Team work
Operating aircraft commercially requires a team of proficient professionals, both in the air and on the ground. We all rely on everyone to do their job properly. Some facts to consider.
It is not fair at this stage to speculate on the piloting abilities of the cockpit crew, let us wait for the CVR/FDR info.
This aircraft had been brought into service as a new type to the operator in a very short space of time, therefore the "on-the-job" experience was virtually zero.
The MD11F is a complicated aircraft to trim and load, with considerable differences to the DC10.
The American crew would have been used to slick, efficient dispatchers, relying on them to build and load the aircraft properly.
To quote a very well-used phrase "never ASSUME annything".