step, down a side passage or into a building.
It is the default standard for tail-lift deliveries to sites without a forklift or loading dock, and it applies to business and residential addresses alike.
What the driver will and won't do
The driver will lower the pallet on the tail-lift, move it clear of the vehicle with a manual pallet truck where the ground allows, and obtain a proof of delivery. They will make a sensible judgement about a safe placement point that does not obstruct a highway or footpath.
The driver will not carry goods indoors, unwrap or de-palletise the consignment, remove packaging, position items in a room, or move a pallet across gravel, grass, cobbles or a steep slope. A manual pallet truck needs flat, firm ground; anything else is a manual handling and vehicle safety risk, and the driver is entitled to refuse.
Access requirements to check before booking
Confirm the vehicle can physically reach the address. A tail-lift rigid is typically 7.5 to 18 tonnes and needs a road wide enough to stop safely, clear of low bridges, weight limits, bollards, height barriers and permit-only zones. Narrow country lanes and tight town-centre streets frequently need a smaller vehicle.
Then confirm the ground at the delivery point: flat tarmac or concrete is fine, gravel and grass are not. If the pallet has to travel more than a short distance from the kerb, say so at booking so the right service is quoted rather than the delivery failing on the day.
How to avoid a failed delivery
Failed deliveries almost always trace back to information that was known at booking but not declared: no forklift, a residential address, restricted vehicle access, a delivery window, or a pallet heavier than the tail-lift limit. Redelivery is chargeable and adds days, so the declaration is worth the two minutes it takes.
Make sure someone will be on site to accept and sign for the consignment, and that they understand kerbside means they are responsible for moving the goods inside. Having a pump truck, trolley or a couple of colleagues ready makes the handover straightforward.
When you need more than kerbside
If goods must go inside, upstairs, into a specific room, or be unpacked and the packaging taken away, you need a dedicated vehicle with a two-person crew or a specialist white-glove service. These are arranged separately and priced by time on site as well as distance.
Tell us what needs to happen at the delivery end and we will quote the right service through our approved carrier network. Call 0161 669 1949 or email info@johnsonshaulage.com (Mon–Fri 08:00–17:30).
Frequently asked questions
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