Moving away from traditional loading platforms

CantiDeck-style loading bays are those big steel trays bolted to the edge of a building slab.

They’re built for loading heavy materials with a crane. This includes items like cladding panels, formwork, and bathroom pods. They’ve been around forever, and they’re solid for certain jobs, but they come with some serious downsides:

• Space hogs. They eat up valuable floor space inside, which is a nightmare when you’re trying to keep a site functional.
• Crane nightmares. You need a crane and a trained crew to set them up, move them, or take them down—good luck if the crane’s booked out.
• Pricey. Hire prices range from £220 to £250 a week, which is quite reasonable! But remember, this doesn’t include crane fees, engineer inspections, and transport costs.

Overkill for lighter work. If you’re doing internal fit-out or moving pallets, they’re often much more than you need.

The alternative, Liftroller Floor

The Liftroller Floor system excels in areas where traditional loading platforms struggle.

• No crane required – you wheel it into place by hand in minutes.
• Minimal footprint – it doesn’t eat into your working area.
• Zero faff – no crane relocation time needed, no call-outs, no crew waiting around.
• Easy to move. Need it on another floor? Roll it to another area or dismantle it by hand and move it by hand to a different floor.
• Very flexible – People have used it in lift shafts, through windows, and on narrow floors in tight city sites.

Where Liftroller really shines

1. Open lift shafts – Dropped pallets right into lift cores. This saves valuable space in foyers or corridors.
2. City centre sites – On sites with limited access and tight spaces, Liftroller ensures the job stays on track.
3. Many floors – Instead of craning one platform up and down, we’ll drop one unit per key floor and crack on. That alone saves hours each week.
4. Internal logistics – Once the building is enclosed, CantiDeck-style platforms lose their usefulness. Liftroller stays useful from the structural stage through to finishing.

Here are the use cases where Liftroller has made a real difference:

1. Open lift shafts – Dropped pallets right into lift cores. This saves valuable space in foyers or corridors.
2. City centre sites – On sites with limited access and tight spaces, Liftroller ensures the job stays on track.
3. Many floors – Instead of craning one platform up and down, we’ll drop one unit per key floor and crack on. That alone saves hours each week.
4. Internal logistics – Once the building is enclosed, CantiDeck-style platforms lose their usefulness. Liftroller stays useful from the structural stage through to finishing

How does a Liftroller Floor stack up?

When to Pick Each Option

CantiDeck-style platforms still have their moments.

They’re best when:

• You’re lifting massive loads like 3-ton concrete pods or huge curtain wall sections.
• You’ve got a tower crane on standby and plenty of time to use it.
• The job’s focused on early structural phases.

But Liftroller Floor is the clear winner for:

• Moving palletised goods, M&E kits, or interior finishes to upper floors.
• Jobs with limited crane access or tight schedules.
• Urban sites where space is at a premium and neighbours are already grumbling about noise

Final Words

CantiDeck-style platforms are not outdated. They are still useful for heavy structural lifts early in the programme. But for 80% of what contractors do, they’re more of a hassle than they are worth.

Liftroller Floor is designed for how sites will operate in 2025. It’s faster, leaner, less dependent on cranes, and simpler for the team to handle.

If you’re still struggling with Traditional Loading Platforms for fit-out and M&E jobs, it could be time to reconsider your method. The construction game’s changed. Our equipment should too.