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FEB 12, 2026

Waltco HLF Liftgate Operation Guide: Controls, Load Placement, and Storage

Operating a liftgate correctly is essential for protecting personnel, cargo, and equipment. The Waltco HLF flipaway (aka tuck-under style) liftgate is designed for loading and unloading cargo when operators follow the manufacturer’s instructions and posted decals.

This guide is focused strictly on daily operation: control use, load placement, optional latch chain handling (if equipped), and storing the platform for transit.

• Documentation Resources from Thieman
• Operator Responsibilities and Safety Requirements
• Liftgate Controls and Basic Operation
• Proper Load Placement and Capacity Compliance
• Using the Optional Latch Chain (If Equipped)
• Storing the HLF Liftgate for Transit
• Common Operator Errors to Avoid
• Final Summary: Safe, Correct Daily Operation

Documentation Resources from Thieman

Information in this article is sourced from Waltco HLF manuals and technical guides, as well as LiftGateMe’s technical review of those documents. Always refer to your specific liftgate’s manuals for complete procedures and serial number, model, and year-specific details.

Reference PDFs used:

• Waltco HLF Parts Manual
• Waltco HLF Owners Manual
• Waltco HLF Installation Manual
• Waltco HLF Brochure

Operator Responsibilities and Safety Requirements

Safe lift gate operation starts before any controls are used. Waltco warns that improper operation can result in severe personal injury or death and instructs operators to read and understand the manual and decals before operating the liftgate (Waltco HLF Owner’s Manual, Rev. 12, 2016, pp. 2–4).

Required Familiarity With Manuals and Decals

Waltco requires operators to:

• Read and understand the Owner’s Manual, all decals, and all warnings before operating (Owner’s Manual, p. 4).
• Maintain legible warning and operation decals on the vehicle and keep the Owner’s Manual in the vehicle as a guide (Owner’s Manual, pp. 23–24).

Because decals communicate hazards and operating rules at the point of use, missing or illegible decals increase risk and reduce operator awareness (Owner’s Manual, pp. 23–24).

General Hazards Associated With Liftgate Operation

Waltco identifies common liftgate hazards that can cause serious injury, including crushing, pinch points, and falling or shifting loads. Operators must:

• Keep hands and feet clear of potential pinch points (Owner’s Manual, p. 4).
• Keep bystanders away from the area where the platform opens and closes (Owner’s Manual, p. 4).
• Avoid standing where a falling load could land (Owner’s Manual, p. 4).

Waltco also instructs operators not to use the liftgate if it makes unusual noise, has unusual vibration, raises or lowers unevenly, fails to operate smoothly, or shows structural damage such as cracked welds or bent members (Owner’s Manual, p. 4).

Preventing Unauthorized Use

To prevent unauthorized use, Waltco states that a lock-out device or shut-off switch should always be used (Owner’s Manual, pp. 4, 10). This is especially important for vehicles staged at jobsites, loading docks, or public locations where untrained individuals might attempt operation.

Operators are responsible for understanding the manual and decals, keeping clear of hazards, stopping operation if unsafe conditions are present, and using lock-out/shut-off methods to prevent unauthorized use.

Liftgate Controls and Basic Operation

The HLF uses a Raise/Lower toggle switch for powered platform movement.

Raise / Lower Toggle Switch Use

Waltco’s operating instruction is straightforward: use the Raise and Lower toggle switch to raise and lower the platform (Owner’s Manual, p. 10). Operators should remain positioned to observe the platform area, the load, and any bystanders while operating.

What to Do If Operation Does Not Feel Normal

Waltco instructs operators to stop using the liftgate if it does not operate smoothly or if it raises/lowers unevenly, vibrates unusually, or produces unusual noise (Owner’s Manual, p. 4). In those conditions, continued operation is not considered safe.

Use the Raise/Lower toggle switch for platform movement, and stop operation immediately if the liftgate behaves abnormally as described by Waltco.

Proper Load Placement and Capacity Compliance

Correct load placement is a core safety requirement for the Waltco HLF.

Even Load Distribution Requirements

Waltco states:

• Maximum rated capacity is based on an evenly distributed load on the platform flat surface (Owner’s Manual, p. 10).
• Never overload the liftgate (Owner’s Manual, p. 4).

This means operators should avoid concentrated point loads and should treat the platform surface as the rated load-bearing area when evenly loaded (Owner’s Manual, p. 10).

Positioning the Load on the Platform

Waltco instructs operators to load the platform as close to the vehicle and toward the middle of the platform as possible (Owner’s Manual, pp. 4, 10). This load placement direction is stated both in the safety warnings and in the operations section.

