Parts of a Dolly – Hand Truck, Appliance and Platform

All 10 parts on the diagram

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Hand truck 4

Toe plate The load rests on it. It lies flat on the floor when the hand truck stands upright. Also called the nose plate or base plate.
Handle You pull back on it to tip the load onto the wheels. This one is a single loop; others have two grips.
Frame Two side rails joined by cross straps, often of steel or aluminum.
Wheels Tipped back, the whole load balances over them. Tires are solid rubber or air-filled.

Appliance dolly 3

Strap (belt) It goes round the appliance and holds it against the frame.
Belt tightener It pulls the strap tight. Some are ratchets and some are wound by hand.
Stair climbers Belts on the back of the frame. Used for taking a load up or down stairs.

Platform dolly 3

Platform (deck) A flat bed on a frame, of wood, steel or plastic.
Swivel casters A swivel joint above the fork lets the wheel turn right round. It can then roll in any direction.
Rigid casters The fork is fixed, so the wheel rolls along a straight line.

How this list was compiled: Part names checked on 2026-09-30, a name kept only when two independent sources use it. (1) Wikipedia, Hand truck (handles, wheels, ledge, toe or nose, toe plate, frame, side rails, stair climber wheels, tires), Flatbed trolley (flat platform, casters, handle; without a handle a dolly) and Caster (rigid caster, swivel caster). (2) Milwaukee Hand Trucks product pages, https://www.milwaukeehandtrucks.com/d-handle-hand-trucks/ , https://www.milwaukeehandtrucks.com/appliance-hand-trucks/ and https://www.milwaukeehandtrucks.com/platform-hand-trucks/ (handle, toe plate and nose plate, wheels and tires, stair climbers, straps and belts, ratchet belt tightener, deck, swivel and rigid casters). (3) Harper Trucks product pages, https://harpertrucks.com/product-category/industrial-trucks/ and https://harpertrucks.com/product-category/appliance-trucks/ (handle, frame, base plate, back straps, stair glides, belt, belt tightener, stair crawlers, wheels). Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's product, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

Dolly is a name for more than one thing. Most often it means the hand truck, an upright cart on two wheels. It also means the taller appliance dolly and the flat platform dolly on four casters. Each view is one of them.

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Three dollies, one name

The first view is a hand truck from the front and from the side. The second is an appliance dolly with a load drawn in dashes: a strap goes round the load, a belt tightener pulls it tight, and stair climbers on the back help on steps. The third is a platform dolly. Its swivel casters can turn to roll any way; its rigid casters roll straight only.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a dolly called?

On a hand truck, the two-wheeled dolly: the handle, the frame, the toe plate the load sits on, and the wheels. An appliance dolly adds a strap, a belt tightener and stair climbers. A platform dolly is a flat platform on casters.

What is the bottom of a dolly called?

The toe plate, also called the nose plate or base plate. It is the ledge that slides under the load, and it lies flat on the floor when the hand truck stands upright.

What is the difference between a dolly and a hand truck?

A hand truck is the upright, L-shaped cart on two wheels, and many people call it a dolly. A platform dolly is a flat platform on four casters; with a handle it is also called a platform truck.

How does a hand truck work?

Tilt the load forward, slide the toe plate under it, and let the load rest back. Then tip the truck back until the weight balances over the wheels. It works as a lever.