Standard Loads? I once did a "test" on a 762 with a colleague from another port where standard loads were the norm. I blew his figures out of the water with my "optimum" trim and he treated me like I'd cheated!
Our job is to safely & efficiently load the aircraft, nothing more, nothing less. If the rules we work under are suspect, I guess you go to another job, especially if you are unhappy with those conditions....I did.