Failed deliveries cost money on both ends of the chain. The truck turns around, the crew stands down, the re-delivery is re-booked, and the project slips. In most cases the root cause is not a scheduling error or a stock problem. It is an access condition that nobody communicated before dispatch.
If you are coordinating a delivery of long roof sheets or heavy pallets, the time to work through access is when you place the order, not when the driver calls you from the end of the street.
What the Supplier Needs to Know Before Dispatch
A supplier quoting or booking a delivery cannot guess what is on your site. The information below should be provided at the time of ordering, or at the latest when delivery is being scheduled. If any of it changes between booking and delivery day, notify the supplier immediately.
Vehicle Access and Turning
Most deliveries of roofing sheet and pallet goods travel on semi-trailers or rigid trucks. A standard semi with a flat-top trailer runs around 19 metres in length and requires a swept turning radius of approximately 25 metres. A rigid truck with a crane arm (hiab) is shorter, typically 10 to 12 metres, but the crane arm adds height and reach requirements of its own.
Tell the supplier:
- The road type leading to the site (sealed, unsealed, private access road)
- Whether the entry gate or driveway can accept a semi, or whether a rigid is the maximum
- Whether there is a turning area on site, or whether the driver must reverse in from the street
- Any weight-limited bridges or culverts on the access route
- Whether the site is in a narrow urban street where a large vehicle would block traffic
If you are unsure what vehicle size can reach the drop point, measure the entry width and walk the access route. A gate opening of less than 3.5 metres will exclude most semis. If your access is marginal, say so and let the supplier advise on vehicle options.
Overhead Clearance: Powerlines and Trees
This is where deliveries fail silently. The driver arrives, assesses the overhead clearance, and refuses to proceed. That refusal is correct. Operating a hiab crane near powerlines without appropriate exclusion zones is a serious safety matter governed by state-based electrical safety legislation and Safe Work Australia guidance.
The standard exclusion zone for uninsulated overhead powerlines is 3 metres for voltages up to 132 kV. A hiab boom extended to place a pallet can easily reach 8 to 10 metres. If there are powerlines over or adjacent to the drop zone, you need to know the voltage and clearance before booking a crane-assisted delivery.
For tree canopy, the issue is physical: a boom or a long sheet bundle cannot pass through branches. Assess the drop zone from above, not just from ground level.
Provide the supplier with:
- Approximate height of any overhead powerlines crossing the access or drop zone
- Whether those lines are insulated or bare
- Tree canopy height and spread over the intended drop point
- Whether an alternative drop point with clear overhead access is available
If powerline clearance is genuinely tight, contact your electricity distributor before delivery day. They can advise on temporary isolation or insulated line covers. Do not assume the driver will manage it on the day.
Ground Conditions at the Drop Point
A hiab truck or crane-assisted delivery places significant point loads on the ground through the outrigger feet. On soft or recently disturbed ground, those loads can cause outriggers to sink, which creates an unstable lift and a safety incident.
For standard pallet deliveries without a crane, a loaded pallet truck or forklift extension will still require firm, reasonably level ground. Freshly placed fill, muddy ground after rain, or a steep slope at the drop point can all prevent safe unloading.
Tell the supplier about:
- Ground type at the drop zone (concrete slab, compacted gravel, clay, fill, sand)
- Recent rainfall and whether the ground is soft
- Any slopes or level changes between the truck position and the drop point
- Whether a forklift is available on site, and if so, what capacity and reach
Who Is on Site to Receive the Delivery
A delivery without a receiver is a delivery that cannot proceed. The person receiving the goods needs to be present, authorised to sign the delivery docket, and capable of directing the driver to the correct drop point.
For long sheet deliveries in particular, you also need enough hands to handle the material safely once it is off the truck. Sheet bundles are not a one-person job.
Confirm with the supplier:
- The name and mobile number of the site contact on delivery day
- The site hours and any access restrictions (induction requirements, sign-in procedures)
- Whether the contact has authority to sign the delivery docket
- Whether additional labour is available to assist with unloading if the delivery is not crane-assisted
Practical Limits on Long Roof Sheets
Custom-length roofing sheets are roll-formed to order. Lengths from 1.8 metres up to around 13 metres are common; some profiles can be produced longer, but transport and handling become the constraint well before the roll-former does.
Sheets over about 6 metres require two people to carry safely. Sheets over 9 metres require a gang of three or more, or mechanical assistance. Attempting to carry long sheets with too few people causes the sheet to flex mid-span, which is how oil canning occurs. Oil canning is the visible waviness in the flat pan of a sheet, and once it is in the metal it does not come out.
Edge damage is the other common handling failure. Sheets carried without gloves, dragged across each other, or dropped onto a corner will develop burrs and deformed ribs that compromise both the fixing and the weatherproofing.
When ordering long sheets, plan for:
- A clear path from the drop point to the stack or installation area, wide enough for the sheet length plus the carriers on each side
- A flat, clean surface for temporary stacking, with timber bearers at regular intervals to prevent mid-span deflection
- Gloves for all handlers; bare hands on Zincalume or COLORBOND sheet edges will cause cuts and mark the coating
- A minimum of two people per sheet for anything over 5 metres; three or more for anything over 8 metres
For crane or hiab lifts of sheet bundles, the bundle must be slung correctly. Spreader bars are used to prevent the sling angle from crushing the bundle edges. If the delivery includes a crane-assisted placement, confirm with the driver whether spreader bars are part of the delivery equipment. Do not assume they are.
Unloading Responsibility and Damage Inspection
This is the part of a delivery that causes the most disputes, and the resolution almost always comes down to what was documented at the time of delivery.
In standard trade supply terms, unloading responsibility transfers to the buyer once the goods are placed at the agreed drop point. The driver is not obliged to carry material to a roof, stack it in a specific location, or sort bundles. What the driver is obliged to do varies by supplier and should be confirmed at the time of booking.
Damage inspection must happen before the truck leaves. Once the delivery docket is signed without qualification, it is very difficult to make a claim for damage that was not noted at the time. Walk the delivery and check:
- Sheet count against the delivery docket
- Bundle condition: strapping intact, no visible crushing or deformation at bundle edges
- Individual sheets for oil canning, rib damage, edge burrs and coating scratches
- Pallet goods for broken wrapping, crushed corners or moisture ingress
If you find damage, note it on the delivery docket in writing before signing. Photograph it. Contact the supplier the same day. A note on the docket reading "received damaged, see photos" is far more useful than a call made three days later.
If the delivery arrives and the goods cannot be unloaded due to an access problem that was not communicated, the re-delivery cost typically falls to the buyer. This is not a punitive policy; it reflects the real cost of a failed truck run. The way to avoid it is to resolve access questions before the truck is loaded.
Before You Book: A Practical Checklist
- Confirm the maximum vehicle size that can reach the drop point
- Measure gate and entry widths; note any weight-limited crossings
- Identify overhead powerlines and tree canopy at the drop zone
- Assess ground conditions and whether outrigger support is adequate
- Confirm whether a hiab, crane lift or forklift is required, and who provides it
- Name the site contact and confirm they will be present with authority to sign
- Plan the handling crew for long sheets based on sheet length
- Prepare a stacking area with bearers before the truck arrives
- Know the damage inspection process and have a camera ready
CSA's trade desk works through these questions when quoting and booking deliveries of roofing sheet, rainwater goods and pallet lines. If your site has access constraints, raise them early and the delivery can be planned around them. Visit constructionsupplies.group/au or contact the trade desk to discuss your next delivery.