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Moffets or Tail Lifts? How UK Businesses Choose the Right Self Unloading Delivery

Why the Unloading Method Matters

Moffets often decide whether a delivery to a site without a forklift takes fifteen minutes or fails altogether. For businesses sending freight to construction sites, farms, retail units and temporary venues, the real question is rarely whether goods can reach the postcode. It is whether anyone at the other end can get them off the vehicle safely.

At Jeavons Eurotir, we settle that question before a vehicle leaves our Birmingham depot. Our fleet includes rigid and articulated lorries fitted with Moffett truck mounted forklifts, alongside tail lift vehicles at several weights. Choosing between them is one of the most practical decisions a shipper makes, and the wrong choice costs time, money and goodwill.

Quick answer: A moffet is a forklift carried on the back of a lorry, so the driver can unload palletised goods without any equipment at the delivery address. Choose a moffet for heavy pallets, uneven ground and sites with no forklift. Choose a tail lift for lighter pallets that can be wheeled on a pallet truck across a firm, smooth surface.

Moffets Explained: The Essentials

What are moffets and what are they used for?

Moffets are compact forklifts mounted on the rear of a rigid lorry or articulated trailer. They travel with the vehicle and are lowered to the ground on arrival, so the driver can lift pallets from the bed and set them down where the customer needs them. Typical loads include building materials for housing developments, stock for retail units without loading bays, feed and fertiliser for farms, and staging for exhibitions. Our earlier guide covers the equipment itself in more depth.

What does “moffet” mean in transport and logistics?

In UK and Irish haulage, “moffet” is shorthand for any truck mounted forklift. The word comes from Moffett, the Irish manufacturer whose machines became so widespread that the brand turned into a generic term, in the same way “JCB” is used for any backhoe loader. Moffett now sits within Hiab, yet drivers apply the name to machines from Palfinger and other makers too.

Are moffets the same as truck mounted forklifts?

Yes. Every moffet is a truck mounted forklift, and the two terms are used interchangeably. Models differ in lift capacity, mast height, steering layout and drive type, so it is worth confirming that the machine on your booked vehicle suits your heaviest pallet.

How do moffets work during delivery and unloading?

The driver parks, uses the vehicle’s hydraulics to release the forklift from its rear mounting, then operates it like a conventional counterbalance truck. Pallets are lifted from the side of a curtain sider and carried to the agreed drop point. Once the drop is complete, the driver remounts the machine, secures it and moves on to the next stop.

Why are moffets so common in logistics and haulage?

They remove the dependency on the receiver. A haulier that brings its own handling equipment can commit to a delivery window without waiting for a site forklift, a labour gang or a crane. That reliability explains why moffets dominate builders’ merchant work and multi drop pallet distribution across the UK.

Moffets vs Tail Lifts vs Lorry Mounted Cranes

Moffets suit heavy palletised goods on firm but imperfect ground, tail lifts suit lighter pallets on smooth surfaces, and cranes handle loads that forks cannot reach. Each method answers a different site problem.

Method	Best suited to	Ground required	Where goods end up	Main trade off
Moffet (truck mounted forklift)	Heavy pallets, sites with no forklift	Firm surface, including compacted stone and hardstanding	Carried to a set drop point away from the vehicle	The machine adds weight, so payload falls
Tail lift	Lighter pallets, cages and roll containers	Firm, level and smooth enough for a pallet truck	At the rear of the vehicle, then moved by hand pallet truck	Load must sit within the lift’s rated capacity
Lorry mounted crane	Oversized or non palletised items, lifts over obstacles	Space and support for stabiliser legs	Over fences, onto scaffolds or upper levels	Usually planned as a separate lift, with its own lift plan

The payload trade off is real and measurable. On our own fleet, a 44 tonne articulated curtain sider carries 28,000 kg. The same configuration with a tail lift carries 26,000 kg, and with a Moffett it carries 22,000 kg. For dense loads such as blocks or bagged aggregates, that difference shapes how many vehicles a job needs.

