# What's that thing with wheels that you use to move heavy stuff? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 1, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844 "2004-03-01T03:02:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/1 "2004-03-01T03:02:52Z")
The thing with a small horizontal surface and a long vertical one with handles at the top, that you tip backwards so the heavy stuff rests on the vertical part, and roll around on two wheels. What’s that thing called? ---
**Author:** ![Kru-baby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6bbea6/32.png) [@Kru-baby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kru-baby)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/2 "2004-03-01T03:05:23Z")
hand truck ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/3 "2004-03-01T03:06:14Z")
Some people also call it a dolly. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/4 "2004-03-01T03:07:49Z")
A dolly? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/5 "2004-03-01T03:14:13Z")
Dolly or hand truck. ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/6 "2004-03-01T03:17:35Z")
Once in a while i’ll hear the term “hand cart.” Not that there’s anything particularly wrong with it, but i know what they mean. I personally prefer hand truck ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/7 "2004-03-01T03:20:59Z")
If you’re looking to rent one of these items for a moving task, ask for either a hand truck or an appliance truck-the latter being taller, with a belt for securing the load to the truck, and the best ones have accessory wheels allowing the load to be easily pushed while tilted back approximately 25°. The only other wheeled tool with a handle for moving heavy objects is a Johnson bar, but they are more for improving purchase before a bigger implement takes over. ---
**Author:** ![gluteus\_maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@gluteus\_maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gluteus_maximus)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/8 "2004-03-01T03:22:32Z")
A refrigerator dolly. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/9 "2004-03-01T03:22:59Z")
Huh, I’ve always called it a dolly but the Merriam-Webster [definition](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=dolly) limits “dolly” to a platform on wheels which is a little different. But, upon further investigation, [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=dolly) lists [hand truck](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=hand%20truck) as a possible definition so I guess it’s OK. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/10 "2004-03-01T03:25:31Z")
You dudes are awesome. Hand truck it is. FWIW, I’m pretty sure that “dolly” is restricted to a flat surface with four wheels. (Or else a specialized item like a camera dolly.) ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/11 "2004-03-01T03:34:55Z")
I’m still gonna call it a dolly, technically correct or not… ---
**Author:** ![gluteus\_maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@gluteus\_maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gluteus_maximus)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/12 "2004-03-01T03:39:37Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > Huh, I’ve always called it a dolly but the Merriam-Webster [definition](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=dolly) limits “dolly” to a platform on wheels which is a little different. > > But, upon further investigation, [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=dolly) lists [hand truck](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=hand%20truck) as a possible definition so I guess it’s OK. Just goes to show ya that those dictionary editors probably never did any heavy moving. ---
**Author:** ![gbrohman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3be4f8/32.png) [@gbrohman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gbrohman)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/13 "2004-03-01T04:32:31Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > The only other wheeled tool with a handle for moving heavy objects is a Johnson bar, but they are more for improving purchase before a bigger implement takes over. I always refereed a forward - reverse lever as a Johnson Bar. I looked it up and its also the heavy duty tool. But it dose go back to the steam engine reversing lever. [Ask.com - What's Your Question?](http://web.ask.com/redir?bpg=http%3a%2f%2fweb.ask.com%2fweb%3fq%3djohnson%2bbar%26o%3d8002%26page%3d1&q=johnson+bar&u=http%3a%2f%2ftm.wc.ask.com%2fr%3ft%3dan%26s%3da%26uid%3d24349bc454349bc45%26sid%3d34349bc454349bc45%26qid%3d8A3BA25FF78622448534748CD2A3A95D%26io%3d1%26sv%3dza5cb0db2%26o%3d8002%26ask%3djohnson%2bbar%26uip%3d4349bc45%26en%3dte%26eo%3d-100%26pt%3dSteam%2bengine%2bterminology%2band%2boperating%2bprinciples%26ac%3d10%26qs%3d0%26pg%3d1%26ep%3d1%26te_par%3d102%26te_id%3d%26u%3dhttp%3a%2f%2fwww.the-nerds.org%2fSteam-101.html&s=a&bu=http%3a%2f%2fwww.the-nerds.org%2fSteam-101.html&qte=0&o=8002) ---
**Author:** ![capnfutile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@capnfutile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capnfutile)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/14 "2004-03-01T05:38:59Z")
I called it a dolly until I moved to New Zealand, and people looked at me funny until they realized I meant a “sack bearer”. I never woulda figured that one out. Capn (who was almost killed by a “sack bearer”, a flight of stairs, and a very heavy display cabinet) ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/15 "2004-03-01T06:06:35Z")
I call it an appliance dolly, [Uhaul](http://www.uhaul.com/sri/) calls it an appliance dolly, and [Google Images](http://images.google.com/images?num=100&hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=appliance+dolly&sa=N&tab=wi) has lots of pictures of appliance dollies. The four wheeled one is a [movers dolly](http://images.google.com/images?num=100&hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=movers+dolly&sa=N&tab=wi). ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/16 "2004-03-01T06:07:23Z")
Dolly vs hand cart perhaps a regional thing? Everyone here calls it a dolly… Hand truck would get some weird looks. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/17 "2004-03-01T06:13:27Z")
Around here it is called an, " It." 1 “Hey Gus come over, I need help.” 2 “Hi there, what ya doin?” 1 “Gonna move this.” Pointing to heavy object like a refridgerator. 2 "Ok, just a sec while I go get ‘It’. " _Around here they are called “It.”_ ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/18 "2004-03-01T11:50:52Z")
here in da UK, it’s called a “sack barrow” ---
**Author:** ![gbrohman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3be4f8/32.png) [@gbrohman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gbrohman)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/19 "2004-03-01T12:07:04Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > here in da UK, it’s called a “sack barrow” The op referes to the one with … > [@pjd](#): > > The thing with a small horizontal surface and a long vertical one with handles at the top, The sack dolly rests at an angle and has a much larger freight shelf. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844/20 "2004-03-01T12:10:53Z")
> [@](#): > > I meant a “sack bearer” > [@](#): > > it’s called a “sack barrow” **capnfutile** , you might want to ask your associates to spell “bearer.” I have a sneaking suspicion that what they are calling it is a _barr’r_ in the manner that some Brit influenced dialects refer to a small brown bird as a “sparr’r.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-thing-with-wheels-that-you-use-to-move-heavy-stuff/231844.md?page=2)