Negotiating Curves

Two keys to smoothly cornering a truck. The first, as others have mentioned, is to make sure your looking far enough ahead of the truck. Nothing will make your steering more ragged than looking just past the hood.

The second is your steering inputs. Putting a truck in a turn isn't just cranking the wheel. It's gradually turning in so that your final steering input accounts for the induced steering of the cornering forces. That's not to say it's a lackadaisical input, just that it's a variable input that you adjust as needed until steady state cornering is achieved. Do it right, and your corners are smooth, graceful lines, as it eliminates the need to unwind the steering because you turned in too much, which unloads the tires and suspension and drastically changes the induced steering inputs they provide while under cornering loads, and then requires an overcorrection to the inside... and there's your wiggle as you chase the truck through the corner because those induced steering inputs are coming and going and you're steering all over the place without ever achieving steady-state cornering.

 

Im in training right now and watching the other guys jerking the wheel to make small corrections is funny. I started to tell them, "all it needs is a little wiggle."

 

Frankly, it's as much by feel as position.

 

An observation on tight turns (and intersections), a driver wants to "take all he can get" in the way of maneuvering room, otherwise the off-tracking of the wagon will lead to trouble. Hairpin curves can be tricky... I'm sure some drivers here remember negotiating the curves on the old Hoover Dam route? Same goes for plenty of skinny roads nationwide... some of those skinny 2-lane blacktop roads in Arkansas, Kentucky & West Virginia come to mind. Those roads will require a slightly different approach when it comes to negotiating the curves. Otherwise, I agree with much of what is said here in this post... once the OP gets the hang of it, turns should be smooth and even graceful, lol. I know "graceful" isn't a word usually associated with big trucks, but when a driver makes a good turn in a curve, the word applies, 10-4?

Somehow, speaking of West Virginia ("The Hillbilly") reminds me of a funny incident which happened years ago: I was running through the state with an older hand (separate trucks) and I commented on the CB how I was never in one gear for more than 10 or 15 seconds, since the hilly terrain had a driver frequently shifting and actually earning his money, lol. The old hand replied with this classic line on West Virginia: "IF THEY IRONED IT ALL OUT, IT'D BE BIG AS ALASKA!" I thought that line was hilarious, and it might even be true if ya ever go to the trouble, lol.

 

Yeah, I mentioned earlier about the target fixation thing but what I realized after is I focus on the outside edge of the lane under normal circumstances. The focusing on the inside of the lane is only appropriate when you think youre going into a turn too fast. You dont want to get into a turn going too fast and start inching out of your lane to the outside and then need to turn even harder to maintain your lane.

 

Reading this response, I think you're not looking through the turns, you're looking at the turns. And that is the problem, you need to be looking as far around the corner as practicable. Let your peripheral vision and the occasional quick glance verify your lane position, but your eyes need to be much further down the road.

 

I get what you are saying. By ‘focus’ I just mean an aiming point. Most good drivers probably do this without thinking about it. When approaching a turn.

Of course different situations call for different positioning of truck and trailer. A sharp right curve and Im in the right lane with a wide unobstructed shoulder and cars and maybe a truck passing on my left, Im going to aim for the inside of the lane and let my trailer track onto the shoulder a bit. That gives the vehicles to my left more room for error. If in the center lane you cannot do that.

But to your point, yes I agree. We need to keep our attention mainly centered 100-200 yards down the road. But like continuously checking mirrors, targeting where in the lane you need to be can take milliseconds and will make you a safer driver.

My main point was to avoid focusing on the obstacle (the other lane, pothole, edge of road, gator etc). Instead focus, or aim, on where you want to be. That’s the point of target fixation. Our brains will tend to bring us to what we focus on, especially under stress.

 

Do not drive outside your comfort level.
I have lived in Texas(Permian Basin) nearly 10 years, and believe me, some of the speed limits on some highways are just nuts. I’m no slow poke, but I’m not afraid to slow for a curve especially if on a road I’ve never driven before.

 

you're the captain of your ship. Whatever speed you feel comfortable at, is where you need to be. Rather be Safe no rollover trust and believe.

 

Hell I'll say it ......

If you feel G in yer seat, yer already screwing up in a bad way.