What Is a Truck Mounted Forklift and How Can It Improve Delivery Efficiency and Safety?

If your drivers are waiting on the customer to find a forklift, or your crew is losing time because every delivery turns into a small production, a truck mounted forklift can fix a lot of that mess. A truck mounted forklift, also called a piggyback forklift, rides on the back of the delivery truck and goes with the load. That means the driver can unload at the jobsite without depending on the customer’s equipment, another machine on site, or extra labor standing around burning daylight.
For building materials, masonry, lumber, roofing, landscaping, and other delivery-driven businesses, that matters. Faster unloading helps trucks get back on the road sooner, improves schedule control, and reduces the chaos that comes from jobsite delays. It also helps safety, because the right machine gives the operator better control over where the load goes and how it gets there.
What Is a Truck Mounted Forklift?
A truck mounted forklift is a forklift designed to be carried on the rear of a flatbed, curtain side, box truck, or other delivery vehicle. When the truck gets to the delivery point, the forklift is dismounted, used to unload the material, and then remounted onto the truck for the next stop.
That sounds simple, and it is. But in the real world, it changes the whole delivery process. Instead of hoping the customer has a forklift available, or trying to schedule around site equipment, the truck brings its own unloading solution with it.
Why A Truck Mounted Forklift Improves Delivery Efficiency
The biggest advantage is independence. A truck mounted forklift lets the delivery driver unload where and when needed without waiting on someone else. That alone can save a lot of wasted time.
It also helps with:
- Faster unloading at customer locations
- Less dependence on site equipment or borrowed forklifts
- Better route efficiency for multi-stop deliveries
- Improved placement of materials closer to where crews actually need them
- Less labor wasted moving material twice
For many businesses, that means better truck utilization and fewer delivery bottlenecks. In plain English, the truck spends more time earning money and less time sitting there like a lawn ornament.
What Makes A Loadmac Truck Mounted Forklift Different?

Loadmac truck mounted forklifts have a few design advantages that matter in the field, not just on a spec sheet.
1. Extra Reach Is a Real Advantage
One of the best-known advantages of the Loadmac 855 is its standard pantograph reach system. That extra reach helps operators place loads farther into the jobsite or access material without constant repositioning. On many competing models, comparable reach is optional, less common, or tied to heavier configurations.
2. Lighter Weight on Comparable Models
Loadmac has a real weight advantage in many comparisons, especially when you start looking at comparable extended-reach or 4-way units. The Loadmac 855 is often significantly lighter than some competing Moffett and Princeton models. That matters because less forklift weight can help preserve payload, improve truck setup flexibility, and reduce unnecessary dead weight riding down the road.
3. One-Side Unloading Capability
The Loadmac 855 is built around one-side unloading efficiency. That can be a big deal on tight delivery sites, narrow streets, or anywhere the driver does not want to play musical chairs with the truck just to get material off.
4. Rear Ground-Level Mounting Controls
Loadmac uses rear-mounted controls for mounting and dismounting. That gives the operator a safer, more controlled way to get the forklift on and off the truck while standing on the ground. That is not a gimmick. It is one of those things that makes sense the first time you see it used in the real world.
5. Fixed Mast With Tilt and Side Shift at the Carriage
Loadmac’s design uses a fixed mast with tilt and side shift at the carriage. That helps with stability, visibility, and precision load placement. It also contributes to a lower center of gravity and a cleaner overall design.
6. Compact Design and Good Visibility
Loadmac forklifts are known for compact design, lower overhang, and strong maneuverability. The lower hood profile also helps improve operator visibility, which is something that matters a lot more in daily use than it does in glossy brochures.
How Does the Loadmac 855 Help Productivity?
The Loadmac 855 is built for businesses that need a truck mounted forklift with strong lift capacity, extra reach, and serious jobsite usefulness. It is especially attractive for lumber yards, masonry supply, building materials, and construction delivery operations where operators deal with tight spaces, rough conditions, and awkward load placement.
What makes the 855 stand out is not one magic bullet. It is the combination of reach, lower weight, one-side unloading, maneuverability, and practical operator-focused design. Put all that together, and the result is a machine that can help speed up deliveries and reduce wasted motion.
Some 855 models are also available in 2-way and 4-way configurations, depending on the application. The right setup depends on what kind of material is being delivered and how tight the delivery environment is.
What Safety Advantages Does A Loadmac Truck Mounted Forklift Offer?

