Where there is no dock, the vehicle bed height, the kerb or threshold and the slope of the ground decide how the unloading goes. The EU manual handling directive (90/269/EEC) asks the employer first to organise work so that manual handling is avoided, in particular with mechanical equipment, and where it cannot be avoided to assess the load, the effort required, the environment and the activity in advance. At a dockless delivery those four headings become: the loaded weight and grip points, the drop from vehicle bed to kerb, uneven or slippery ground, and the distance from vehicle to door.
So before the delivery, note bed height, threshold, slope and weather in the delivery record, and confirm the capacity and instructions of the lift, ramp or handling aid you will use. Decide in advance how many people are needed, whether the area is to be cordoned off and where the load is set down safely. Improvised sliding or lifting has no place in the plan.
