Parcel networks bring boxes to your door. Freight works differently: a truck is built to unload at a loading dock, and anything else is an extra service. When you ship furniture, machinery, appliances or pallets to a home or a small business, choosing the right delivery level avoids failed deliveries and surprise charges.
Dock delivery
The default for commercial freight. The truck backs up to a loading dock at the same height as its floor, and the goods are rolled off with a pallet jack or forklift. Warehouses, factories and large stores have docks; homes almost never do.
Curbside delivery with a liftgate
A liftgate is a hydraulic platform at the back of the truck. The driver moves the pallet or item onto the platform, lowers it to street level, and leaves it at the curb or at the end of the driveway. You need it whenever the address has no dock. Without it, a heavy pallet simply cannot be taken off the truck safely.
With curbside delivery, moving the goods inside is up to you, so plan for helpers or equipment.
Inside delivery
The crew brings the items through the first door: into the garage, the entrance or the ground-floor lobby. It suits items you can move further yourself once they are inside and out of the weather.
Room-of-choice delivery
The crew carries the items into the room you choose, including up stairs when agreed in advance. This normally requires two people and is the standard choice for furniture, large appliances and fitness equipment going into a home.
White glove delivery
The highest level: room-of-choice delivery plus unpacking, placement, basic assembly and removal of the packaging. Useful for high-value furniture, store orders delivered to end customers, or anyone who does not want to deal with crates and wrapping.
Which one do you need?
- Business with a dock: dock delivery.
- Business or home without a dock, goods can stay outside or in a garage: liftgate, curbside or inside.
- Furniture or appliances going into a home: room-of-choice, two-person crew.
- Goods that need unpacking or assembly: white glove.
How to prepare the delivery address
Most failed or delayed deliveries come from access problems nobody mentioned. When you book, tell the carrier about:
- Stairs and elevators: number of floors, whether an elevator exists and its size.
- Narrow access: doorways, hallways and turns the largest item must pass through. Measure them.
- Parking: whether a large truck can stop near the entrance, and any time restrictions.
- Building rules: some apartment buildings require booking the freight elevator or a certificate of insurance.
- Gated or rural addresses: gate codes, unpaved roads, long driveways.
On the day
- Make sure an adult can receive and sign for the delivery.
- Count the pieces and inspect each one before the crew leaves.
- Note any visible damage on the delivery receipt, with photos.
- Keep the packaging until you have checked everything inside.
KDX delivers large items with liftgate trucks and two-person crews, by appointment. See our bulky and heavy delivery service or request a quote. Shipping from abroad? Start with how to ship furniture to the US.
This guide is general information, not legal or customs advice. Rules and rates change; check the current requirements for your shipment.