Safety is one of the main reasons companies use truck mounted forklifts in the first place. A good machine helps the operator unload safely and place material where it belongs without improvising around a bad setup.
Loadmac safety-related advantages include:
- Ground-level mounting and dismounting controls at the rear
- One-side unloading capability on the 855
- Stable fixed-mast design with carriage tilt and side shift
- Lower center of gravity and good visibility
- Precise material placement at the delivery point
That does not mean the machine replaces common sense, training, or maintenance. Nothing does. But the design does give operators a solid platform to work from, and that helps reduce risk compared to makeshift unloading methods or poor site logistics.
How Does A Loadmac Forklift Compare to Moffett and Princeton?
Moffett and Princeton both make established truck mounted forklifts, and they are well-known in the market. But Loadmac brings some real differences to the table.
In many comparable applications, especially around the Loadmac 855, the key selling points are:
- Standard pantograph reach
- Lighter weight in comparable configurations
- Strong maneuverability
- Rear ground-level mounting controls
- Efficient one-side unloading design
That is a big reason Loadmac gets attention from companies that care about payload, reach, and operator convenience. Once a buyer sees the extra reach and compact layout in person, it tends to make an impression. Some advantages are easier to appreciate in the yard than in a spec chart.
What Industries Use A Truck Mounted Forklift?
Truck mounted forklifts are used anywhere deliveries need to be unloaded quickly and placed accurately. Common industries include:
- Building materials
- Lumber yards
- Masonry and brick supply
- Roofing supply
- Construction delivery
- Landscaping and hardscape supply
- General logistics with jobsite delivery
Lumber and Building Materials
This is one of the most natural fits. Delivering lumber, drywall, trusses, siding, masonry products, or palletized materials goes a lot smoother when the truck brings its own forklift.
Masonry and Brick Supply
Masonry deliveries often require precise placement on uneven or crowded jobsites. A truck mounted forklift helps get heavy material off the truck and into position without depending on whatever machine may or may not be available on site.
Construction and Contractor Supply
On construction jobs, delays stack up fast. A truck mounted forklift helps keep materials moving and reduces the chances that a delivery turns into a scheduling headache for everybody involved.
Where Can You Get Loadmac Truck Mounted Forklift Parts and Support?
Businesses looking for Loadmac forklifts, Loadmac parts, or support in the United States can work through GoLoadmac.com. Genuine parts, service support, and product information are available there, along with information on new Loadmac forklifts and related equipment support.
Proper maintenance matters. Like any forklift, a truck mounted forklift needs regular inspection, fluid checks, wear-item replacement, and attention to hydraulic, engine, mast, and carriage systems. That is how you protect uptime, safety, and long-term value.
Wrapping It Up
If your business depends on delivering materials efficiently, a truck mounted forklift can solve real-world problems that ordinary delivery setups do not solve well. It helps the driver unload without waiting on the customer, improves load placement, reduces wasted time, and gives the operator more control over safety at the jobsite.
Loadmac truck mounted forklifts stand out because of practical design advantages like standard extra reach on the 855, lighter weight in many comparable configurations, rear ground-level mounting controls, and efficient one-side unloading capability. That is the kind of stuff that matters when the truck is loaded, the customer is waiting, and the job still has to get done today.
If you are comparing truck mounted forklifts for your fleet, it makes sense to look closely at how Loadmac stacks up in reach, weight, maneuverability, and operator-friendly design. On paper it looks good. In the field, it often looks even better.

