Metal Building Delivery Day Tips

rig and 48 foot long trailer with metal building frames loaded and strapped downOK... you are well underway with your project: you have educated yourself on the topic of pre-engineered metal buildings, designed the layout of your building, obtained quotes for your building, selected a reputable metal building supplier, have ordered your building, obtained any needed permits, and have selected a concrete contractor to pour the slab.
 
While there have been many people involved with the project up to this point, there are many that need to act in concert for the next stage of your project: metal building delivery day. For this article, we have gathered some metal building delivery day tips that will hopefully help you to prepare for a smooth delivery from the factory.

Unless other payment arrangements were made in advance, there is likely going to be a COD balance due on your metal building on delivery day. It is the customers' responsibility to make sure that a Cashier's Check is at the job-site on the day of delivery and is for the correct COD amount. The truck driver will not allow unloading of the delivery to begin until he has a Cashier's Check in his possession for the COD amount indicated on his paperwork.

The delivery will likely arrive via rig and full-length (48') flatbed trailer. It is the customers' responsibility to make sure that all access roads to the job-site can safely accommodate such a vehicle and support the maximum weight of 48,000 lbs. There should also be enough room at the delivery/staging area for the truck driver to turn around to exit the job-site. Truck drivers have a hard job, that they do very well, but they are not miracle workers or magicians.

It is the customers' responsibility to make sure that the needed manpower is available to unload the shipment. The commercial truck driver will not assist with the unloading of the building! The crew unloading the truck will have 2 hours to complete the task. Additional time, if needed, will be charged by the hour (the amount varies between trucking companies) and would be paid directly to the driver by the customer.

Due to the fragile nature of insulation and it's need to be protected from the elements, it will be delivered separately from the building in a fully enclosed box truck (usually later in the day or at a future specified date). It is the customers' responsibility to unload the insulation, as the driver is not responsible for unloading.

While every effort is made to make sure the delivery arrives at the job-site on the scheduled date and time, delays due to weather, traffic, accidents, or other events outside the control of the driver can delay delivery. Providing the steel building supplier with a valid cell phone number for someone at the job-site on the morning of delivery is very important and will allow the truck driver to communicate directly with them, if the need arises.

If your metal building delivery day is during the winter months in the northern regions, it is the customers' responsibility to make sure that any/all access roads are cleared of snow/ice on the day of delivery. While most truck drivers are experienced in working in difficult weather conditions, they are not obligated to put their safety, or the safety of others, in jeopardy for the sake of the metal building delivery.

The truck driver will not have the necessary equipment with him to unload the building. It is the customers' responsibility to make sure the needed equipment is available on the day of delivery. A variety of equipment can be used to unload, but must have a minimum fork spread of 4' and a minimum lift capacity of 4,000 lbs.

In the event that the delivery is attempted, but is unable to be accepted by the customer, the customer will incur freight charges back to the factory, daily storage charges, and freight charges back to the job-site. Don't let this happen to you - be prepared for your metal building delivery!

The above items touch on many of the important areas needed to be addressed in order to make sure the delivery of the metal building project goes smoothly. Do you have questions about your metal building delivery? Our dedicated staff is only a phone call away and will be glad to help you plan and prepare for delivery day - just call us toll-free at (866) 574-2825.