Another day another question. So grateful for all the help so far. So took unladen 18t lorry with myself and full tank full across weighbridge, came in at 7440 kgs. Which leaves me with 10,560 for payload. My question is how do I work out how to spread this across the 2 axels? Checked weight plate and its 7500 on axle 1 and 11500 on axle 2… so is it in fact a 19t lorry? And how can I work out how much pay on each axle when I don’t know how the 7440 is split? Many thanks.
Largeperm:
Another day another question. So grateful for all the help so far. So took unladen 18t lorry with myself and full tank full across weighbridge, came in at 7440 kgs. Which leaves me with 10,560 for payload. My question is how do I work out how to spread this across the 2 axels? Checked weight plate and its 7500 on axle 1 and 11500 on axle 2… so is it in fact a 19t lorry? And how can I work out how much pay on each axle when I don’t know how the 7440 is split? Many thanks.
18t lorries are 19t down rated to 18t.
It depends what the weight of each pallet is, you judge where it neads to go.
Heaviest towards the rear/middle and lightest at the front, if its all heavy either put empty pallets at the front or push one pallet in the middle, instead of two across, its down to experience and knowing your truck!!
I wouldn’t recommend this on a busy weighbridge with a queue behind you, but you can easily with a two-axle rigid weigh your first axle (half on half off the weighbridge) then subtract that weight from the full weight.
If you did get stopped and DVSA found you needed to redistribute your weight, they’d probably let you do that with your pallet truck rather than prohibit and fine you.
Re the 19 T bit, that’s the “vehicle design weight”, vehicles are designed to a higher limit than they’re allowed to legally carry on UK roads. Best to focus on the number of axles: 2 = 18T, 3 = 26T (27T if ‘alternatively fuelled’), 4 = 32T. Beyond that you’re into artics, 5 axles = 40T max, 6 axles 44T, while wag and drag two axle trailers are limited to 18T
Checked weight plate and its 7500 on axle 1 and 11500 on axle 2… so is it in fact a 19t lorry?
Following on from Zac, remember also that the weight listed for each axle won’t necessarily add up to the maximum gross weight. So you might be able to put 7500 on one axle and 11500 on the other, but not necessarily at the same time, if that makes sense? Often a “heavier” axle will be fitted to the front precisely to allow for diminishing loads - the less freight there is over the rear, the more of the remaining weight is imposed on the front axle. That doesn’t mean you can load it right up to start with, it means there’s slack in the system (so to speak) for when the drops on the back end come off.
I suspect I’ve explained that very badly, however, so don’t worry if it reads as complete drivel… 
Punchy Dan:
01
Don’t forget you need to know the unladen axle weights to add on after .
The diagram and formulae are not accounting for the pallets which are behind the rear axle.
cav551:
Punchy Dan:
01
Don’t forget you need to know the unladen axle weights to add on after .The diagram and formulae are not accounting for the pallets which are behind the rear axle.
Anything directly above the rear axle and anything behind it is borne entirely by that axle.
Anything forward of the rear axle is borne partly by that axle and partly by the front axle - the split being entirely dependent on how far along the load bed that load is situated.
All vehicles have the axle weights adding up to more than the gross weight so that it allows for some load positioning flexibility
ROG:
All vehicles have the axle weights adding up to more than the gross weight so that it allows for some load positioning flexibility
Exactly this. If you look at the rating plate on your own car you’ll see the same. e.g. Mrs Roymondo’s C3 is rated at 1769kg total, with a max of 1000kg on the front axle and 900kg on the rear. My own car is rated at 1365kg total, 670kg front, 705kg rear.
Also bear in mind if you’re somewhere near your Max gross and perfectly legal axle weights then taking one or two pallets off the back if they are behind the rear axle might just give you a front axle overload.
I know that FLT drivers (forkies) have a bad rep on here but some of us know what we are doing in terms of weight distribution.
Example 1: I was loading some scrap Lead Acid Batteries onto an 18 tonner. 6 battery boxes, each look about 400 litres of volume and 1 pallet space but about 1.4 tonnes each. Then some light stuff. Empty drums and 1,000 ltr IBCs. I asked the driver where he wanted the load. “All that small stuff at the front and the big stuff at the back”. I explained I thought it might be better if the “small stuff” was at the back as although it looked small it was a lot heavier.
The Driver looked at me like I had turds hanging from my mouth and told me he was the “Captain of the Ship” and I should do as I was told. So I did. The truck complained and started to bend in places where it wasn’t intended too.
After a brief discussion I moved the battery boxes to the back.
Example 2: Mercury. 1 litre of Mercury weighs 13.6 kg. So a pallet of what looks like a single stack of 2 litre pop bottles weighs 2.6 tonnes. I was loading an artic and asked where the driver wanted it as it was heavy. He looked at me and laughed. “Anywhere mate”. I picked up the pallet on the forks (and this is my fault) the pallet became matchsticks as I hadn’t got a strong enough pallet.
The driver looked at me and said " You weren’t kidding. Over the back axles of the trailer in the centre".
cav551:
Punchy Dan:
01
Don’t forget you need to know the unladen axle weights to add on after .The diagram and formulae are not accounting for the pallets which are behind the rear axle.
The diagram and method are for a symmetrical load or evenly distributed load measured from the centre it makes no difference where the pallets are if you use the formula just as it reads .
I’ve used it many times .
This where the old Chinese six, four in hand came in handy.