Tanker Assesment

Hi Guys,
Have an assessment booked next week’s driving bulk food tankers, liquid and powder.
Only been driving for four months and all of that has been on curtainsiders driving ivecos
Have read a lot of posts on here about what to do on an assessment, height marker, mirrors etc.
Question I have is should I expect any difference driving a tanker to a curtainsider? Also assessment company drives DAF, do they drive any different to ivecos?

Dave73-UK:
Hi Guys,
Have an assessment booked next week’s driving bulk food tankers, liquid and powder.
Only been driving for four months and all of that has been on curtainsiders driving ivecos
Have read a lot of posts on here about what to do on an assessment, height marker, mirrors etc.
Question I have is should I expect any difference driving a tanker to a curtainsider? Also assessment company drives DAF, do they drive any different to ivecos?

A fully loaded tank is no real difference regarding road manners to any other load.
If you have a high s.g. (dense) liquid load it can be an interesting ride: 18,000 litres weighing 25 ton
in a 26,000 litre tank moves around a lot. They would be sadistic to give you that on a test drive though!

If it’s a decent operator they’ll be looking for good vehicle control, they’ll probably give you a bit of test re road signs drivers hours etc, but doubt it will be as pedantic as the typical logistics mobs utter ■■■■■■■■ box ticking marathon, the difference being with tanker operators driving competence will be a higher priority than checking the small print.

Daf auto is same gearbox as Iveco, but usually better programming, if its a CF they are the only lorry i tend to kerb the NS trailer wheels with until used to it, dunno why maybe its where the driver’s seat is, and the switchgear on CF’s is simply bizarre, other than that its just another modern lorry where all you have to do is steer.

Hi Dave, any correctly qualified assessor will assess you to exactly the same standard for any vehicle whether it’s a tanker or a curtainsider. I presume you have told them you have not driven tankers before but they will still expect you to drive to a decent safe standard.Don’t worry about that just try to be smooth and brake early and progressively rather than all at the last minute if the vehicle is loaded. Remember not to drive as if you are on a test (as you were probably not at a great standard then) but show them you are confident safe and cautious when nesssecary. Drive to the conditions, stick to speed limits and keep a decent distance from the vehicle in front.

Hope it goes well for you.

All they will be looking for is a competent drive, nothing special. The tanker should be empty when they take you out, to make gears and maneuverability a bit more steady.
Overall tankers are pretty easy to drive, probably more so than curtain siders astley they are not as tall and about 6 feet shorter in length.
The only thing to get used to is the weight difference between a loaded and unloaded tank, as 99% of the time you will be either empty or full weight with no in between (so running at 14 then 44 tonnes, then back to 14 with no in between, unlike with sides sides where weight can be pretty variable)
Just take it slow and steady, especially when loaded, as the controls will be less responsive and your load will move, even in a baffled tank

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Thanks for the advice guys, yes have told them I have no tanker experience and only limited hgv experience.

You advice hase made me feel a little more confident going into the assessment. So all good.

One more question, is there anything extra I need to look for on a walk around check other than all the pipes etc are secure?

Dave73-UK:
Thanks for the advice guys, yes have told them I have no tanker experience and only limited hgv experience.

You advice hase made me feel a little more confident going into the assessment. So all good.

One more question, is there anything extra I need to look for on a walk around check other than all the pipes etc are secure?

Remind them you have no tank experience during walk around, and you should be ok. Ask questions yourself to show you are aware of your need to learn.

Your braking and acceleration will be the thing they look at the most along with putting on the park brake when you come to a stop or keeping your foot brake on. This is because if you’re taking liquid in a tanker, especially milk where the tanks can’t be baffled, the liquid moves more when you come to a stop or accelerate harshly and when you come to a stop if you don’t either put the park brake on or keep your foot brake applied the movement of the liquid can be enough to push you forward. Also you need to let the vehicle in front of you move off a bit further than normal before you set off because if you time it wrong so you’re letting off the brake as the surging liquid reaches its forward most point of movement the moment you let off your brake you can shoot forward very quickly.

Conor:
Your braking and acceleration will be the thing they look at the most along with putting on the park brake when you come to a stop or keeping your foot brake on. This is because if you’re taking liquid in a tanker, especially milk where the tanks can’t be baffled, the liquid moves more when you come to a stop or accelerate harshly and when you come to a stop if you don’t either put the park brake on or keep your foot brake applied the movement of the liquid can be enough to push you forward. Also you need to let the vehicle in front of you move off a bit further than normal before you set off because if you time it wrong so you’re letting off the brake as the surging liquid reaches its forward most point of movement the moment you let off your brake you can shoot forward very quickly.

Conor sorry to intervene but your last sentence would only happen to a complete fool. For it to surge foward and hit the vehicle in front from a standstill you would almost have to have stopped inches from the vehicle in front. You come out with some whoppers from time to time. :wink:

To keep you right, when you stop behind another vehicle always leave enough room that if anything happens you can pull round the said vehicle safely.

Mind you, just remembered you were trained at Leconfield. :laughing:

jakethesnake:

Conor:
Your braking and acceleration will be the thing they look at the most along with putting on the park brake when you come to a stop or keeping your foot brake on. This is because if you’re taking liquid in a tanker, especially milk where the tanks can’t be baffled, the liquid moves more when you come to a stop or accelerate harshly and when you come to a stop if you don’t either put the park brake on or keep your foot brake applied the movement of the liquid can be enough to push you forward. Also you need to let the vehicle in front of you move off a bit further than normal before you set off because if you time it wrong so you’re letting off the brake as the surging liquid reaches its forward most point of movement the moment you let off your brake you can shoot forward very quickly.

