Cargo placement
 

I unload a truck of chemical totes once or twice a month. They are about 4 or 5 ft square (fit snugly side by side in truck) about 6 or 7 ft tall and weigh 4200 pounds each. There are usually 4 in front of trailer and 5 towards the back over rear wheels. I sure the shippers knows how to do this after many years but my question is are you as the driver responsible to know how they should be loaded in case you get an load that someone doesnt know how to load like this? If so how do you figure it out. If it is something they teach in school?

Here is the TMC flatbed way:
Set up to center your load about 18 to 24 inches behind the center of the trailer. With the spread axle able to carry more weight than a set of tandems you will usually be all right with that set up. Then check the air weight guages to get an estimate of the weight distribution. If you REALLY know that the way they have loaded the trailer isn't going to work then you may mention to the shipper and ask the shipping foreman for his opinion. If he does not agree and wants to send you on your way then you do not argue. Call Safety to CYA and let them know you think you may be overweight or unbalanced. They will then take the fine if you get a ticket while en-route to the nearest CAT certified scale.

if you slide say a 40k lb coil a foot back from the center, you put 1000 lbs more of the weight to the back tandems. 1k more per foot. Hope that helps.

I dont believe this is a flatbed question, you pull a van, dont you?
What kinda trailer do you have?

If you have loaded these totes enough to know which way they go on, you need to diagram it for your own info and for future reference. I once had a forklift driver loading ketchup on my trailer on 48 X 40 pallets and he was loading then 40 wide. I said thats not going to fit. He knew it all and kept loading, well when he reached the back of the trailer there was freight still on the dock. DUH! He couldnt figure it out and I didnt say a word. He had to unload it and reload 48 wide. Also if you think load is unstable or grossly overweight, do not leave the shipper and do not sign the bills. Get your company on the phone with the transportation manager and you can bet they will get you legal. Dont leave with the promise if you get a ticket we will pay it. A ticket is the least of your worries, if you have an accident, your company will hang you out to dry, and it will be you on the 6 oclock news. CYA, dont sign, dont leave.

Re: Cargo placement
 

Thanks for the responses. I should have been a little clearer on my post as I do not drive a truck yet. I just unload the chemical truck we get in at the place I work. I am retireing Dec 8 and will go to school for a cdl after that but the info is helpful. I figure the more I know going in the better I will be.

you could pick the brain of drivers pulling the freight you see at work....It really varies from load to load and equipment to equipment. I guess you could gather rules of thumb like: DONT LOAD A 53FTER PAST THE 48FT MARK

You can't always go by 48ft mark on a 53fter. Most of my loads are loaded all sideways to the back doors. I haul produce.