Bad loading damages cargo, breaks trucks, and kills drivers when loads shift on the road. Pantech trucks make loading easier than open trailers — enclosed weather protection, tail-lift access — but the closed body also hides poorly secured loads until something fails. The practices below come from professional removalists and dry-goods drivers with decades of damage-free loading.
Before loading
1. Plan the load before touching anything
Walk through the items. Identify the heaviest pieces, the most fragile, the awkward shapes, and the order they’ll need to come off at the other end. The first thing in is the last thing out; plan for the delivery sequence.
2. Verify weight distribution against capacity
Check your truck’s published Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) and axle weight ratings. Overloading the rear axle is the classic mistake — heavy items stacked at the back tip the load balance and overload the rear axle. Heavy items belong over the rear axle, not behind it.
3. Inspect the truck floor and walls
Loose floor planks, broken tie-down rails, or damaged side panels cause damage to cargo. Address before loading.
The loading sequence
4. Heavy items first, over the axles
Refrigerators, washing machines, safes, heavy tool chests — loaded first, positioned over the rear axle. Forward of the rear axle is fine; behind it is bad balance.
5. Build from the bulkhead outward
Start at the front wall (behind the cab) and work toward the rear. Each item leans against the previous load. Loose items in the middle with empty space in front of them shift forward under braking.
6. Tall items along the walls; soft items in the middle
Tall furniture (wardrobes, bookshelves) along the side walls for stability. Mattresses, soft furnishings as protective layer between hard items.
7. Stack lighter items on top
Boxes go on top of furniture; appliances go on the floor. Never stack heavy items on top of fragile ones.
8. Fill gaps with soft materials
Pillows, blankets, towels, soft furnishings fill gaps and prevent shifting. Loose loads kill cargo and trucks.
Securement
9. Use load straps and ratchet straps correctly
Straps go from tie-down rails on one side, over or around the load, to tie-down rails on the other side. Ratchet to firm but not strap-cutting tension. Replace frayed or sun-damaged straps.
10. Anchor each load “section”
Don’t rely on one long strap across the whole load. Multiple shorter straps anchoring sections allow the load to flex without all of it shifting if one section moves.
11. Furniture wrap and pads
Moving blankets between hard items prevent scratching, denting, and chipping. The cost of moving pads is negligible compared to a damage claim.
12. Special items need special handling
- Pianos: require specialised dollies and securement; many removalists won’t move them
- Mirrors and glass: upright, against a flat wall, padded — never flat under weight
- Marble and stone: upright, never flat (breaks under its own weight when supported only at ends)
- Refrigerators: upright; if laid down, gas needs to settle before plugging in
- TVs: upright in original box if possible; flat-screen TVs damage if laid flat under weight
The tail-lift
13. Use the tail-lift safely
- Never exceed published capacity
- Centre the load on the platform
- Drivers off the platform during operation (electric hydraulic — don’t ride it)
- Use safety barriers / flip-up rails when fitted
- Inspect daily for hydraulic leaks and damage
14. Trolley dolly use
Two-wheel or four-wheel dollies multiply what one person can handle safely. Avoid lifting heavy items entirely manually — backs cost more than dollies.
At the destination
15. Don’t open the door at the customer’s house first
Open the door at your truck, inspect for shifted items, then move to the customer. Customers seeing a partly fallen load lose confidence in the move.
16. Unload in reverse of load sequence
The last in (front of truck) is the first out. Plan the load so this delivery sequence makes sense.
Common loading mistakes
- Overloading the rear axle. Heavy items at the back tip the load; rear tyres overheat and fail.
- Skipping load straps. Loose loads shift, cargo gets damaged, and you become a hazard to other road users.
- Stacking heavy on fragile. Crushed boxes, broken furniture, expensive claims.
- Loading the floor too tightly. Some flex room is needed; jammed-tight loads tear cargo when temperature changes.
- Skipping moving pads. One small scratch claim costs more than a year’s pads.
- Loading without weighing. Use weighbridges if uncertain — fines for overload are significant.
Bottom line
Plan before loading; heavy items first, over axles; build from bulkhead outward; secure each section; use moving pads liberally; use the tail-lift safely. Good loading saves cargo, trucks, and backs. This is general guidance — verify specific load-securement regulations with your local transport authority (NHVR in Australia, DVSA in UK, FMCSA in US).
