Tokutei Transport › Loading, securing, overloading

Loading, securing and overloading: the truck-only part of the exam

This is the group of topics that makes the truck exam different from taxi or bus. The page gathers the cargo points emphasised in the tips section of Tokutei Transport, so you know where questions tend to go and understand the reasons instead of memorising.

Last updated: 2026-10-07

At a glance

3factors against cargo shift: load, tie, drive
5groups of materials, each with one job
0accepted excuses for overloading
3-pointcontact when climbing on and off

Why this part matters

The exam scope covers operations, cargo handling (荷役業務) and safety and health, so cargo is not a side topic. The textbook for foreigners also has a chapter on cargo handling. A question usually takes a true cargo rule and changes one detail, so you need to understand the rule and not only remember an answer.

1. Overloading (過積載): no excuse is accepted

Overloading is carrying more than the truck may carry. The rule has no exception: a customer's request, worry about pay or "no choice" does not make it allowed. Items like to add a sympathetic reason (a good customer, fear of losing the job) to turn "banned" into "allowed". The right action is to refuse clearly, and if the customer insists, tell the operation manager (運行管理者) or the company at once.

Why it matters: overloading lengthens braking, unbalances the truck and makes it roll more easily, and the company is penalised too, for example by a suspension of the vehicle.

2. "Tying down firmly is enough" is false: three factors

Preventing cargo shift needs all three: ① loading properly (積み付け), ② tying down (固縛（こばく）), ③ the way you drive (運転方法). Missing one means it does not work: bad loading loosens the ropes, and rough driving still shifts the cargo. An item that says "tying firmly is enough" or "a sheet is enough" names only one factor, so be suspicious. While driving, check the ropes again: according to the textbook every 4 hours on ordinary roads and every 2 hours on expressways, stopping in a safe place.

3. Uneven loading (偏荷重)

Cargo piled in one place pulls the centre of gravity away from the middle. Left or right affects steering and the truck can roll. Towards the front, braking is the same but the stopping distance is longer. On a big truck, heavy cargo piled at the front or rear can also exceed the axle limit. For heavy cargo or cargo whose centre of gravity is hard to judge, ask the operation manager or the customer instead of deciding alone, and load so that the centre of gravity is near the middle of the bed.

4. Materials: filling gaps is not securing

The textbook sorts materials into five groups, each with one job:

Job	Example materials
Fill gaps between cargo	air bags (エアバッグ), cardboard, foam, pallets
Secure cargo	lashing belts (ラッシングベルト), wire rope, synthetic rope, steel band
Keep cargo from hitting each other	cardboard, plywood, pallets, plastic sheets
Cushion between cargo and ropes	corner guards (角あて), cloth pads
Keep pallet loads from collapsing	stretch film (ストレッチフィルム), vibration pads, anti-slip sheets, horizontal bands

A wrong statement often swaps the job, for example "an air bag is used to tie the cargo to the bed". Ask yourself: is this for filling gaps, securing, preventing impacts or cushioning?

5. A truck's blind spots

The left side and left rear of a truck have blind spots that the mirror does not show, and bicycles on the pavement slip into them easily. The 安全窓 low in the left door exists to remove the blind spot, so it must not be blocked by objects or curtains. "If it is not in the mirror, you may turn left" is false: you stop before the crosswalk, look at both sides and check with your eyes, not only the mirror.

6. Left turns, the tail and reversing

On a long truck the rear wheels run inside the front wheels in a turn (内輪差), which easily catches two-wheelers and pedestrians on the left.
A left turn must start from the left edge. Swinging right first is not allowed: it catches two-wheelers and can hit an oncoming car or a car behind in the right lane.
The tail swings in a turn (リヤ・オーバーハング): for a right turn, check the left mirror.
When reversing, do not rely on the camera alone, because a camera does not replace your eyes.
When loading, climb on and off with three-point contact (3点支持): while one of the four points, two hands and two feet, moves, the other three hold the body, and never jump up or down.

These points are textbook knowledge within the scope of the app. Specific rules and standards can change, so always check the textbook and the official guidance.

Practise

Take the 3 free mock exams, pay attention to the cargo questions, then learn vocabulary such as 固縛, 荷崩れ and 過積載. The full tips section with examples and drills is part of VIP.

VIP unlocks exams 4 to 20, the full vocabulary book and the exam tips. VIP is bought inside the iOS app with Apple payment, and Apple shows the price. The App Store version is coming soon. You can try the free exams on the web now.

FAQ

Is there any exception for overloading in the exam?

No. According to the app's tips, no reason is accepted for overloading. A statement that adds a reason such as a customer's request or fear of losing pay and still says it is fine is false.

What is needed to prevent cargo shift?

All three: proper loading, tying down and the way you drive. A statement that names only one factor, such as tying down firmly being enough, is suspicious.

Why is cargo piled in one place dangerous?

Because the centre of gravity moves away from the middle: left or right affects steering and can roll the truck, and towards the front it lengthens the stopping distance.

If I cannot see anyone in the mirror, can I turn left?

Not yet. A truck has blind spots on the left and left rear, so you stop, look directly at both sides and do not rely on the mirror alone.

Take a mock exam and see right away which items you missed and why.

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