Ten pallets of bricks, forty bags of cement and three cubic metres of sand do not arrive like a parcel. They arrive on a truck weighing several tonnes that has to get into the street, set up, put its stabilisers down and swing each pallet over the power lines to the spot agreed.
On delivery day, almost every problem comes from a question nobody answered beforehand: how wide the street is, where to put things, who is there to sign. Here is the list to prepare.
The street decides the truck
A crane truck needs about four metres of width to set up with its stabilisers out. Under three metres, only a light van can get in, and the delivery is made in several trips, unloaded by hand. Measure the street at its narrowest point, not just outside your door: a tight bend or a car parked on the corner is enough to stop a truck.
Think about height too: an overhanging balcony, a cable strung between two houses, a tree. The crane’s jib has to pass over them, keeping a safe distance from power lines.
Where the pallets go
Choose a flat, firm area big enough for every pallet, ideally near where they will be used. A pallet of bricks weighs more than a tonne: on a roof or a recent slab, ask your engineer whether it can take it, and spread the pallets near the supports rather than in the middle.
Loose sand and gravel are tipped on the ground: put a sheet underneath and choose a place that blocks neither traffic nor drainage.
On the day
Someone has to be there to show the spot, check the delivery and sign the note. Count the pallets and bags before signing, and write anything missing or damaged on the note. Keep the note: it carries the pallet deposit, refunded when the pallets come back.
Tell the neighbours the day before, especially in a narrow street: the truck blocks the road while it unloads, usually for under half an hour.
Following your truck
On delivery day, online tracking shows the truck on the map, the order of the round’s stops and the estimated arrival time, and the driver calls as he approaches. Delivery happens in the window chosen at order: 07:00–10:00, 10:00–13:00 or 13:00–16:30, Saturday to Thursday.
Step by step
Indicative time: two hours
Measure the street
Note the width at the narrowest point of the access and spot overhead obstacles: balconies, cables, trees.
Give the access when ordering
Enter the street width, the floor, whether there is a lift and whether a crane is needed: the estimator picks the truck and works out the fee.
Prepare the drop zone
Clear a flat, firm area, put down a sheet for loose materials, and check with the engineer that a slab can take the pallets.
Warn people
Tell the neighbours the day before and make sure someone will be there for the whole delivery window.
Check and sign
Count the pallets and bags, note any reservations on the delivery note, sign and keep the note for the deposit.
