advice on how to pull a tanker

Your load is liquid, therefore it is moving every time you are. Even baffles don't stop this, they only modify the fore/aft movement.

You are far more "top heavy" than a van due to the above. A move that you can get away with on a van can easily put you on your side. No sudden lane changes, etc, etc.

The above also affects traction on slippery surfaces because your axle weight changes constantly.

When you pull on a scale do it very slowly. When you stop take your foot off the brake and let the "slosh" settle. You often get pulled in at a WIM scale cause you're braking and your load is giving false overweight readings.

Be at least twice as careful on pretrips and walkarounds. 99% of the time your load is highly flammable or highly toxic. Tanker is no place for slackers or clowns. You need to be P..R..O..F..E..S..S..I..O..N..A..L at all times.

 

Always start in a low gear like first on a 10 speed when on flat ground. Anything higher can stir up a wave that will beat the hell out of both you and your truck. Be real light on the throttle especially in the lower gears and only use power as you need it. The surge is far more pronounced when you've just taken off and are shifting through the low side. You want to up-shift while the load is pushing you forward, otherwise, you might miss and end up stopped in the road. It works the opposite way for downshifting. Realize that what ever move you make, the first move the load will make will oppose it. You go forward, the load goes backward. You go left, the load goes right. You need to be mindful of that at all times because a loaded tanker is real unforgiving and it don't care if you forgot. Make turns, Change lanes, accelerate, and decelerate slowly. Give yourself more room to stop than you would hauling freight. Be real smooth in everything you do.

 

" . . WITH AN AUGREMENT"

With a what?

I'm a little surprised they didn't start you off with the more volatile stuff.

Anyways . . Just remember, gravity is your friend, unless you're pulling a tanker or an anti-gravity machine. At the moment you begin to execute your next move, the tank contents catch up to your previous move. It's a lot of fun under most conditions and a flat out riot on the ice.

Good luck.

 

Make sure your turns are slow and precise, if your driving off road any make sure you know where your tires are because if you fall in that ditch, you may end up on your side.

 

Drive like you have a egg attached to the bottom of your shoes.
Everything is slow, no hard accleration, make sure that you do smooth shifts, gentle braking.

 

lmao!

i pulled tanker for 2 years, just be very wary of the surge especially if you ever go over to food grade which has no baffles

 

Just like swinging meat... go like hell in a straight line, but very slow on the turns and brakes.

 

When I drove tankers, they were straight trucks, but one thing I found out is that you don't try to correct for side to side slosh. Many times your steering corrections will make things worse. If it gets too bad, the best thing to do is pull over, stop, and let the liquid settle down.