Exhibition forklift work and official logistics orders

Part 1. Exhibitor logistics and load-in lead

“Hiring a machine and driver does not grant permission to work. Confirm venue rules and the authorised operator first.”

• Confirm the authorised operator: Check the venue’s technical guidelines for who may operate forklifts, cranes and other lifting equipment. Messe Frankfurt’s 2026 guidelines do not permit exhibitors to operate their own lifting equipment and assign the work to the venue and its designated logistics partners. Hiring a machine and driver does not grant operating authority; establish the official provider and ordering process before confirming transport.
• Separate transport and on-site responsibilities: Agree with the carrier and official logistics provider who handles off-site transport, truck unloading, movement to the stand and final placement, and reflect the boundaries in the quotes.
• Recheck terms and applicable rates: Check whether the official order form references rates or terms from an earlier year. A link on an official page does not establish that those conditions are current. Obtain and retain written confirmation of the actual rates, terms and schedule-change procedure from the logistics provider.
• Do not generalise one venue’s rules: Do not apply a German venue’s requirements as a common rule or legal standard for all Korean venues. Check the current technical guidelines, designated logistics provider and order manual for each event and venue.

Part 2. Stand construction and freight management

“Weight alone does not determine the equipment. Review packaging and floor loading first.”

• Provide freight specifications and placement: Before the quote and job review, give the official logistics provider the packed freight’s measured weight, external length, width and height, quantity, and exact final position in the stand.
• Review fork handling and the route: Ask the provider whether the packaged freight can be handled by forklift forks and whether corridor widths and hall floor-loading limits require review. Have the provider determine suitable equipment and lifting capacity from the specifications; do not select a machine from weight alone.
• Check heavy-freight conditions against the actual goods: Confirm whether the venue requires prior floor-load consultation or restricts certain heavy crates. Before packing is complete, compare the submitted packing drawing or photographs with the condition in which the goods will arrive.
• Separate storage options from the job: A lifting order form may also offer empty-container handling or goods storage. Decide separately whether those services are needed and do not add unnecessary options to the order.

Part 3. On-site transport and driver handover

“A job order does not guarantee immediate vehicle entry. Hand over the logistics number and check-in procedure separately.”

• Check the event deadline and logistics number: Messe Frankfurt’s direct-unloading instructions request an early order, no later than the day before truck arrival. Check the actual event’s deadline rather than applying it elsewhere. Where a logistics number is issued in the confirmation, enter it accurately on the required shipping documents.
• Separate vehicle check-in from the job order: Ordering forklift work does not replace vehicle registration, check-in or permission to enter. Give the driver the event’s check-in sequence, entry and gate-allocation procedure, and on-site contact as well as the order number.
• Share the meeting point and arrival notice: Give the driver the stand number or agreed official meeting point in advance. Explain whom to notify on arrival after entry according to the event’s instructions.
• Allow for timing changes and record completion: An agreed job time can be approximate and may change with build-up or dismantling conditions. Maintain contact with the driver and logistics team. Retain the provider-confirmed work, meeting point, vehicle outcome and unresolved conditions in the handover record.

Use the form for the next handover

Use the [Official lifting job and vehicle handover](/en/templates/official-lifting-job.html) for the records described here. The XLSX contains Blank, Example and Instructions sheets. Write your event in Blank; the fictional example is a guide to what to enter.

Send actual packed-cargo details to the official handler. Track the work order/logistics number separately from vehicle entry.

Logistics gives the driver order, check-in, meeting and contact details. The site owner receives actual work records and outstanding conditions.

Final check before use: Before exhibition forklift handling and load-in, cross-check the official provider’s authority, freight specifications and floor-load review, vehicle check-in and meeting point.