Can anyone give me some advice on how your load should be after another night of having my load put in truck badly!!
I checked the load prior to going out and all palletts looked fine mostly crisps coffee etc the ones I could see !!!
Going down the road could hear a scraping sound so stopped the truck got out looked all round and could not see anything untoward no flat tyres etc truck looked fine, now i am very new to driving a truck and could not fathom out the problem , by the time i got to destination i was going out of my mind finally got the fork lift driver to drive round the yard with me and the mud flap was scrapping on front wheel when finally got all palletts out the loaders had put all the weight on front where I could not see and being as inexpeirenced as I am i missed everything that should have alerted me to this , i could of got into trouble if stopped and after my prev thread on overloading I do check dilagently now for anything unusual with regards to overloading I dont know how I missed this and am very embarressed , anyone out there that can give me some advice on how to look at load in laymens terms please would be really appreciated , Im just sick of being so new and inexperienced and need to learn this before I do somoeone some damage !!!
Jx
Keep the heavy items low and spread your load evenly. If the front seems abit heavy you can put some weight at the back on the overhang part and this will lift some weight off the front axle. Do you know how much each pallet weighs?
no this is the thing they have no scales but most of it food so surely the loaders have some idea ? just want some pointers as to how to look at load and assess for my own piece of mind really im sure experience has everything to do with it but was hoping if had some way of understanding better i dont know ■■?
jx
Jennie, first thing to remember is that if the individual pallet weights are unknown, then its difficult to plan a load at all. If there is no one to do this at your loading point then the chances are that you will end up with a bad 'un as most forkies couldn’t care less anyway. You need to try and become accustomed to the approx weights of the pallets (if you get the same all the time) ie, a pallet of crisps will usually weigh less than a pallet of tinned food, a pallet of loo rolls will weigh less than a pallet of drinks and so on.
Its difficult and I know you probably don’t want to get a reputation as a moaner, but it’s your responsibility to make sure that the load is safe to travel and there’s nothing wrong with getting bits moved about if your not happy. As a tip, try looking at your vehicle from different angles, for example stand at the back and see if your off side mudflap is the same distance from the ground as the near side one, ie is it leaning over? If when you start it up and its struggling to self level, is there too much weight over the drive?
Also, talk to other drivers there, see if they have similar problems, it would not be the first time that a truck has been deliberately loaded poorly by some backward doughnut who thinks that “Bloody women shouldn’t be driving lorries anyway” in an attempt to unsettle you. Its not nice but I know of at least 2 instances where this has been the case, all because of a couple of egos have been involved.
Basically, stand your ground if your not happy with a load, remember, when its all laying in the road on a roundabout, you’ll wish that you had moved that couple of pallets. Good luck, stick at it and eventually it will all become second nature 
Thanks Mr Happy
This is the 3rd time its happened and i missed it the other night, as its happened before i do look more closely at how the lorry is looking i think what happened the other night whilst was standing may of not been on level ground so will now go to another part of yard to do my checks hopefully will see better just gotta be more dilagent, thanks again
Jen x
Is there any chance you could observe the loading procedure? If your not happy with it get them to tip and reload until you are. They’ll soon get the message. It’s not any harder to load correctly. I would consider creating a paper/email trail as this is happening regularly. In the event of an accident attributable to poor loading it might give you some leverage.
.
No problem, just remember that its harder to keep your licence than it was to get it, so treat it with care, we ALL come unstuck occasionally, anyone who tells you they don’t, regardless of their experience is probably another B.S. merchant and there’s plenty of them about.
By the way, are you present when the truck is loaded or do you turn up to a pre loaded vehicle? Its always better if you can supervise the loading yourself if possible.
As I said don’t be put off by anyone, especially forkies, they’re the first ones to refuse to lift a pallet that “Looks well dodgy” and whatever you do don’t ever say “Ok i’ll take it this one time” do it once and it will be held against you for ever more.
Anyway, chin up, it will all come together eventually, nobody becomes an expert overnight, i’ve been at it 20 years and still try to learn something every day! 
Do you get detailed information on the delivery notes or are they sealed inside the box?
You could maybe glean some information from that, 4 pallets of beans and sausages at the headboard may be your problem. Unless you have experience of driving a properly loaded rigid, the feel on the steering will be alien, but like you spotted the rear springs, check the clearances on the front mudguards, the look of the steer tyres against another similar truck.
Sometimes you have to stand up and shout back because the TM and fork lift drivers are not generally the ones who get a day out in court. It seems this company are interested in getting the goods out, at any cost.
I complained long and hard about a collection of plate glass in stillages, to be told that is how it is always done. Nothing was done for many months, until a French driver got caught with a huge axle overload, the next time I went into this loading point the system had changed. Much more difficult to load, but safer for the driver and the load.
Went into work last night at 18.00 (early start for me) and had a word with who I regard as the scary TM (but he will listen and tell it straight) he taught me where everything should go and talked me through all the pallets that we take and there approx weight as in pallet of water is about a tonne mixed pallets etc what they approx weight I now have a very good idea what things look like for weight I know my truck will carry about 8 tonne and he also said if I come across any problems from the loaders then just tell them to ring him and in his words I will give them a bollocking !!! so I feel much better knowing I have this info now and also he says he is gonna draw me a little diagram for me to keep on axles etc so to sum up I am now a happy bunny
Jennie x
sensor did not change my word but if you feel is inappropiate DD please change!
Jennie:
sensor did not change my word but if you feel is inappropiate DD please change!
if you spell the word correctly and the censor does nothing that means it’s ok 
Jennie:
Went into work last night at 18.00 (early start for me) and had a word with who I regard as the scary TM (but he will listen and tell it straight) he taught me where everything should go and talked me through all the pallets that we take and there approx weight as in pallet of water is about a tonne mixed pallets etc what they approx weight I now have a very good idea what things look like for weight I know my truck will carry about 8 tonne and he also said if I come across any problems from the loaders then just tell them to ring him and in his words I will give them a bollocking !!! so I feel much better knowing I have this info now and also he says he is gonna draw me a little diagram for me to keep on axles etc so to sum up I am now a happy bunny
Jennie x
sensor did not change my word but if you feel is inappropiate DD please change!
Good to know you had words with the TM Jennie, hopefully you feel like you can now talk to him should the situation arise once more and maybe he isn’t so scary after all 
Thats good to get that sorted jennie, a ‘weight’ off your mind 
and the truck 
cheers Mike