XPO | a limit needs to be put on weight off the floor1

[Jaycee]

Oh no doubt, I would definitely report it, but I would do everything within my power to fix it before it rolled out the gate too.

Yeah I probably should have tried to fix it. My supervisor's excuse for not wanting me to move it was "it took an hour and a half to load it", so again, that makes everything okay, because it was a PITA to load at the place we picked it up./sarcasm Anywho, a co-worker and I did fix 2 of the loads that the "senior" driver loaded nose heavy.

It just cracks me up cause we just had reps from a company we service come to our barn to try and figure out how their stuff (dont' want to get myself in trouble by saying what it is) get's damaged. They walk around and our FOM is like "oh yeah, we do this and strap that, blah blah blah" but as soon as they leave people are back to doing w/e. Then at the end of the night, someone is like, hey can you close that trailer for me, "yeah with your handheld, I don't want my name on that train wreak". I know a lot of it has to do with being down in hours, people are pissed, not caring, etc. I, myself, am down to like 25-30 hours a week, hell there are times where I will go 2-3 days without even getting in a truck. I still try to do my best regardless, because my hours aren't gonna go up because we keep damaging crap.

 

[snaildriver]

I always wondered who loads a forklift in a trailer sideways ( putting a 4000 lbs. counterweight on one side of a trailer ) personally , I won't do it. I wouldn't pull it if I know it's in there like that.

By the way , if it's one of our lifts it usually weighs 8000 lbs. In the nose? Sideways? Not even 4ft?

Loading it sideways keeps it from blowing out the back door. Even if you load it long ways, the weight will be on one side or the other.

 

[highspeeds]

Loading it sideways keeps it from blowing out the back door. Even if you load it long ways, the weight will be on one side or the other.

Exactly. I like to put them in sideways with the weighted end on the driver side. And remember to counter balance the rest of the trailer.

 

[icuicp]

Loading it sideways keeps it from blowing out the back door. Even if you load it long ways, the weight will be on one side or the other.

It won't "blow out of the back door" if you secure it ( wheel chocks nailed to the floor - block the wheels on the sides - strap where needed ) Load fork lift in middle of trailer so weight is evenly distributed.

Exactly. I like to put them in sideways with the weighted end on the driver side. And remember to counter balance the rest of the trailer.

As many roll-off flatbeds as there are driving around with forklifts chained ( or strapped ) down , I don't remember seeing lifts being hauled withe the counterweight on one side. I've always seen them single file , in the middle of the trailer - I'm guessing for even distribution of weight.

 

[Fly-by-night]

Also , management that backs up city P&D drivers. There have been times that I've left freight on a customers dock ( dangerously top heavy , not packed right , leaking , damaged , etc ) Even after I tell dispatch , I'll see the freight sitting on our dock for outbound. Dispatch just sends another driver to get the bad freight. The cutomer hasn't fixed the issue and it's passed to linehaul then inbound.

We had an old slogan a few years ago : "Let me get that for you" I think guys get this confused and think we mean crappy freight.

Ahhh the stories I could say. Here is the best way to handle a damaged pickup. It gotton easier over the years. We all or 95% of us have a cellphone with a camera, and take pictures. Then grab the freight bill and write on all the copies every damage you see and make the shipper sign it. The look on their face is priceless and some say you can't do that.
The freight bill is a contract and either party can add or subtract anything on it. We have driver that sign for freight they never see or count. I never sign for skids or pieces I don't see if you don't allow me on your dock, then I sign SLC (shipper load count). Simple little thing will say this company a lot of money.

 

[Fly-by-night]

FYI To save time when you load a fork truck sideways in the nose of a pup a sheet of plywood on top of the fork truck will save you 4" room instead of using safe stack and top of fork truck can easily hold 4,000 lbs.

Wow you load them sideways. Lord help us

 

[Fly-by-night]

It won't "blow out of the back door" if you secure it ( wheel chocks nailed to the floor - block the wheels on the sides - strap where needed ) Load fork lift in middle of trailer so weight is evenly distributed.

As many roll-off flatbeds as there are driving around with forklifts chained ( or strapped ) down , I don't remember seeing lifts being hauled withe the counterweight on one side. I've always seen them single file , in the middle of the trailer - I'm guessing for even distribution of weight.

