So, you’ve bought a solid wood custom door, and you’re anticipating the day it gets installed in your home. You know it's going to look so beautiful and make your home feel more authentically yours.
One day, you get the call from the freight carrier to schedule your delivery—and it’s so exciting to know that your door is on its way! But if you’ve never had to receive a freight shipment before, you may not know how to prepare for the delivery day. Now you have questions: Do I need help getting it off the truck, even if I paid for lift gate delivery? What even is a lift gate, anyway, and why does it cost extra? What do I do with my shipping crate afterwards? Good news: your questions are about to be answered. In this article we’ll explain what to expect on delivery day, how to inspect your door for shipping damage, and how to acclimate it for installation. This is your practical guide to door delivery day, from start to finish.
How We Package Your Custom Door
Each door comes in a custom-built wooden crate to protect it while in transit. It’s carefully wrapped and stabilized inside the crate to prevent movement that could cause damage.
Lift Gate Service, Explained
When you buy a custom door, you’ll see an option to pay for an optional lift gate service. What is a lift gate? This specialized piece of equipment is a hydraulic or electric platform on the rear of a truck. It allows freight packages to be lowered from the tailgate to the ground. It costs extra because of the skill required in operating it, and because it’s not a standard service, only applicable to certain situations.
When do you need a lift gate?
You don’t need a lift gate if the delivery address is a commercial building with either a loading dock, a forklift, or both. If you regularly get freight deliveries, your business likely has the equipment, delivery setup, and personnel required for a custom door delivery.
This usually isn’t the case for residential addresses. So we recommend a lift gate for all residential deliveries. If you think you may not need a lift gate for a residential delivery, please call us to make sure, as we can advise you based on your site conditions and available personnel.
What are the benefits of using a lift gate?
- Safety:a lift gate reduces the risk of accidents for anyone handling the crate. It’s safer than manually unloading a crate off the truck.
- Faster unloading:A lift gate saves you time, so you can get started on unpacking and installing your new door.
- Protects your crate and its contents: A lift gate protects the items in your shipping crate.
If you don’t have a forklift, and you opt not to get lift gate service, you’ll have to get the crate off the truck manually. This can be done, but it is more physically risky to whoever’s doing the lifting.
You’re also still expected to do it all quickly. The delivery driver cannot wait for long, as they’ll have other deliveries to make. Prompt removal of the crate from the truck is your responsibility and failure to do so may result in fees from the shipping carrier.
This is why, for the most part, we will always recommend lift gate service for crates getting delivered to residential addresses.
What to expect with lift gate delivery
This may seem obvious, but it’s super important to be onsite at the time of your delivery appointment. The freight carrier may charge you additional fees if you or a predetermined representative are not there to receive your delivery.
Have A Crew Or A Forklift On Hand
Even with lift gate service, it's necessary to have at least four people, or a forklift, to get your crate into the property or building site where it can be installed. The only thing the delivery driver will do with the lift gate is get the crate to ground level on the local street or road. This is what’s known as curbside delivery. Freight carriers do not offer white glove delivery. They will not carry the crate down your driveway or into your garage—that part is up to you.
What To Do With Your Crate
Always inspect your crate thoroughly before signing the delivery receipt. The driver is required to wait while you inspect the outside of your shipment. If you ordered a door from RealCraft and there is noticeable or questionable damage to the container, you’ll want to follow these steps:
Contact us within 24 hours either by phone at 253-853-3815, or by email to report any damage.
If the crate is damaged with puncture marks or visible holes, take photos of the damage. Do not accept the delivery.
List the damage in as much detail as possible. Specific notations greatly reduce the chance of controversy when you file your claim. The extent of the damage may need to be evaluated by an inspector or a third-party repair company.
Always take pictures. Clear, detailed photos of the damage are required in order to file a claim with the shipping carrier. A claim cannot be filed without photos.
How To Dispose Of Your Shipping Crate
Don’t destroy your crate until you have thoroughly inspected your products inside it for any damage that may have occurred in shipping. If your door is damaged in shipping, you’ll have to send it back to us so we can repair or replace it, and it’s easiest to do this with the crate you’ve already got. Once you’ve affirmed that your door is in good condition, then you can dispose of your crate. If possible, consider giving your crate materials to a crate and pallet recycling company. Or you can check if your local city or county has building debris or specialty recycling services.
Once you’ve inspected your door and taken it out of the crate, let it acclimate to local conditions for up to five days before installing. Set it out on sawhorses in an area where it is protected from the elements so it can settle and acclimate. This is also when you’ll apply finish or paint if you ordered your door unfinished or primed. After that, you’ll be ready to install it. (And if you’re a local installer looking to join our network, you can apply to do that here.)
Then it's time to enjoy your beautiful new door!
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