John, not "enthuisast", however, got stuck with it and adapted...As for my prior (to freight) 18 yrs plus of instructing/FAR135/121 Pax experience, I still feel the same, with the exception that when the load sheet is presented, you really do have to check and double check, because the agent is just trying to get you out of there...
For example....on contract to a UK hiring company, flying a S. African (SAFAIR) B-727-200 for Cameroon Airlines (filling in for their B-737-200, which was in Joburg undergoing a "C" Check with , you guessed it SAFAIR), I had to constantly examine and re-examine the loadsheet...
It was printed in French, fuel was in Kilos, and 90% of the time it was done on the numbers for the 737, not the 727 we were in...it almost bit my backside once, but never again...that's called experience...fool me once, shame on you....
Still, after all was said and done, we ended up doing our own W&B and life was great...even in Douala...Great people and wonderful hosts....First Rate, as far as that area of the world....