ACARS is the greatest thing since sliced bread.......
1. Yes, we get the entire loadsheet printed out in the cockpit. There is no selection for it. It is sent by the AOC(Airlines operations center) to the plane and it just arrives.....much the same way an SMS just arrives at your phone.
2. You can send a free text message.......once again just like sending an sms. No big deal and an essential part of any communications system.
3. There are huge time savings involved in using ACARS loadsheets......the loadsheet is compiled at the AOC electronically before being sent to the plane. This saves time and reduces the chances of errors. Think about it.....where would the dispatcher get the loadsheet from? Why send it to him first?
I can't comment on other airlines, but we don't get the weights and that after push.....that is a tad late. There is just too much that depends on the verification of the final loadsheet, that it can't be done on the taxi.
Hope it helps..........