Hi this might seem like a dumb question but i’m in need of some advice regarding the best way to load an artic. I’ve been driving artics for six weeks & most of the time i never have heavy loads. However i had a load on friday & i had to pick up 29 extremely heavy pallets. half the load had to be double stacked & i wasn’t sure about the best way to load it. I’ve heard that your not supposed to put too much wait at the front on the fith wheel. I ended up double stacking the load at the back end of the trailer over the rear axle, not sure if this was right or not. As i don’t know what the max weight over front axle is.
If anyone can give me some advice regarding this matter i would be most grateful. Once again sorry for asking such a dumb question!!!
Its not dumb question anymore. Most trucks these days run on six axles. As long as there is no danger of the load shooting forward always put the extra weight between the trailer axles & the truck axles if you know you are going to be maxed out. In the old days extra weight was kept on the front of the trailer to give max traction…Hope this helps. 
PS. Done any loads out of the studios yet.? I took the plane cabin that Brigit Jones 2 used from the Shep studio to FX on its way back to Hollywood. 
It really depends on what you mean by heavy if it’s over a tonne per pallet then double stacked up against the headboard would most likely overload your drive axle. In that case I’d double stack between the drive axle and trailer axles. Then make sure they are well strapped against forward and rear movement. Probally forget using the internal straps in a curtainsider and use spansets instead.
Another way of getting the weight back off the drive axle, especially if you only running a 2 axle unit at 40 tonnes is to stack the first 1 or 2 pallets one behind the other at the front then as normal down the rest of the trailer, but I’m sure the 26 standard 1 tonne pallets can go side by side down the trailer and not put the drive axle overweight on a 5 axle set-up.
It’s really difficult to think which way I’d do it untill I’m stood in front of the trailer and can see it for myself. It’s one of those things that comes with experience.
Sometimes you get lucky and find out the forklift drivers really understand how to load trailers and they’ll show the best way to put the load on and strap it, but sadly there and plenty more who just want you out of the yard so they can get onto tea break.
P.S. this is not a dumb question. 
muckles:
Probally forget using the internal straps in a curtainsider and use spansets instead.
Another silly question: What are spansets?
Well i drive this truck
two axles on trailer & single on the unit & we dont have any straps either in trailer or elsewhere that we can use!!
pedroski:
muckles:
Probally forget using the internal straps in a curtainsider and use spansets instead.Another silly question: What are spansets?
Sorry 
Trade and slang name for rachet Straps, better than those silly straps they put in trailers.
I’d guess trucks drive axle is rated to 11.5 tonnes and trailers bogie is probably rated at either 18 or 20 tonnes which makes GVW to either 36 or 38 tonnes. Rough approximation is that tractor unit has about 2 tonnes on drive axle without trailer, and trailer might weight 6 or 7 tonnes with 2 tonnes of that weight on fifth wheel.
As fifth wheel usually is in front of drive axle, you can quite safely put 8 tonnes on fifth wheel. In reality with one tonne pallets this means you can safely put four two pallet rows behind each other from headboard. This makes them to be quite evenly in front of and behind of kingpin so they “negate” each others effects, so now whole weight is “directly” on fifth wheel. When continuing with this same way, distribute rest of the load evenly without double stacking so that even amounts of weight comes in front and behind “middle axle” (in your case it’s in the middle of those two axles). When this is completed put rest of pallets on top of others so that their “center of gravity” is closer to trailers bogie than drive axle.
You can also think loading if you know how long your trailer is, and you know what size pallets you will be loading. Let’s say you have 12 meter long trailer, and will be loading 29 EUR-pallets wich dimensions are 120x80 cm so you can have 10 behind one another and three in a row if you wish making loading capacity to be 30 pallets without stacking. Those pallets probably aren’t one tonne pallets as then you’d clearly be overweight. In this case I’d might put 12 first pallets three in a row from headboard, then two in row, and then rest of pallets three side by side to the back of the trailer.
If pallets are different size, lets say 120x100 cm, then you could put 24 pallets in “first floor” and rest somewhere in (front) of trailer trailers bogie.
But just like muckles said, it’s diffucult to say how load should be made before you are really doing it, and knowhow only comes by experience. Usually that also involves doing something wrong before realizing it was wrong way to do that load
I hope this is any help to you if (when ) you encounter similar situations in future. I tend to use this kind of thinking as a rough rule of thumb if I dont have any clue what are axle weights etc or if I have light load of heavy pallets (lets say 15 pallets with each weighing 1.5 tonnes). Just distribute weight evenly on both sides of drive axle or bogie.
I also hope I didn’t write any big lgoical inconsistencies writing this after having a good time with my friends in sauna.
Excuse me for being a complete idiot but what do you mean by bogie?!!!
