Distributing weight properly

Discussion in 'Questions To Truckers From The General Public' started by babycody, Nov 1, 2008.

  1. babycody

    babycody Bobtail Member

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    Hello everyone. I am the guy who loads the trucks. Sometimes I load the truck to heavy on the front or rear. 1)Can anyone give me some pointers on how to properly divide the weight between the front and rear? I usually try to make the nose lighter. What amount of weight should be on the nose and the tail? 2)Does anyone know of any cheap or open source software that helps you plan how you are going to distribute the load? I hate to see a truck have to come back because they weigh too much. With heavy tractors, reefers, California loads, and 48 foot trailers it can get complicated at times. I really want to understand this so I can do my job better.
     
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  3. Otter

    Otter Light Load Member

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    Baack Thanks this.
  4. Ducks

    Ducks "Token Four-Wheeler"

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    Thanks for posting your question, babycody. I think the drivers here will appreciate your efforts in helping them do their own jobs safer and more efficiently. I'm not a driver, but I would imagine that drivers find reloading as frustrating as you do... and those here on the board will no doubt help you find reliable information and provide you with tips on how to get the job done right the first time.

    Good post!
     
    AfterShock Thanks this.
  5. babycody

    babycody Bobtail Member

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    Thank you for the diagram. The pallet weight for our products vary. Some of the 48"x40" pallets can exceed 2,000 lbs. What amount of weight should I put toward the front as opposed to the rear. I usually try to load the nose with a single pallet on heavy loads, but have been wondering what the limit is. I don't always have the option of singling the nose. If I know how much weight I should not exceed then I can use the BOL to determine the pallets best suited for each half of the trailer. It's hard to spread the weight when you don't have a target number for each half.
     
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2008
  6. babycody

    babycody Bobtail Member

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    I use to drive a van, and while it wasn't the job for me, I did gain a lot of respect for the job drivers do. Every minute of their time I waste is a minute less they might get to sleep. Some dispatchers can be slave drivers, and don't care about how much sleep you get. We pay detention time after 2 hours, but who wants to wait around that long. Plus it makes all the other drivers have to wait, because we have to reload someone. I want drivers to enjoy getting loaded at our plant.
     
  7. jedi_tev

    jedi_tev Light Load Member

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    Where's your plant at? What do you guys ship?
     
  8. babycody

    babycody Bobtail Member

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    We ship fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides out of Eatonton, GA. The fertilizer is usually the culprit when a truck is over weight.
     
  9. dockthumper

    dockthumper Light Load Member

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    You load vans, flats or both?
     
  10. Otter

    Otter Light Load Member

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    Do NOT exceed 1000 pounds per foot of trailer, if you have pallets that are over 2000 pounds each, and you place them side by side you will go over 1000 pounds per foot. So you need to single some of the pallets. 44,000 pounds should be loaded to a minimum of 44 feet. If your pallets are 2500 pounds each, and you load them double, single, double, single, double, single, double, single, double, single, double. You've loaded 17 pallets, 42,500 pounds to 44 feet.
     
    babycody, panhandlepat and Etosha Thank this.
  11. dancnoone

    dancnoone "Village Idiot"

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    First...thanks for caring. It helps tremendously.

    You need to ask the driver. Especially if you load mixed boxes. IE reefer, container, dry van.

    You can't use the same load pattern, for every box that comes in...even if they are all 53 footers. But you can use 2 basic patterns. It depends on the trailer.

    There is a third pattern. But it's used primarily on beer/soft drink loads. And not useful for you, as it involves bracing an empty space on the nose of the trailer, and doubling the rows back to the 48 ft mark..

    And while you can't always single the nose out, some shippers won't allow it. A driver that has been pulling a reefer long enough, can tell you whether he can handle side by side in the nose...or not. Most companies use only one brand of reefer unit and trailer. Some are mixed, not many.

    Not all pins are set at the same depth on the trailer, not all trucks have sliding 5th wheels.

    Your biggest issue, is GA bridge law, along with CA bridge law if the load is going that way. So equal distribution is essential.

    22 pallets (44K lbs) of fertilizer can be singled out in the nose. With a single on the tail hitting the 48 ft mark.

    Or, doubled in the nose. And 2 singles spread within the set, with a set of side by sides hitting the 48 ft mark. Again, it depends on the trailer and it's set up. and the experience level of the driver with his current equipment.

    Always ask the driver, if you're not sure. If he is experienced enough, he will know. Of course, if he's a rookie, you're both lost ;)

    Load shifting shouldn't be an issue for an experienced driver. And an experienced driver, isn't going to allow you to stick 11 pallets weighing 2k each on the nose of his trailer. He'll have you run them down the length.

    One of the biggest loading issues I have witnessed, Containers. They're simply a pain in the ### to begin with. You'd be amazed at how many people think putting 45k in a 20 ft box...isn't a big deal.

    Since you work with variable load weights all the time.
    Keep notes on loads and trailers. Wood floors, aluminum floors, wood/aluminum mix? Reefer or dry van? With the help of a few experienced drivers, within a couple of weeks, you'll have a system that works on 98%, if not all trailers.
     
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