A hoist assembly having a winch with a motor, a boom that rotates upward and downward, and a boom support cable which prevents the boom from rotating downwards below a desired level. The boom support cable is connected to an adjustment bar which adjusts the length of the boom support cable to fix the boom position at a desired angle. Alternatively, a boom hook can be used to fix the boom position at a desired angle. The winch and boom are attached at a front end of a cargo receiving area of a vehicle and are constructed to retrieve a load to the vehicle, lift the load, and place the load into the cargo receiving area. The winch is constructed to lift both the load and the boom simultaneously.