this is a serious ??? no sarcasm please

The load I have now is. 7000g smooth bore tank. 48000 lb of product but it weighs over 10lb per gallon. So it's just over half way full.

 

I could see that then. I was going by the single bore oil and asphalt trailers we load. 8500 gallon tanks with 6500 gallons scaling legal at 80000 pounds. I know a lot of the heavier products like acid they put in the skinny barrels but not always the case.

 

i hauled bio fuel. 6000 gallons was all i could haul. at 7 LBS. my weight was 77,000

company at that time bought 3 FL'S with drop axles. we were hauling to cali. and cali said NO. what a waste of money for them trucks and drop axles added on. not to mention, 3.5 mpg fuel average made that an even bigger waste of investment.

 

[QUitTE=ramblingman;4004153]I'm hoping this was Sarcasm. Do you just shut down till spring?[/QUOTE]

No not sarcasm. Use your head rookie..... i run all winter long... but if the roads turn to ice pull over or you will end up wrecking your truck killing yourself or someone else. you have absolutely no control on ice

 

Unless you have baffles and even with those it will make you slide. Depending on the road you will fish tail back there also. Wait until you go up hill and the liquid decides to do down hill.

 

It is all about playing with the gears and brakes.
So you do need to be a "better" driver to drive with liquids.
Planning 2 or 3 moves ahead off other traffic also helps.

Baffles only help against the surge but do NOTHING when you are up a hill.
Again planning ahead is the only way.
Don't park on a uphill.
If you see slow traffic ahead on a hill...............slow down long before so you can keep moving,even if it is in 1° or 2° gear.
Or even stopping on flat spot and only get going when you see traffic move again.(can make the difference between spinning out on snow or ice)
Tankers is using that grey matter that sits just above your neck.
There are no fixed rules for tankers as the rules change as the equipement and product changes.

 

WHAT??? You haven't got the "Ronco-Ice Skates for Big Rigs" ??? I think they have them at most Pilots and Flying-Js now. You just GLIDE thru the ice!!! Sorry, just had to see who would think it was real.

Brother, 1st thing is, don't over think it. You know I'm up here in Nor-Nev and it's pretty much cold Oct-May. In fact, we had flurries Friday and Saturday. Nothing stuck, but, there they were.

2nd, The surge doesn't act any different than normal. You know I haul mostly Sulfuric and trust me, it acts the same. It's all in how you handle it.

3rd, snow is NOT a problem. I don't understand why people get so "freaked out" by it. As already stated, if you need to chain up, pull over asap and wait till tomorrow. And once your parked DON'T set your trailer brakes. They'll freeze overnight and your screwed!!! OTHERWISE, Slow down and try your best to keep your momentum. Your a good driver, it's really no different than driving in heavy rain. That's the only way I can think of to explain what it's like. Slow down, pay attention and try your best to keep momentum. Momentum's your friend!!!

ICE on the other hand is a different animal. We can only shut down if the showers freeze. Frozen showers= no delivery. Other than that, we roll. AGAIN, SLOW DOWN!!! Driving on Ice is more like a chess game. You MUST think ahead 3-4 moves. Don't put yourself in a situation where you have to brake hard or make sudden moves or turns. You CAN'T contemplate what some idiot is going to do ALL the time. So don't try. You'll drive yourself crazy. Just SLOW DOWN, keep your distance and think WAAAY ahead.

Don't over think it Brother. Just use your head. I know you'll be fine!!!

 

maintaining momentum is the name of the game. with good shifting and a big cushion in front you rarely have to stop.