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Warehouse and logistics
A vertical pallet path from dock to warehouse floors — wide doors and a tough floor for cart traffic.
Freight use
Freight elevator
A freight elevator moves goods and heavy loads, not passenger traffic. Cabin, doors, floor, and shaft structure are sized for cargo from the start. The drive can be traction or hydraulic, depending on rise and load. Atlas Asanbar Arsh designs and installs in Tehran, Karaj, and cities across northern Iran.
- High capacity
- Goods load, not people-first
- Wide doors
- Pallet and cart entry
- Rugged cabin
- Floor, walls, and load bumpers
System anatomy
What is a freight elevator and how does it work?
Do not confuse freight with a drive system. Use means what rides: goods and heavy loads. Drive means how the car goes up: traction with ropes, or hydraulic with a jack. Both combinations are built in Iran; the choice follows travel height and load weight — not the page title.
- 01
Load capacity
The kilogram figure comes from real goods, pallets, and the loading method — not from a universal law for every project. Loading class drives motor, rails, and shaft steel.
- 02
Cabin and bumpers
Walls, floor, and corners are built for pallet and cart impact — not lobby décor. Bumpers and a tough floor are part of freight use.
- 03
Wide doors
Opening width and depth must pass a pallet, cart, or wheeled load without awkward turns. A passenger door is usually too tight for that.
- 04
Shaft structure
Shaft steel, rails, and brackets for freight are much heavier than a same-rise passenger lift. See that line separately on the quote — do not fold it into the cabin.
- 05
Drive system
Freight is a use, not a motor type. Low rise and heavy load often point to hydraulic; taller travel usually to traction. We decide after measuring the shaft and defining the load.
A freight cabin is not chosen from a lobby photo. The floor must take concentrated pallet load; walls need bumpers; doors must be wider and often deeper than a passenger car. A service elevator — a tougher passenger lift for carts and housekeeping — is not the same as true freight that takes a forklift or heavy pallet.
Do not lock capacity from a brochure. Loading class, the path goods take in, and whether the load arrives by hand, wheels, or forklift change both the kilogram figure and the steel. The quote is written after the survey.
Use cases
Which projects suit freight elevators?
Freight fits a site where pallets, heavy carts, or industrial goods move between floors. Warehouses, shops with stacked storage, factories, and back docks — those are usually the jobs.
02
Retail and commercial
Moving stock from the back store to sales floors, apart from the customer lift — doors and cabin for cartons and carts.
03
Factory and production
Moving parts, materials, and work-in-progress between workshop levels — capacity and loading class come from the production line.
04
Wide doors and loading
The opening must match the pallet and the forklift or cart path — do not assume a passenger door will take a wide load.
If you only move residents or customers, do not push this page — a residential passenger lift is the better fit. If a vehicle rides, that is a car lift. If it is only light cartons and a cleaning cart, weigh a service car separately from true freight.
An honest picture
Freight elevator advantages and limits
Freight is the right call when goods travel from dock or store to floor on a path separate from people — or when the load is too heavy and large for a passenger car. Then wide doors, a tough floor, and heavy steel make sense.
Advantages
Sized for cargo
Cabin, doors, and floor are designed for pallets and wheeled loads from day one. Turning a passenger lift into “freight” later usually leaves you with tight doors and a weak floor.
Wide doors and loading path
A wider, often deeper opening lets a pallet in without spinning it on the landing — if the loading corridor was planned from the start.
Structure matched to loading class
Rails and shaft steel are calculated for concentrated load and entry impact. That costs more — and it is what keeps the hoistway standing.
Drive follows rise and load
Keep hydraulic or traction separate from the use: low rise and heavy load often a jack; taller travel often traction. Both show up on freight jobs.
Limits
Usually slower
Freight is for moving goods safely, not for lobby peak hour. If people traffic is the priority, keep a separate passenger lift.
Heavier shaft and steel
Freight shaft steel is much heavier than a same-rise passenger lift. If the building frame was not designed for that load, check the structure before the cabin catalog.
Service is not freight
A service elevator is usually a tougher passenger car. True freight is for a loading class — and sometimes a forklift. Write those as two different jobs in the first meeting.
A paper kilogram is not enough
Loading class, where goods enter, and how they are loaded matter more than the plate figure. Without those, two quotes cannot be compared.
Name the limits in the same meeting. This system is usually slower, it loads the shaft, and it does not replace a busy passenger lift. If you only move cartons now and then, a service car may be enough. If a vehicle rides, that is a car lift — not general freight.
Choosing a use
Freight or passenger — which fits your project?
If you move pallets, heavy carts, or industrial goods, freight is a serious option. If people and the lobby come first, look at a residential passenger lift on its own. Do not treat use as a drive: freight can be traction or hydraulic.
Use
Freight
Goods and heavy load; sometimes goods-only
Passenger
Moving people in lobby and floors
Cabin and doors
Freight
Wider, tough floor, bumpers
Passenger
Passenger comfort and people-sized doors
Shaft structure
Freight
Much heavier steel and rails
Passenger
Matched to passenger capacity
Speed and drive
Freight
Usually calmer; traction or hydraulic
Passenger
Matched to people traffic; usually traction
Read the table against the real load, not against which column looks “stronger.” A shop moving pallets between floors wants freight. The same building moving only residents is a passenger job. Do not park a service lift in the middle unless light goods and a normal door will do. A car lift is a different page.
