How much weight can a trailer door support before popping open?

Actually if the OP opened the door, I think that would appear on "1,000 ways to die".

 

I guess this is the part where I tell you how much of an idiot I feel like...

After sitting for 4 hours, SWIFT got autthourization from consignee to break the seal.
A guy in a pickup for a wrecker company showed up to take a look. He just popped it open, not a care in the world.

The load did not shift. The load was not pushing the doors open.

I could see the load thru the gap in the doors, but that is how it was loaded. ALL the way to the doors... touching the doors.

Turns out that sometime, somewhere, this door was subjected to enough force pushing it outward that it bent.
The other driver knew about it. He picked the load up, live load, and shut the doors. Why he didnt mention it to me, I have no clue. It would have saved a lot of people a lot of time.

 

Don't feel bad. It did not look right, so you covered your butt. Better safe than sorry.

 

That's the best policy to have out there being a driver. I have picked up delay loads that didn't have a closed trailer door on the top, but I just ran with it. When I got to the shipper, I opened the door slowly and stood away from the trailer. You would think your fellow company driver secured the load like policy and training states, but you'll be surprised.

 

You are never an idiot when you chose to err on the side of safety. You had no idea what was going on inside that trailer. You did the right thing. Period. You just keep listening to your good instincts and common sense, and you'll be fine out here.:smt023