Goods transportation vehicle with a lifting platform

The vehicle, having a load-carrying floor (4) mounted on a chassis (20), is equipped with a loading platform (26) that can be moved between an upper position flush with the floor and a lower one on the ground. In the upper position the platform fits into a side recess (22) in the vehicle floor, and it is lowered and raised by at least one pair of levers (28) forming an articulated parallelogram mechanism that moves the platform outwards as it is lowered. The platform can be controlled by a power cylinder (60) or a pulley and cable system.