Well those drivers mostly load there own equipment chain it down and drive the truck. Some here aren't that smart.

 

[snaildriver]

It won't "blow out of the back door" if you secure it ( wheel chocks nailed to the floor - block the wheels on the sides - strap where needed ) Load fork lift in middle of trailer so weight is evenly distributed.

As many roll-off flatbeds as there are driving around with forklifts chained ( or strapped ) down , I don't remember seeing lifts being hauled withe the counterweight on one side. I've always seen them single file , in the middle of the trailer - I'm guessing for even distribution of weight.

I once hooked up to a 1 bill sealed trailer. Going up a hill a few miles from the SC, I felt a lurch. Stopped to see what is was, and there on the pavement was a forklift and my trailer door. The lift had been blocked, and a load bar had been put behind it. You'll notice that there's not much clearance under a forklift to put wheel chocks.

 

[icuicp]

I once hooked up to a 1 bill sealed trailer. Going up a hill a few miles from the SC, I felt a lurch. Stopped to see what is was, and there on the pavement was a forklift and my trailer door. The lift had been blocked, and a load bar had been put behind it. You'll notice that there's not much clearance under a forklift to put wheel chocks.

Several years ago if you ran to the closest FAC to our service center you had to bring your forklift with you. ( we didn't have enough lifts I guess ) We had metal brackets that would go around the wheels for nailing down and securing the forklift.( I was taught not to put the lift on the tail of the trailer. In the middle towards the front of the load in the center of the trailer. Forks towards the front , counterweight to the back. )

What happened after you found the forklift on the ground?

 

[upnorth]

Happened in Minnesota too. Unfortunately, a state trooper was behind the set. The driver was off the truck route, and trooper was getting ready to pull him over. Trooper was able to stop in time, two others pulled the driver over down the road, original trooper had to stay with the forklift on the road.

Wasn't even manifested. He had no idea it was on, no one secured it.

Wedge it. At a 45 degree angle. Block and brace.

 

[joes bar and grill]

Several years ago if you ran to the closest FAC to our service center you had to bring your forklift with you. ( we didn't have enough lifts I guess ) We had metal brackets that would go around the wheels for nailing down and securing the forklift.( I was taught not to put the lift on the tail of the trailer. In the middle towards the front of the load in the center of the trailer. Forks towards the front , counterweight to the back. )

What happened after you found the forklift on the ground?

If You put the lift in the middle as opposed to the tail how do you load, unload until you get to that point?

 

[icuicp]

If You put the lift in the middle as opposed to the tail how do you load, unload until you get to that point?

We have other lifts. We always made sure to send the older forklifts. Finish loading the trailer with other lifts still on the dock. I hated this because we don't have a nail gun , so if I loaded the lift on the trailer I had to nail it down and secure it. It could be freezing outside and by the time you'd have nailed the thing in you'd be pouring sweat.

 

[snaildriver]

Several years ago if you ran to the closest FAC to our service center you had to bring your forklift with you. ( we didn't have enough lifts I guess ) We had metal brackets that would go around the wheels for nailing down and securing the forklift.( I was taught not to put the lift on the tail of the trailer. In the middle towards the front of the load in the center of the trailer. Forks towards the front , counterweight to the back. )

What happened after you found the forklift on the ground?

Called linehaul. They sent a wrecker to put it back in the trailer. Then I nursed it back to the SC.

 

[vetran peddleman]

3000# is WAY TOO MUCH to go on top.Thats what makes a trailer more likely to tip over. No more than a 1000# on top and only if there is heavier freight on the bottom.

I know that our load rack bars are rated for a good amount of weight. However when I used to work the o/b, I'd always try to stick to my own self imposed limit of not going up high w/ anything over 500 lbs. I would of course exceed that 500 lb.limit if need be when a dock screw would yell out to us ..." I DON'T CARE WHAT IT TAKES ,JUST GET IT THERE". And we wonder why we have so many roll overs!

 

[dalesr]

I know that our load rack bars are rated for a good amount of weight. However when I used to work the o/b, I'd always try to stick to my own self imposed limit of not going up high w/ anything over 500 lbs. I would of course exceed that 500 lb.limit if need be when a dock screw would yell out to us ..." I DON'T CARE WHAT IT TAKES ,JUST GET IT THERE". And we wonder why we have so many roll overs!