Project path
From survey to freight elevator handover
A freight install does not start with cabin colour. First we see the real load, loading class, door width, goods path, shaft, and whether the drive is traction or hydraulic. Without those, two quotes cannot be compared.
- 01
Survey and load definition
Shaft survey, required door width, loading path, loading class, and a first call on traction vs hydraulic.
- 02
Design and quote
Execution drawings, shaft steel, freight cabin and doors, and a transparent phased quote.
- 03
Supply and installation
Rails and structure, wide doors, and rugged cabin; drive and controller wired per approved drawings.
- 04
Testing and handover
Safety and leveling tests under load, inspection prep, and a short operator briefing.
After the survey, drawings and a phased quote follow: design, supply, install, handover. Exact timing depends on shaft readiness and equipment lead time. We also coordinate loaded tests and the inspection path. Handover means the lift works and paperwork is moving — not just a cabin on rails.
How quotes are built
How is freight elevator pricing calculated?
There is no fixed freight price and no toman package. Two three-stop warehouses can get very different quotes; usually one has a narrower door and hand loading, the other a higher loading class, heavier steel, or a forklift path.
- Capacity and loading class
- Goods weight, pallets, and the loading method set the class — not one kilogram figure for every factory.
- Cabin size and bumpers
- A tough floor, bumper walls, and interior size for the pallet sit on the quote.
- Door width and type
- A wider door and a heavier operator cost more than a passenger door at the same stop count.
- Shaft steel and structure
- Freight rails and structure are a large share of cost — typically much heavier than a same-rise passenger lift.
- Drive system
- Rise and load pick traction or hydraulic; motor or power-unit brand then moves the number.
- Site access and loading path
- Moving heavy gear, existing vs new shaft, and the loading path change the number. Accurate quotes only after a survey.
We write the number after the survey. If you only heard a lump sum, ask whether shaft steel, landing doors, bumpers, and delivery are inside it. Ask for capacity with loading class — not only a kilogram on paper.
Common freight elevator questions
Before a site visit the same questions come back: what freight is, how it differs from passenger, whether a car lift is separate, hydraulic or traction, how many kilograms, price, and whether people may ride. Short answers are here; numbers and drawings come after the load is defined and the shaft is measured.
What is a freight elevator?
A freight elevator is designed to move goods and heavy loads. Cabin, doors, floor, and shaft structure are sized for cargo from the start — not passenger comfort. It is a use; the drive can be traction or hydraulic.
How does freight differ from a passenger elevator?
Passenger is for people: people-sized doors, comfort, and lobby traffic. Freight is for goods: wider doors, a tough floor and bumpers, heavier shaft steel, and usually lower speed. A service elevator — a rugged passenger car for carts — is not forklift-class freight.
How does freight differ from a car lift?
A car lift moves vehicles: platform size, clearances, and wheel loads. Freight moves goods, pallets, and carts. Do not swap them; capacity and structure differ. Car-lift details live on a separate page.
Is a freight elevator hydraulic or traction?
Neither is the freight type by itself. Freight is a use; the drive is chosen separately. Low rise and heavy load often point to hydraulic; taller travel usually to traction. We decide after the shaft survey and load definition.
How many kilograms is a freight elevator?
There is no universal kilogram for every project. The figure comes from goods weight, pallets, the loading method, and loading class. Do not lock a brochure number; capacity is set after that site is surveyed.
How much does a freight elevator cost?
There is no fixed price and no toman package. It depends on capacity and loading class, cabin size, doors, shaft steel, drive type, and site access. Atlas Asanbar Arsh gives a transparent quote after the survey.
Can people ride a freight elevator?
It depends on the project. Some freight cars are goods-only; some allow an attendant. We lock that with the use, inspection path, and contract for that job — we do not invent a code clause number here. At the survey, say whether goods travel alone or someone rides with them.
Related types
If a freight elevator is not the right fit
If the load is a vehicle, look at a car lift. If it is a stretcher, hospital. If you only move people, that is passenger — and taller travel is usually traction. Freight is a use; traction is a drive.
Car lift
A car lift moves vehicles between floors. Its platform, capacity, leveling, and safety are not those of a passenger elevator, and not those of a general freight goods lift. In Atlas work in Iran, hydraulic car lifts are common — jacks, rupture valves, and precise leveling. Atlas Asanbar Arsh designs and installs in Tehran, Karaj, and cities across northern Iran.
Hospital / stretcher elevator
A hospital or stretcher elevator is a building use, not a drive system. The cabin needs more depth and a wider door so a bed or stretcher plus an attendant can enter without a hard turn. Hydraulic or traction is chosen separately. Atlas Asanbar Arsh designs and installs in Tehran, Karaj, and cities across northern Iran.
Traction elevator
A traction elevator moves the cabin with steel ropes over a motor-driven sheave and a counterweight. It is the usual choice for mid-rise and high-rise buildings with heavier traffic. Atlas Asanbar Arsh designs and installs in Tehran, Karaj, and cities across northern Iran.
Related resources
Freight elevator guides and related services
Once freight use is clear, continue from here to installation, the elevator-types map, the car lift, or a site-visit request.
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