loads shifting causing overwieght ticket

Only one guy died in that.

 

You probably did enough hard breaking to cause the load to shift. If you scaled the load prior to this discovery there can be no other reason. You're going to have to learn how to maintain a speed when approaching lights that will allow you to safely stop without a shifting of the freight or accelerate through that light without incurring a violation or collision.

Most of us after getting more confident with operating a rig tend to become a little more heavy on the hammer and we become more interested in keeping up with the trucks around us. Many, many years ago, I picked up a load of wrecking bars that appeared to be banded to the pallets. I was in Youngstown, Ohio and I was in a hurry to pick up my preloaded trailer and start heading back to the west. I made a quick look inside the trailer, closed the doors and off I went. If I had been a little more observant, I would have noticed that they were securely banded but not to the pallets. I was heavy on the hammer back in those days which meant I had to be heavy on the brakes too. When I got to the chicken house near Quad Cities before entering Iowa, I crossed over the scale and I was shocked to learn that I was way over on my drives.

I had to get it right before I was given an ok to proceed down the road. After 2 slides of the trailer tandems, the 2nd being slid all the way forward I was still nearly 2,000 over on my drives. I had no choice but to go to the front of the trailer and start grabbing wrecking bars and start carrying them to the rear of the trailer. It took me about 3 times rolling across the scale before I had a green light.

Word from the wise: Truck driving is a thinking job. When you quit thinking, that's when you're going to get yourself into trouble.

 

Drivers do it all the time. Everyone is in a hurry these days following way too close, driving too fast for conditions and truck drivers are no exception. I've seen drivers carrying loads that have the potential to shift; Beer is a good example. They are flying around curves and suddenly have to hit the breaks pretty good and the damage is done. Now they get to roll down the road with a crooked trailer looking like an idiot. LOL

Truck driving is a thinking job.
When you quit thinking, that's when you're going to get yourself into trouble.

 

Congrats,

you'll be a much better driver for it !!

 

You see, you're learning aren't you? You will have many experiences in your career and one day you will have many truck driving stories to tell like the rest of us. Best Wishes.