Any advice for a newbie starting out driving water truck?

Be sure to get the proper winter clothes / boots for the job, nothing worse than being COLD / WET as well as nervous starting out

 

This is my first day as a milk tanker driver. Be careful with the liquid surge. Take all off ramps 15 mph slower than posted speeds and all freeway turns at 45 mph to be safe.

 

Hey now! Watch those cracks about all of us old farts! We've EARNED the right to be old, cantankerous and grumpy!

Ack, better you than me! I'll take working outside in 100+ temps any day to cold weather work!

Best advice I can give is to NEVER get in a hurry or let anyone rush you! I came verrrrry close to rolling a fire tanker while responding to an apartment house that was on fire once!

 

Hi Brettj, a water tanker may have baffles inside, greatly reducing the surge. You'll see right away what everybody is talking about, and it's not as scary as it seems, IF you take it easy. Tanker drivers are some of the best in the world, they have to be, as you don't get a 2nd chance with a tanker. Be aware of "side slosh" when going around corners. It sounds like you will do fine. BTW, I must be getting old, as I never heard a tanker called a baby bottle. Tanker yanker, tube freight, and thermos bottle, but never baby bottle.

 

When I trained pulling a tanker my trainer said "imagine there's an egg under the gas pedal". Worked great when starting from a stop as you go through the gears. Take your time and you'll be just fine. Great advice from above posts. Best of luck to you.

 

[QUOTE="semi" retired;4401310]Hi Brettj, a water tanker may have baffles inside, greatly reducing the surge. You'll see right away what everybody is talking about, and it's not as scary as it seems, IF you take it easy. Tanker drivers are some of the best in the world, they have to be, as you don't get a 2nd chance with a tanker. Be aware of "side slosh" when going around corners. It sounds like you will do fine. BTW, I must be getting old, as I never heard a tanker called a baby bottle. Tanker yanker, tube freight, and thermos bottle, but never baby bottle.[/QUOTE]

we call the 180 barrel trailers baby bottles... as compared to the 4 axles 280 barrel trailers, that stand 11'6" tall.