i have scania p310 26 tonne r. rigid i usually put one pallet on headboard then double up after that i think when empty its. just over 10 tonne. so can carry 16 tonne or 15 and a half how much weight can i put on headboard. it has axle one 7,500
Unfortunatly theres no straight answer here as the size of the pallet etc will difference how it distributes its weight.
Should you be empty and placing a single std 4 way pallet against the headboard id say anything over 1.5ton and you’d be close on the limit. However if you then put more pallets on the rear they will lighten the load on the front axle as the whole lot kind of see saws on the rear axles.
When you have the opportunity of a weighbridge weigh your front axle only (drive on with the front of the truck until the rear axles are very close but not on the weigh plate make sure you account for your own personal weight). This will give you your front axle weight subtract this from 7500kgs (your front axle gross weight) and that figure is your maximum headboard load if the rest is empty.
Ideally load your front axle to 7450kgs and use your toe cap to get an idea of the space between the ground and the front spray flap this isnt scientific but should the gap be less than this when you load somewhere your probably overweight on the front.
DAF reckon that on their 6x2 rigids with 7500kg front axles you’re all right putting tonne pallets on from front to back but only if it is all taken off at once and there’s no diminishing load syndrome. How you’d go on otherwise is difficult to say and can only be worked out with a weighbridge or some of those portable weighing pads.
I am not sure accurate DAF’s figure is (it seems rather optimistic to me) but with tonne pallets from the headboard on there will be lots of weight on the front axle, which is no doubt why some firms go for a 9000kg plated weight at the front. When a rigid is very heavy on the front it is usually quite obvious.
From what I have seen of Stobart’s 6x2 drawbars loaded with pallets of Coke, which must be at least 900kg each, they put one on the headboard in the middle and then load as normal.
With so much work for rigids nowadays being multi drop pallex type of work where a driver starts off tipping the back and moving towards the headboard with each drop it surprises me there are so few Chinese sixes (showing my age now) on the road. I used to see a few on brewery type work but IMO they’d be ideal for local multi drop stuff.
I also own and operate a Scania 6 wheeler, its a p94 260 flatbed and if im carrying 1tonne bags of potatoes i have them even front to back but wagon tends to look front end heavy, if im carrying 1 tonne boxes i put singles on the front and then double up to the back and she looks and handles much better, so if i were you i`d put a single pallet then two just to be safe, Scania 6 wheelers nearly all have a tendency to sit low on the front end so if you keep her lighter on the headboard it will look better and hopefully feel better on the road.Good luck.