Also thanks for advice
go on to the useful links post there are some sites
that deal with load lashing --loadrestrainant.
also look at the HSE site they should heve
some tips as well, WHEN you double stack
you must ensure that NO MOVEMENT at all
is possible for the load either frontwards,
sideways,and also to the rear,IN gérmany
we use ANTI-SKID mats to help reduce
movement,as well,they do work very good,
tyler4164:
Excuse me for being a complete idiot but what do you mean by bogie?!!!
Also thanks for advice
bogie is the running gear upon which the vehicle/trailer/train/whatever sits. Its more often refered to with regard to train rolling stock, but is also correct in this instance.
In other words the “bogie” is the axle(s)+suspension+wheels set up upon which the trailer itself rides.
I’m sure you’ve seen the numerous old artic trailers parked in strategic (& soon to be removed?) positions in fields next to the motorways. How do you think they got there? Not usually towed by a tractive unit (likely to get stuck in a field) but by a farm tractor towing a 5th wheel bogie. i.e. a small trailer on one, or more usually 2, axles with a 5th wheel on top. A good example of a bogie.
I would imagine that the gross weight would be 35 tonnes at most. The UK has lower weight allowances than Scandinavia. More likely it’s 28 tonnes for tax purposes.
You’ll probably find the rear axles are 8 tonners and the drive either 10, 10.5 or thereabouts. Load as was suggested by Kyrbo and you won’t go far wrong.
Easier here. We have a tandem bogie on the drive axles of 34000lbs (15.5 tonnes) and the same on the trailer. Because of the length of the units, loads don’t affect the front axle too much so you tend to load just behind the centre of the trailer so it is slightly more to the trailer bogie than the drives. 47000lbs (21 tonnes) sees it about right for the US. 36 tonnes is about your lot.
UK gross weight limits
5 axles 40 tonne
6 axles 44 tonne
Safest rule of thumb without being on the spot is - after you have loaded the bottom layer start doubling up over the rearmost axle on the trailer and work towards the front. I realise that this advice stems from the days of 2 axle units but I’m sure the principle still holds good.
Muckles:
Sorry Trade and slang name for rachet Straps, better than those silly straps they put in trailers.
I always thought that Spansets were not ratchet straps but those over-centre buckles. You pulled the strap through as tight as possible then levered the buckle over 'till it snapped shut, making the strap bar tight. I bought some when they first came out and got a sprained wrist for my trouble when the thing went sideways as I forced it over. Soon bought some ratchets .
Spardo:
Muckles:
Sorry Trade and slang name for rachet Straps, better than those silly straps they put in trailers.I always thought that Spansets were not ratchet straps but those over-centre buckles. You pulled the strap through as tight as possible then levered the buckle over 'till it snapped shut, making the strap bar tight. I bought some when they first came out and got a sprained wrist for my trouble when the thing went sideways as I forced it over. Soon bought some ratchets
I got the picture off the Spanset web-site, but they seemed to do alsorts of straps, so probally do the one’s you describe, they sound like the things they put in cutainsider trailers for load security, ok for basic pallet’s but can’t beat a rachet strap for get loads really secure.
HAVE A LOOK AT THIS LINK it has a english
site as well ,that link is on the left of the site
So am i right in thinking that for heavy loads most of the weight should be positioned between the drive axle & the bogie?
Also i should be strapping the load even though we are not supplied with any sort of straps. I’ve often thought the loads should be strapped & find myself getting paranoid while driving along thinking i’m gonna lose the load out the side of the trailer!! 
Think i should speak to boss regarding this matter!!
When getting near full weight you need to position the weight to get the best distribution across all the axles. therefore if you put the bulk over one axle that axle carries most of the weight and can be over loaded. Not only is this a problem legally, but I find trucks seem to drive better with an even spread of weight.
When I did coils of steel each pallet weight over 7 tonnes and when loading you had to spread the pallets down the trailer. One near the headboard, one in the middle and the last one over the trailer axles.
As for strapping in a curtainsider, it really depends on the load. Well stacked and wrapped pallets are unlikey to move if they are against the curtains and anoter pallet, but I think I’d always have a strap over double stacked pallets to stop front and rear movement at the very least.
Anything large that would go straight through a curtain, then yes strap it.
I think have a few straps is always usefull, even if it’s just to strap bit of the truck back on.
So what type of things are you carrying?
Hi, Question about curtainsides. When you tip somewhere and are
empty can you fold and secure the curtain at the front of trailer while you
go to reload, or have to unfold it and strap it all down again ?
charles
close the curtains and strap them up, shouldn’t ever really run with them open as they form a stress member of the trailer. Although when windy it sometimes better to risk losing the roof and not having the trialer blow over by taking thme to the back opening the rear doors and strapping them all.
In truth it doesn’t really take long to close curtains.
Thanks for reply Muckles, I’ve seen a few curtainsides over here but
not seen one up close
charles