We don't have provisions for tail stands. What works best is a heavy pallet in the 1R position. Or load the lower forward compartment first.
To Allianceair- the MD-11 has a much smaller tail than the DC-10. It compensates by a fulltime LSAS. Pitch is actually much more stable than the -10. A rough ride on your flight probably indicates just a ham-handed pilot. It is my observation that piloting skill is de-emphasized on full-FMS aircraft.
I had an instructor tell me last summer that it's best just to autoland every leg. When I had recovered sufficiently, I asked him what to do when crosswind exceeds autoland limit (15 knots) but is less than aircraft demonstrated limit (35 knots). Is that really the time to be learning how to hand-fly the airplane?
I can come up with no reason not to maintain and improve your hand-flying abilities, save laziness....