Retaining Rolling or Unstable Loads

Waltco warns that:

• Wheeled loads must be properly retained from rolling.
• Tall, high center-of-gravity loads must be retained from falling over.
• Operators should not ride the liftgate with unstable loads (Owner’s Manual, p. 4).

These requirements support safe cargo handling during raising/lowering.

Capacity and stability depend on evenly distributed loading, keeping the load close to the vehicle and centered, and restraining loads that could roll or tip.

Using the Optional Latch Chain (If Equipped)

Some HLF liftgates are equipped with an optional latch (transit) chain.

When the Latch Chain Is Used

The latch chain is used in relation to the stored/transit condition. Waltco’s operating page includes instructions “If equipped with optional latch chain” and references storing the platform for transit (Owner’s Manual, p. 10).

Waltco also notes that all HLF liftgates are secured in the stored position hydraulically by a lock valve at the cylinder (Owner’s Manual, p. 10).

Correct Removal and Re-Attachment

Waltco’s chain handling instructions are:

• Rotate and remove the transit chain off of the transit chain lug (Owner’s Manual, p. 10).
• When storing the liftgate for transit, if equipped with optional latch chain, hook chain onto chain lug (Owner’s Manual, p. 10).

Situations Where Forcing the Chain Is Unsafe

• Waltco states: Never force latch chain if platform weight is on chain (Owner’s Manual, p. 10).
• If the chain is tight, Waltco instructs: To slacken chain, push Raise switch (Owner’s Manual, p. 10).

If equipped, the latch chain must be removed and attached exactly as instructed, and it must never be forced when platform weight is on the chain.

Storing the HLF Liftgate for Transit

Correct transit storage prevents unintentional movement and supports safe vehicle operation.

Correct Folding and Stow Sequence

Waltco provides the transit storage steps in order:

• Lower platform to ground
• Fold platform
• Raise platform to transit position
• Power platform snugly to underside of bed extension
• If equipped with optional latch chain, hook chain onto chain lug (Owner’s Manual, p. 10)

Hydraulic Lock Valve Note

Waltco’s operations page states that all HLF liftgates are secured in the stored position hydraulically by a lock valve at the cylinder (Owner’s Manual, p. 10). Operators should follow the complete storage sequence to ensure the liftgate is properly stowed.

Lock-Out and Shut-Off Methods for Transit and Security

Waltco reiterates that a lock-out device or shut-off switch should be used to prevent unauthorized use and shows an example of a lock-out device “similar to a heavy gauge pad lock into the first link of chain” and a shut-off switch (Owner’s Manual, p. 10). The manual also lists lock-out/shut-off use as a general safety expectation (Owner’s Manual, p. 4).

Transit storage is a defined sequence (lower, fold, raise, snug), followed by securement (chain if equipped) and lock-out/shut-off measures to prevent unauthorized use.

Common Operator Errors to Avoid

This section highlights common errors by directly reflecting Waltco’s stated requirements and warnings.

Improper Load Placement and Overloading

Avoid:

• Loads placed away from the vehicle or near platform edges instead of close-to-vehicle and centered (Owner’s Manual, p. 10).
• Exceeding rated capacity or ignoring the capacity decal requirements (Owner’s Manual, p. 4).
• Unrestrained wheeled or tall loads that could roll or tip (Owner’s Manual, p. 4).

Unsafe Platform Storage for Transit

Avoid:

• Failing to follow the full transit storage sequence (Owner’s Manual, p. 10).
• Leaving the platform unsecured for transit instead of ensuring proper stored condition and securement (Owner’s Manual, p. 4; p. 10).

Unauthorized Use

Avoid leaving the liftgate available for untrained users. Waltco recommends use of a lock-out device or shut-off switch to prevent unauthorized use (Owner’s Manual, pp. 4, 10).

The most common unsafe behaviors are preventable: incorrect load placement, failure to follow the transit storage sequence, and not using lock-out/shut-off protections.

Final Summary: Safe, Correct Daily Operation

Daily safe operation of the Waltco HLF comes down to following the Owner’s Manual instructions and posted decals every time: use the Raise/Lower toggle switch properly, place loads evenly and close to the vehicle centerline, handle the optional latch chain safely (if equipped), and store the platform for transit using the specified sequence and lock-out/shut-off protections (Owner’s Manual, pp. 4, 10).

If you need help confirming your liftgate’s decals, control configuration, or documentation for a specific serial number, contact our Team at LiftGateMe for assistance.