Steel (pipe, bar, coil) stacking and storage The forklifts are rated for the work - it is a centre of gravity challenge. — Michelle Gillman
Forklift ratings are usually based on center of load 500 or 600mm from the back rest. for example, we have to use a 4 ton forklift to remove 1.8 ton packs from our containers as the center of the load is 1400mm from the back rest on the forklift. We learnt this the hard way over lock down last year when we suddenly got bigger packs which our forklift couldn't unload! As your load center moves further from the back rest of the forklift, the amount you can lift drops substantially, so you are quite possibly overloading your forklifts.
I would go back to your steel suppliers and come up with a way to be able to safely remove the loads.
I know Aluminum extrusion often comes in on steel frames with rollers underneath that can be rolled out so the Aluminum can be forklifted off from the side or craned off.
You may be able to have some kind of skid plate fitted at the other end so you can lift the front and slide it out.
Be careful about pulling with the forklift. Some forklifts aren't rated for pulling loads with strops etc. fixed to the backrest. You should also be using rated strops as if something snaps it could be like a whip!
Check out how they load the container. YouTube has clips of timber etc being slid into container on a platform they then slide back out. I have always wondered how the guys at the other end unload them - now I know - they have trouble.
:-)