When to Book Moffets for Your Delivery

Book a moffet when the receiving site has no reliable way to lift pallets and the goods are too heavy to wheel. The following conditions point clearly towards a moffet vehicle:

• No forklift on site, or the site forklift is unavailable at the delivery time
• Pallets too heavy for a tail lift or a hand pallet truck
• Ground that is firm but uneven, such as compacted stone, block paving or a farmyard
• Goods that must travel some distance from the roadside to their final position
• Several drops on one route, none with handling equipment
• Temporary locations, including event sites, new build plots and infrastructure works

When a tail lift is the better choice

• Pallets are light enough for the lift and the route inside is smooth and level
• Access is too tight for a forklift to manoeuvre
• The receiver has a pallet truck and staff to move goods indoors

Consider two contrasting jobs. A builders’ merchant sending twenty pallets of blocks to a housing plot in the West Midlands needs a moffet artic, because no forklift will be waiting and the ground is hardcore. A retailer receiving four pallets of boxed stock at a high street unit with a smooth pavement is better served by a 7.5 tonne tail lift vehicle, which is easier to park and carries no forklift weight.

How to Prepare Your Site for a Moffet Delivery

Most failed moffet drops trace back to the site, not the vehicle. Six steps before the delivery day remove nearly every avoidable delay:

1. Check the ground. Both lorry and forklift need a firm, reasonably level surface. Waterlogged soil, steep gradients and loose sand are the usual reasons a drop is abandoned.
2. Mark the drop point. Tell the haulier exactly where pallets should be placed and how far that is from where the vehicle can park.
3. Walk the access route. Look for narrow gates, overhead cables, low branches and scaffolding that could obstruct the vehicle or the mast.
4. Share pallet details at booking. Weights, dimensions and pallet condition let the operator confirm the load is within the machine’s safe capacity.
5. Plan an exclusion zone. Keep pedestrians and site traffic clear of the working area until unloading is complete.
6. Name a site contact. Someone available to direct the driver and sign for the goods speeds up proof of delivery and resolves queries on the spot.

Safety, Compliance and Operator Training

A moffet is both a lift truck and lifting equipment, so it falls under established UK health and safety law. Shippers should expect their haulier to meet these standards as a matter of course:

• LOLER 1998: thorough examination of the forklift by a competent person at set intervals, at least every twelve months for a lift truck used to handle goods
• PUWER 1998: ongoing maintenance and inspection so the machine remains safe to use
• Operator training: specific truck mounted forklift training, delivered under accrediting bodies such as RTITB, AITT or ITSSAR and aligned with HSE guidance on rider operated lift trucks (L117)
• Driver licensing: the correct category, C or C+E, for the vehicle itself
• Daily checks: tyres, forks, chains, hydraulic hoses and the rear mounting inspected before the first lift

When comparing hauliers, ask for evidence of operator certification and inspection records. Membership of the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS), which Jeavons Eurotir has been audited against for many years, is a useful independent signal of fleet standards.

Moffet Deliveries with Jeavons Eurotir H2

Jeavons Eurotir operates two Moffett equipped vehicle types from our Birmingham head office, both with curtain sides for full length access:

Vehicle	Payload (kg)	Standard pallets	Euro pallets
26 tonne rigid with Moffett	12,000	14	17
44 tonne artic curtain sider with Moffett	22,000	26	33

These sit within a tracked fleet of 30 vehicles, built over 46 years of haulage and freight forwarding. Current performance figures include:

• 99.8% first time delivery success
• 99.98% of deliveries free of damage or claims
• Euro 6 vehicles and electric or gas forklifts

If you are unsure whether your site needs a moffet, a tail lift or another solution, speak to our team before you book. Call +44 (0) 121 765 4166, email sales@jeavonseurotir.co.uk or request a free quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a moffet deliver onto gravel or grass?

Compacted gravel and firm, dry grass are usually workable, but waterlogged or freshly dug ground is not. Sending photos of the drop area when booking avoids surprises.

Is a moffet delivery more expensive than a standard delivery?

Price depends on the route, load and vehicle. It is often cheaper overall than hiring a forklift or extra labour at the receiving end.

Can a moffet place goods inside a building?

Only where the doorway is wide enough, the floor is level and there is sufficient headroom for the mast. Most drops are made outside, close to the entrance.

Who is responsible for safety during a moffet delivery?

The operator controls the lift, while the receiver provides safe ground and keeps the area clear. Agreeing the drop point beforehand protects both parties.

Can a moffet handle goods that are not on pallets?

It is designed for pallets or stillages that the forks can enter securely. Loose or irregular items normally need a crane or alternative handling.