What Is Moffett Delivery (Winnipeg)? When Truck-Mounted Forklifts Solve Winnipeg’s Toughest Access Challenges
“Can you put the bin behind my garage?”
“We have a 2.5-meter-wide side yard with a gate.”
“My driveway has snowbanks on both sides right now.”
These are the calls we get weekly. And the answer depends on what kind of delivery equipment we’re talking about.
Standard delivery truck? Probably not happening. Moffett delivery? Usually no problem.
Here’s the difference and why it matters.
So What’s a Moffett Anyway?
A Moffett is basically a forklift that rides on the back of a truck. When the truck gets to your property, the forklift detaches and drives itself to wherever your stuff needs to go. Then it drives back, mounts onto the truck, and off they go.
Think of it like this: instead of the truck having to drive to your exact placement spot, the forklift handles that part independently. The truck just parks wherever there’s room.
How it works: HIAB (the company that makes Moffett equipment) developed these specifically for situations where regular delivery trucks can’t reach—construction sites, tight residential access, uneven terrain, and the kind of snow-narrowed winter conditions we deal with in Winnipeg.
The key capability is that forklift operating separately from the truck. Your driveway might be too narrow for a truck, but it’s probably fine for the more compact forklift. The truck parks on the street, forklift navigates your driveway, places your bin or materials, and comes back.
When Standard Delivery Hits Its Limits
Narrow Access
Typical delivery trucks need 3-3.5 meters of width clearance. A lot of Winnipeg residential driveways, side yards, and laneways measure 2.5-3 meters wide—too narrow for the truck.
Moffett forklifts navigate 2.5-meter passages. Truck stays on the street where there’s room. Forklift handles the tight squeeze.
Real examples:
- Side yard access to backyards (common in older neighborhoods)
- Laneways serving rear garages
- Passages between houses in newer zero-lot-line developments
- Gated entry areas designed for people but not vehicles
Soft or Uncertain Ground
Heavy delivery trucks sink into soft soil, snow-covered lawns, or spring-thaw ground. Drivers (understandably) refuse placements that might get their truck stuck or damage your property.
Moffett forklifts distribute weight differently—lower ground pressure across four wheels versus two-wheel-drive trucks. They can navigate surfaces where trucks can’t venture.
When this matters:
- Lawn placement during shoulder seasons
- Backyard access across unpaved areas
- Snow-covered ground where exact surface condition is unknown
- Newly constructed sites without established driveways
Tight Turns
Delivery trucks need 9-12 meter turning radius. Not every driveway or cul-de-sac provides that.
Moffett turning radius is under 3 meters. Truck parks where turning allows. Forklift handles the navigation.
Winter Snowbanks (This One’s Huge Here)
In summer, your 4-meter-wide driveway is plenty of room. By January, snowbanks consume 1-1.5 meters on each side. That 4-meter driveway becomes 2.5 meters between snowbanks—too narrow for delivery trucks but still passable for compact forklifts.
Also, Moffett can place loads over snowbanks into cleared areas beyond. Standard trucks can’t do that.
This is often the difference between getting winter service or waiting until spring.
What Moffett Delivery Can Handle
- Waste bins and dumpsters: 8-20 yard bins weighing 500-2,000 kg empty. Precise positioning within centimeters of where you want them.
- Palletized materials: Soil, gravel, sand, mulch, pavers, concrete blocks, bagged products. Direct placement at work areas—not just driveway drop-off.
- Equipment and machinery: Compactors, generators, small equipment. Can place inside buildings through overhead doors.
- Structural materials: Steel beams, concrete forms, large timber, bundled materials. Precise placement for construction sequences.
Preparing Your Site
Check Your Access Path
- Minimum 2.5 meters clear width for forklift passage
- Measure gates, passages, and overhead clearances
- Moffett needs 2.5-3 meters height clearance depending on mast position
- Clear obstacles: garbage bins, parked vehicles, lawn furniture, stored items
- Mark hidden hazards like curbs, utility covers, or landscape features
Consider Surface Conditions
Firm surfaces work best: compacted gravel, pavement, or firm frozen ground.
Soft ground is acceptable but tell us in advance. We may need boards or temporary mats for weight distribution.
Snow and ice: Clear heavy snow from the path (light snow is fine). Sand or salt icy areas for traction.
Deep mud, saturated ground, or very soft conditions may need specialized equipment beyond what Moffett can handle.
Know Where Things Go
- Mark your desired placement location clearly—precision is Moffett’s advantage, use it
- Check overhead clearances: wires, tree branches, eaves, building overhangs
- Consider the path from street to placement: not just width but turns, slopes, and surface conditions
- Moffett typically operates 30-50 meters from truck—beyond that, truck needs to reposition
Communicate Details
Tell us in advance:
- Access path dimensions and surface type
- Overhead clearance measurements
- Current surface conditions (especially in winter)
- Exact placement location description or photos
- Any restrictions or considerations
Have someone on-site who can communicate with the driver about placement, answer questions, and verify positioning.
In winter, conditions change daily. Update us the morning of delivery about current access status.
When Moffett Adds Value
Costs typically $50-150 more than standard delivery depending on complexity and distance from truck parking. But consider what it avoids:
- Manual materials moving (labor costs)
- Equipment rental (smaller forklifts, track loaders)
- Damage from improvised solutions
- Project delays from access problems
Direct placement at work locations eliminates secondary handling:
- Materials are immediately available for use
- No staging, transferring, or repositioning
- Time savings from immediate availability
- Safety improvement from reduced manual handling
Safety note: Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety notes materials handling accounts for significant workplace injuries. Reducing manual handling aligns with safety best practices.
Winter-Specific Advantages
- Narrowed driveways: Standard Winnipeg driveways (3.5-4 meters in summer) narrow to 2.5-3 meters between winter snowbanks
- Uncertain surfaces: Navigates frozen, snow-covered ground where exact conditions under snow are unknown
- Emergency service: Winter emergencies (frozen pipes, ice dam damage) requiring immediate service often occur during worst access conditions
- Reduced damage risk: Compact Moffett minimizes risks on soft ground under snow, hidden curbs, and frozen/thawed surfaces
How We Use It
EcoBins & Cartage provides Moffett delivery throughout Winnipeg for bins, bulk materials, and palletized products. We’ve been doing this long enough to quickly assess what’s possible with standard delivery versus what needs Moffett capability.
Our operators handle:
- Bin placement in snow-narrowed driveways and laneways
- Backyard positioning through side yard access
- Material delivery to specific work locations
- Winter operations in challenging conditions
- Coordination with construction and renovation schedules
Whether you’re managing winter renovations requiring bin service, coordinating landscaping material delivery from Ditchfield Soils, or planning seasonal property work with Lawn ‘N’ Order, Moffett delivery solves access challenges that would otherwise delay or complicate things.
The practical advantage is pretty straightforward: problems that would require rescheduling, manual labor, or equipment rental just get handled as part of delivery. That difference between “we’ll have to wait until…” and “no problem, we’ll get it there” is what Moffett provides.
Related Resources
- EcoBins & Cartage Moffett Delivery Service
- Winter Bin Rental Planning Guide
- CCOHS: Materials Handling Safety
- Ditchfield Soils Material Delivery
Moffett delivery transforms impossible placements into routine service. Understanding when standard delivery limitations require specialized equipment ensures your projects proceed without access-related delays or improvised solutions that increase costs and risks.
