Damage to the forklift by pushing/bulldozing has been previously addressed. Damage to truck trailers is also possible by pushing a load on them.

Most dry van type trailers in use today are of a monocoque construction. The trailer is basically a unitized body and the floor is supported similar to a suspension type bridge. There are no support beams running the longitudinal length of these trailers. The only beams are those that attach the suspension (wheel components) to the trailer.

Indexing loads (placing a load on the trailer floor and pushing the load forward with each additional load added) can damage the structural integrity of these trailers. Indexing can also cause damage to pallets and other shipping materials.

Do not index loads on suspension - type trailers. These trailers are not designed to take the dynamic impact forces imparted by such an activity.