Let me tell you, the day your DIY Pole Barn kit arrives – that’s a red-letter day! It’s when all that planning and dreaming starts to look like a real barn, right there on your property. Now, to make sure everything goes as smooth as silk, it helps to know what’s coming and how to get yourself ready. So, here’s a step-by-step guide to what happens on your delivery day.
Step 1: Getting Your Place Ready Before the Truck Even Thinks About Arriving
A little preparation beforehand goes a long, long way. Before that delivery truck even points its nose down your road, make sure your site is good to go:
- Clear the Way for the Big Fella: You want to be sure your driveway and the path to your build site are clear for a big semi-truck. We’re talking a vehicle that can be up to 70 feet long and weigh around 80,000 pounds! So, move any parked cars out of the way, trim back any low-hanging tree branches, and clear out any other things that could cause an obstruction.
- Pick a Good Spot for Your Materials (Your Staging Area): Choose a spot that’s flat, solid, and easy to get to, ideally close to where you’ll be building. Make sure this area is cleared of any debris too.
- Think About Turning Room: Remember, that big truck needs space to turn around, and the Moffett forklift that unloads your materials needs room to operate safely right beside the trailer.
- Point Out Any Hidden Dangers: Take a walk around and note if there are any underground utilities, septic systems, soft spots in the ground, or steep slopes the driver ought to know about. It’s always better to point these things out beforehand.
Step 2: Here Comes the Truck! Site Check and a Quick Chat
When that semi-truck arrives with your kit all loaded up and that handy Moffett forklift mounted on the back, here’s what happens:
- Meet Your Driver: It’s best if you’re there yourself, or have someone you trust on-site, to greet the driver.
- Talk Over the Plan: The driver, they’re experienced at this. They’ll take a look at your site access and the staging area you’ve picked out. This is your chance to share any specific instructions you have or point out those potential hazards you noted earlier.
- Lend a Hand if Asked (But Safety First!): Now, for safety reasons, especially if things are a bit tight or you’re near a road, the driver might ask you to assist by watching for traffic or acting as an extra set of eyes while they’re maneuvering the truck or forklift. Only do this if the driver asks you to, and only if you feel comfortable doing it safely.
- Safety is the Driver’s Call: Always remember, the driver is in charge of overall safety. They’ll make the final decision on whether your site is safe for unloading and where those materials can be placed without risking any damage to your property, their equipment, or your brand-new barn kit.
Step 3: Unloading Your Pole Barn Kit
Once the driver has checked everything out and it’s safe to get started:
- The Moffett Gets to Work: The driver will get that Moffett forklift unhooked from the trailer.
- Careful Does It: That driver knows how to handle these materials. They’ll use the Moffett to carefully unload all your pole barn parts – your lumber, those big trusses, the metal panels, and everything else – usually in manageable bundles.
- Putting it Where You Want It: The driver will then use that Moffett, which can move in all directions, to transport the materials over to that staging area you picked out, getting them as close as they safely can.
- Keep a Safe Distance, Please: Now, unless the driver specifically asks you to help with spotting, it’s really important for everyone’s safety that you stay clear of the truck and that operating forklift while they’re working.
Step 4: Checking it All Over – Inventory and Inspection (This is CRUCIAL!)
This next part is mighty important, and it happens before that driver leaves your property:
- Get Your Manifest: The driver will hand you a manifest. That’s your delivery paperwork, and it lists out all the materials that should be in your shipment. This list is what you’re going to use to check everything.
- Walk Through it With the Driver: As the materials are being staged, or right after the unloading is all done, take a walk through the delivery with the driver. Carefully check each bundle against that manifest list.
- Look for Any Damage or Missing Pieces: Inspect all the materials for any damage you can see that might have happened during shipping. Count your bundles, or the key components, to make sure everything’s there according to that list.
- Mark it on the Manifest: Now listen close: if you find any discrepancies – maybe some missing items or something that looks damaged – you MUST note these problems directly on the driver’s delivery manifest right then and there. That piece of paper is your official record of any issues you found when the delivery happened.
- Snap Some Photos: If you can, take clear photos of any damaged items or anything that looks like a shortage while the driver is still present. Those pictures can be real helpful.
Step 5: Driver Heads Out & Your Follow-Up Time
- Signing the Paperwork: Once you’ve gone through the inventory and any issues have been clearly noted on that manifest, you’ll sign the delivery paperwork to say you’ve received everything.
- Driver Departs: The driver will then secure the Moffett back on the truck and head on out.
- Your Two-Week Window: Now, after the driver leaves, you’ll want to continue carefully unpacking and organizing all your materials. If, during this time, you find any concealed damage (something you couldn’t see when it was bundled) or any missing items that weren’t noted on the manifest when the driver was there, you have up to two weeks (that’s 14 days) from the delivery date to let us here at DIY Pole Barns know about it.
- Photo Evidence is a Must: When you’re reporting any issues you find after the delivery, you must provide clear photographs to back up your claim.
Ready for a Smooth Delivery Day?
By getting your site ready beforehand, talking clearly with your driver, and doing that thorough inspection using the manifest before the driver leaves, you’re helping make sure your pole barn project gets off to a real successful start. Remember, safety is the most important thing, and the driver has the final say on what’s safe when it comes to unloading procedures.
If you have any questions at all before your delivery is scheduled, don’t you hesitate to contact us. Here at DIY Pole Barns, we’re with you from delivery day all the way to the final nail!
Happy Delivery Day!
Albert Barnwright
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