How come NO ONE talks about the importance of weight scales?

Xcis: your little formula is handy, but it doesn't help matters, in the sense it doesn't help you understand the physics of load balance. Yeah, PHYSICS. That thing everyone thinks you'll never use after school. Understanding the concept of what happens when you place weight at different points in the trailer in relation to what it does to your axle weights will allow you to learn how to load to avoid the out of balance scenarios. Having that formula tell you which way to slide is great, as long as you understand why you're sliding.

I don't have time to do it now, at some point I'll do a thread on load balance. But please don't rely on formulas, as it will bite you in the ### as jlkklj pointed out. Much like the rote parking maneuvers the schools use; they work, but only under certain controlled circumstances; and do nothing to teach you how to back because you're not learning how the actions you're taking are effecting the turning motion of the rig. So a slight alteration of circumstance voids the usefulness of the tool, which is set for certain parameters.

jlkklj: I once saw a load of preloaded peanut butter doubled in the nose. (It's been too many years, but I think PB is a 17 pallet load.) They insisted I go scale it. Seems it was 42K or so on the drives. Which I tried to tell dispatch it would be before I left the yard with it. They wanted to know if I could get it delivered (ATL to DFW) on time. They balked at first, but did agree to a nice bonus (just about doubled my pay) for getting it there. Made 'em give it to me on a comchek, too! Wasn't going to have any of this "What bonus?" stuff come payday after the pain in the ### of dodging all those scales!

 

I wanna throw in a quick question...when a shipper ask you how do you want it to be loaded what will be a smart answer. was caught off guard today by a shipper when he asked me.

 

tell them to load it like a 48'. If you have super singles on your tractor and you know the load will be heavy make sure they start with 2 pallets in the nose NOT 1.




American Trucker

 

I always did a double in the nose. My first otr job (JMI) we didn't have sliders, and a single left you light up front.

Just figure on 11 rows of pallets and divide them up so there's one more pallet in row 7-11 than in rows 1-5. 20 pallets single row 2&6, 19 single row 2,5,7, 18 would be 2,4,6,8... etc.

edited to add: this is for reefers, vans can normally evenly split the weight at row 6

 

The right way

 

As far as a private school goes, I disagree... The school I went to was straight forward, and said that their goal was to get me to the point where I could pass the state test. Once I got my CDL, their job was completed. Their goal is for you to earn your CDL. You can't truly learn to be a truck driver until you start hauling loads.

In fact, I don't think there was anything on the state test about weight distribution. Which would make sense why private school don't teach it.

 

I totally agree, it's the job of the hiring carrier to train you. The schools job ends when you get that class A CDL. I went to C1 in Indianapolis, they made this very clear from day one. It's the carriers that are dropping the ball here because in way too many cases its very inexperienced drivers training.

 

thats by far the dumbest thing i've ever heard. Its a SCHOOLS job to teach, and an Employers job to PAY YOU.....nothing more nothing less. 99% of these "schools" are owned and operated by idiots.....



American Trucker

 

I agree with you but a carrier shouldn't let people on the road without knowing their drivers understand the issues in regard to scaling and loading...Unless they're expecting the trainer to handle that...

 

The average school lasts 3 weeks. There is no way to teach you all you need to know in that time. The system simply is not set up that way.