A two post lift delivery checklist is the difference between a smooth install day and a shop full of confused guys standing around a pallet wondering what goes where. We’ve watched deliveries go sideways because nobody checked the freight bill against the crates before the truck driver left, and by then it’s too late to file a damage claim. As an Iowa-based installer and parts distributor, Auto Lift Services builds this checklist into every quote we send out, because the work of getting your lift running safely actually starts the moment the freight truck backs up to your shop, not the day our техников show up to bolt it together.
Browse Rotary and Challenger two post models in stock and ready for delivery across Iowa, plus every part you need to keep one running for the long haul.
Before the Truck Arrives: What to Confirm
Every two post lift delivery checklist should start well before the freight carrier ever reaches your address. Confirm your dock or curbside delivery has enough clearance for a full-size freight truck with a liftgate, and make sure someone on your crew is physically available during the delivery window — most carriers won’t wait around, and a missed delivery means rescheduling fees and a lift sitting in a warehouse for another week.
We also tell every customer to have a forklift or pallet jack rated for the load on hand, since two post lift columns and carriages are heavier than most shops expect. Double check your bill of lading matches your purchase order line for line: model number, column height, and quantity of crates. If you ordered a taller ceiling clearance version or a specific voltage power unit, that should be spelled out on the paperwork so you’re not guessing when the crates land. A few minutes of prep here saves hours of headache later, and it’s the single most skipped step in any two post lift delivery checklist we’ve handed out.
Inspecting the Crates Before You Sign
This is the step people rush through the most, and it’s the most important one on the entire two post lift delivery checklist. Before you sign the delivery receipt, walk around every single crate and pallet and look for crushed corners, torn shrink wrap, water stains, or forklift puncture marks. Freight carriers are rough on equipment, and a two post lift shipped from the manufacturer travels a long way before it gets to an Iowa shop.
If you see any visible damage, do not sign a clean delivery receipt. Note the damage directly on the paperwork in writing, take photos with a phone before the driver leaves, and call us immediately. Once a clean receipt is signed, filing a freight claim becomes far harder and sometimes impossible, and that cost can land on you instead of the shipper. We’d rather spend ten extra minutes at the truck with you than deal with a damage dispute two weeks into an install. This single habit protects thousands of dollars of equipment and it costs nothing but a little patience on delivery day.
Unloading Safely Without Damaging Components
Two post lift components are awkward, not just heavy. Columns are long and top-heavy, carriages have exposed cable sheaves and locking mechanisms, and hydraulic cylinders can be damaged if dropped or dragged across concrete. Use a forklift with forks long enough to fully support the crate, and never drag a crate off a truck bed with a chain or strap without support underneath.
Once unloaded, keep crates upright according to the orientation arrows printed on the packaging. Laying a column crate on its side, even briefly, can bend mounting brackets or damage the internal cable routing. If your shop doesn’t have forklift capacity on site, tell us ahead of time — we can arrange delivery with a liftgate truck or coordinate a rigging crew so the equipment never gets manhandled by hand. This part of the two post lift delivery checklist gets overlooked because everyone is excited to open the boxes, but rushing here creates problems that show up during installation, not before.
Staging the Equipment in Your Shop
Once everything is off the truck safely, don’t just shove crates into a corner and forget about them. Stage the components close to where the lift will actually be installed, but out of the way of daily shop traffic. Concrete slab layout matters here too — if your slab hasn’t been evaluated yet for thickness and rebar, that needs to happen before crates get moved twice.
We recommend cross-referencing your delivery against the original spec sheet one more time at this stage. This is a good moment to revisit our two post lift spec checklist to confirm the columns, carriages, and power unit you received actually match what your bay and ceiling height require. Catching a mismatch now, while everything is still in the shop and not yet bolted down, is far easier than discovering it mid-install.
Documenting Serial Numbers and Warranty Info
Before anything gets installed, record every serial number off the columns, power unit, and any arm assemblies. Manufacturers tie warranty coverage to these numbers, and if a component ever needs a replacement part or a warranty claim, having this documented on delivery day saves you a scramble later trying to find a number buried under a lift arm.
Take photos of the data tags while everything is still accessible on the crates or right after unboxing. Keep this information along with your purchase invoice and delivery receipt in one file, digital or physical, so it’s not lost in the shuffle. Shops that skip this step often end up calling us months later trying to identify a part number off a lift that’s already installed and hard to inspect closely. A thorough two post lift delivery checklist always includes this documentation step, because it protects your investment long after installation day is finished.
Coordinating With Your Installer
Delivery and installation are two separate events, and treating them as one is where a lot of Iowa shops run into trouble. Once your equipment has cleared inspection and is staged, reach out to schedule the actual install. We like to have eyes on the delivered equipment, even just through photos, before our crew arrives so we know exactly what we’re working with and can bring the right hardware and tools.
If anything seems off — a missing bracket, an unexpected component, a spec mismatch — flag it before install day rather than during it. Our two post lift installation checklist walks through exactly what our crews verify once they’re on site, and it pairs directly with everything covered here. Good communication between delivery and installation keeps the whole project moving instead of stalling out over a paperwork gap discovered halfway through the job.
What Happens After Installation
Once the lift is bolted down, leveled, and wired, the checklist mindset shouldn’t stop. Safety inspections, cable tension checks, and routine maintenance all follow the same logic as delivery day: catch small issues before they become expensive ones. We point every customer toward our two post lift safety checklist and our maintenance guide so the same discipline that protected the equipment during delivery carries through its entire service life.
A two post lift is a long-term investment for any Iowa shop, whether you’re a dealership, an independent garage, or a home hobbyist setting one up in a personal building. Treating delivery day with the same seriousness as the install itself is what separates a lift that runs trouble-free for fifteen years from one that has problems from month one. We’d rather walk you through this checklist ahead of time than fix a preventable issue after the fact.
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