Been driving tanker for a year just a few questions

I’ve been driving tanker for a year after achieving my CDL at 18 I’m now 19 hauling for a local ag company and pull tanker in the spring, since last year I have improved and gotten more confident, but I cannot seem for the life of me to go any faster around curves, I’m worried it’s gonna roll but I have baffles. I know the saying is to be go as slow as you feel comfortable that way you know you’ll be safe, but from a 3rd generation truck driver I feel like I may be going too slow and just worried it’s going to roll?

 

Finding out how fast is 'too fast', is not a good option for a long, safe career.

I'd stick with your current style.

 

Fair enough thanks brother

 

Just my 2 cents from a non-driver... I'm a math guy, so calculate how much time is being wasted by going slower in those curves. You are probably wasting seconds off your delivery, lol. I can't imagine anyone on here would say to try to go faster.

 

You've probably heard it before from the older hands, but the saying is -

"You can go too slow down the mountain as many times as you like, you only go down it too fast . . . once"

 

I’ve been pulling a tank for five years now. Slow and steady works the best every time.

 

Do not mistake c0ckyness for confidence. You can go "too slow" a thousand times.... "too fast" only once!

 

Speed & fatigue is dangerous. I wouldn't recommend any tanker driver to ever go faster. If anything possibly slower. This happened last year to a local tanker driver now deceased. As a Trucker pushing 30 years experience I give extra respect to Hazmat tanker drivers Drive safe! Speed is not worth your life.

 

20 years here driving tankers smooth bore through the hills of PA and WV. Best bet for newbie tankers that can drive in good conditions, keep your speed at the limit posted for the curve or exit ramp. If it's your first time through an exit ramp or curve drop your speed by 5 mph under the posted yellow safe curve speed, once you know that curve you can adjust to load and weather conditions.

Driving a tanker is like driving on snow and ice all the time, even when it's sunny and 75 degrees outside.

Driving tankers is feeling how that load shifts, depending on weather, road, equipment, and traffic conditions. And it shifts constantly.

The only way to do it is to get an experience for it, and you've already got three years, at 20 years I'm still learning how fast I can go around curves on I-77 WV turnpike when it's snowing and I'm 79K with hazmat coming down flattop mountain into Charleston WV.

 

I appreciate it guys