Lots of much easier ways to deal with fuel rather than hand lifting 5 gallon containers. 35-55 gallon drums in either plastic or metal are common solutions combined with a hand pump / electric pumps with water absorbing filters. I found many 100 gallon steel tanks for sale 5 or 6 years ago including DC pumps so that is what I bought and am using. I also picked up a free 275 gallon TOTE tank that I use as spare reservoir to hold the required 150 gallons of fuel purchase in order for my local distributor to home deliver. Since diesel will not go bad for years as long as water isn't present, I don't have a problem with storage of that amount. I don't use as much fuel now as I once did and 100 gallons lasts me all year.
As for refilling 55 gallon drums and unloading them, I used to unload many drums while in the army and the method was a single ramp centered on the drum and then just rolled off the truck, if possible, into some soft sand to stop it's momentum. You really don't need a pallet, pallet forks and FEL to get them off a truck if you don't have that available.
We used an outside storage upright gravity feed tank on the farm which is about the cheapest solution if you don't mind outside storage. Water will accumulate in this type of storage tank and has to be drained off occasionally. It wasn't a problem with the high sulfur fuels back 50 years ago, but may require a biocide additive in todays ultra-low sulfur fuels if you want to use that type.