B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200; Flight Crew Total 17000; Flight Crew Type 6000
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Weight And Balance
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
Human Factors; Chart Or Publication; Procedure
We received the final weights via the ACARS printer. The trim was set as called for and verified. As a cross check; I entered the MAC on the Takeoff page in the FMC and it's trim setting was very close to the final weight message. During the takeoff roll; with V speeds properly set; I attempted to lift the nose off the runway at the rotate command; but it was very hard to do so. I had to pull very hard and had to add nose up trim. The nose finally came up. During manual flight I noticed the aircraft difficult to level off and after adding trim inputs; it was if I was over trimming. It seemed out of balance.
The reporter advised that he believed the issue to be flawed load planning data and not a mechanical problem with the elevator/stab trim systems.  He based that belief on the normal operation and response of the system after the initial surprisingly excessive forces on takeoff were resolved.  He did not make an AML write up of the event; electing to write a company safety report instead.
A B757 Captain reported unusually high stick forces required at rotation due; he believes; from faulty weight and balance calculations by load planners.