Good question, and often an area of misunderstanding. According to the rules/guidelines established by the NMFTA (I think the acronym is correct), participating carriers (and these would be your regular players like Yellow, Roadway, etc.) are responsible only to bring the freight to the end of the trailer, where you are responsible for off-loading, by whatever means you may have. Additional charges will be assessed for lift gates, inside delivery, and the like.

Now, theory and practice are sometimes grotesquely different, and this is one reason to always *repeat* always be kind to drivers, because a ticked-off driver won't do anything more than he is responsible for, and there's not much a small client can do about it. That being said, some drivers will unload for you, and some won't touch the freight at all.

I suggest talking to your trucking company sales rep first, to get a feel for what they're willing to do. If it's just an occasional thing, maybe a neighbor can lend a pallet jack or lift truck or even "cross-dock" for you. If you're going to be shipping / receiving daily, at least a good used electric pallet jack would be in order.

Remember, when dealing in forklifts, you're basically dealing in a vehicle, so exercise the same care you would in buying a car for yourself. If the budget calls for used, so be it, but get a third party mechanic to check it out. Also, LP lifts will emit exhaust that will cause you health problems (headaches, etc) in small warehouses with low ceilings. Alternately, a small electric may not provide enough power.