I put 3000# on the racks all the time. As long as most of the weight is on the floor. Heck, I double stack gaylords without the bars, just put a couple good full sheets in there and your good to go! People get in trouble when they put a half sheet on a gaylord and stack on it, then stuff falls in and you have a mess. Or if nothing is next to one and the whole bag comes off the skid. Seen that and cleaned up more pellets then I can remember. The old racks were rated at 5k, that was a little much, but I'm sure I did that too.

 

[highspeeds]

I put 3000# on the racks all the time. As long as most of the weight is on the floor. Heck, I double stack gaylords without the bars, just put a couple good full sheets in there and your good to go! People get in trouble when they put a half sheet on a gaylord and stack on it, then stuff falls in and you have a mess. Or if nothing is next to one and the whole bag comes off the skid. Seen that and cleaned up more pellets then I can remember. The old racks were rated at 5k, that was a little much, but I'm sure I did that too.

How is most of the weight on the floor if you have one deck with 3000# on it alone ? I don't like high centers of gravity. And am not a fan of heavy crap on the decks.

Last night I had 6 skids of bags. I could have stacked directly on them. But they were perfect to drop decks over and stuff those decks with light freight. 13000# on the floor in 12 foot. And maybe 3000# over the course of three decks above it. With 3500# in the first 8 foot. I was at around 19500# with 8 feet to go on the trailer. All the weight in the center and low. Got 2500# more in there to finish it off. Good trailer.

 

[highspeeds]

I know that our load rack bars are rated for a good amount of weight. However when I used to work the o/b, I'd always try to stick to my own self imposed limit of not going up high w/ anything over 500 lbs. I would of course exceed that 500 lb.limit if need be when a dock screw would yell out to us ..." I DON'T CARE WHAT IT TAKES ,JUST GET IT THERE". And we wonder why we have so many roll overs!

If you are going to put 3000# in the air, it had better be a 23000# trailer. If the thing only weighs 10000# and 3000# of it is in the air..... that's a bunch of bull ::.

 

[highspeeds]

Well those drivers mostly load there own equipment chain it down and drive the truck. Some here aren't that smart.

And if you give me a flat bed I will definitely haul it like that. But we pull vans. So side ways it is. I have never had a problem. It's not like it was a surprise or something. I knew to plan for it in the trailer. And adjusted the weight throughout the trailer to accommodate that freight no different than any other freight.

 

[highspeeds]

[QUOTE="icuicp, post: 1056575, member: 249"

It won't "blow out of the back door" if you secure it ( wheel chocks nailed to the floor - block the wheels on the sides - strap where needed ) Load fork lift in middle of trailer so weight is evenly distributed.

As many roll-off flatbeds as there are driving around with forklifts chained ( or strapped ) down , I don't remember seeing lifts being hauled withe the counterweight on one side. I've always seen them single file , in the middle of the trailer - I'm guessing for even distribution of weight.[/QUOTE]


I'm not pulling a load of forklifts. I am looking for a light head load in a pup and then bracing in a forklift before " LTL ing " out the rest of the trailer.

 

[icuicp]

It won't "blow out of the back door" if you secure it ( wheel chocks nailed to the floor - block the wheels on the sides - strap where needed ) Load fork lift in middle of trailer so weight is evenly distributed.

As many roll-off flatbeds as there are driving around with forklifts chained ( or strapped ) down , I don't remember seeing lifts being hauled withe the counterweight on one side. I've always seen them single file , in the middle of the trailer - I'm guessing for even distribution of weight.

I'm not pulling a load of forklifts. I am looking for a light head load in a pup and then bracing in a forklift before " LTL ing " out the rest of the trailer.

That's fine. If you are okay with it. I won't load them that way. In some earlier posts the guy said put the forklift in the nose , sideways , and put a sheet of plywood over the top , then load on that.

Everybody has their line , this happens to be mine. On our outbound I can't be sure I'll see enough freight or the right kind of freight to balance out a 4000 lb. in 4ft counterweight.

One thing is for sure : I will NEVER send you out with a load I wouldn't pull myself.