Page 105 - Driving Commercial Vehicles Manual+

driving commercial vehicles

Arranging and distributing loads

The way you distribute your cargo’s weight will affect the handling
characteristics of your vehicle. It also affects the life of your vehicle’s tires,
frame, springs, axles and bearings.
A poorly distributed load can overload an axle or set of tires, put unnecessary
stress on your vehicle’s frame and cause permanent damage and steering
misalignment.
These illustrations show correct (right side) and incorrect (left side) ways to
load your vehicle.

Wrong Right

Don’t place a very concentrated Place a very concentrated heavy
heavy load against the cab. This load near the rear, on its long side
type of loading may permanently if possible. Most of the load should
bend the frame. It’ll also overload be partially over or just ahead of the
the front tires, which may make rear axles to get proper tire loading.
steering difficult and could cause Make sure the load is securely
a worn tire to blow out. This type blocked to prevent it from sliding
of loading may also make your forward. (More about this later in the
load dangerously top heavy. chapter.)

Don’t place a very heavy load Load your vehicle so that an equal
on one side. This overloads the amount of weight is placed on
spring and the tires on the cargo all rear tires. This will eliminate
side. The brakes may lock the twisting and stress on the frame. It
wheels of the under-loaded side also prevents overloading the axle
and could cause the tires to skid housing and wheel bearing.
on wet surfaces. Loading in this
unbalanced way may also cause
flat spots on the tires.

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