Conor sorry to intervene but your last sentence would only happen to a complete fool. For it to surge foward and hit the vehicle in front from a standstill you would almost have to have stopped inches from the vehicle in front. You come out with some whoppers from time to time. :wink:

To keep you right, when you stop behind another vehicle always leave enough room that if anything happens you can pull round the said vehicle safely.

Driving sensibly, and keeping a good gap in front, is taken as an invitation by some to cut in front. The surge of tons of liquid in an unbaffled tank is easy to underestimate. Conor seems to be talking good sense to me.

Franglais:

jakethesnake:

Conor:
Your braking and acceleration will be the thing they look at the most along with putting on the park brake when you come to a stop or keeping your foot brake on. This is because if you’re taking liquid in a tanker, especially milk where the tanks can’t be baffled, the liquid moves more when you come to a stop or accelerate harshly and when you come to a stop if you don’t either put the park brake on or keep your foot brake applied the movement of the liquid can be enough to push you forward. Also you need to let the vehicle in front of you move off a bit further than normal before you set off because if you time it wrong so you’re letting off the brake as the surging liquid reaches its forward most point of movement the moment you let off your brake you can shoot forward very quickly.

Conor sorry to intervene but your last sentence would only happen to a complete fool. For it to surge foward and hit the vehicle in front from a standstill you would almost have to have stopped inches from the vehicle in front. You come out with some whoppers from time to time. :wink:

To keep you right, when you stop behind another vehicle always leave enough room that if anything happens you can pull round the said vehicle safely.

Driving sensibly, and keeping a good gap in front, is taken as an invitation by some to cut in front. The surge of tons of liquid in an unbaffled tank is easy to underestimate. Conor seems to be talking good sense to me.

Franglais I think you misunderstand or I misunderstand Conor. I presume he was talking about pulling up behind someone in a line of stationary vehicles. As I am sure you know it is good to leave a slight gap and not go right up close for various reasons. I certainly do not mean leave a big enough gap for a car to jump in. That would be really foolish.
PS I drove petrol tankers in London for many years by the way.

jakethesnake:

Franglais:

jakethesnake:

Conor:
Your braking and acceleration will be the thing they look at the most along with putting on the park brake when you come to a stop or keeping your foot brake on. This is because if you’re taking liquid in a tanker, especially milk where the tanks can’t be baffled, the liquid moves more when you come to a stop or accelerate harshly and when you come to a stop if you don’t either put the park brake on or keep your foot brake applied the movement of the liquid can be enough to push you forward. Also you need to let the vehicle in front of you move off a bit further than normal before you set off because if you time it wrong so you’re letting off the brake as the surging liquid reaches its forward most point of movement the moment you let off your brake you can shoot forward very quickly.

Conor sorry to intervene but your last sentence would only happen to a complete fool. For it to surge foward and hit the vehicle in front from a standstill you would almost have to have stopped inches from the vehicle in front. You come out with some whoppers from time to time. :wink:

To keep you right, when you stop behind another vehicle always leave enough room that if anything happens you can pull round the said vehicle safely.

Driving sensibly, and keeping a good gap in front, is taken as an invitation by some to cut in front. The surge of tons of liquid in an unbaffled tank is easy to underestimate. Conor seems to be talking good sense to me.

Franglais I think you misunderstand or I misunderstand Conor. I presume he was talking about pulling up behind someone in a line of stationary vehicles. As I am sure you know it is good to leave a slight gap and not go right up close for various reasons. I certainly do not mean leave a big enough gap for a car to jump in. That would be really foolish.
PS I drove petrol tankers in London for many years by the way.

I don’t think Conor was at fault, but do agree with you that leaving enough room to get past anyone in front is a good practise.
.
There… I may not have upset anyone!

If you pull up in a tanker on the weighbridge, it will settle down much quicker if you leave the handbrake off, the wheels will rock back and forth a couple of times without actually going anywhere, trust me,

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You will never upset me Franglais. :laughing: I just say it as I believe it is. Simple as that but I would say any driver driving an unbaffled tanker that stopped in a line of traffic, took his foot off the footbrake and surged forward hitting the vehicle in front was…Stopping too quickly in the first place, lack of anticipation?? maybe, and certainly stopping too close to the vehicle to allow that to happen.
Just my opinion. :wink:

Wheel Nut:
If you pull up in a tanker on the weighbridge, it will settle down much quicker if you leave the handbrake off, the wheels will rock back and forth a couple of times without actually going anywhere, trust me,

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Yep very true.

I drive tankers delivering liquid animal feed and dairy products, my tank only has one baffle an you certainly notice it when you have to brake hard, so keep good distances and be ready for the dopes that cut in front of you.
Also when loaded go very slowly around sharp bends as the product climbs the inside of the tank opposite to the turn you are in and wants to drag it over, I’ve tried strapping it down but I just got wet and smelly :laughing:

jakethesnake:

Conor:
Your braking and acceleration will be the thing they look at the most along with putting on the park brake when you come to a stop or keeping your foot brake on. This is because if you’re taking liquid in a tanker, especially milk where the tanks can’t be baffled, the liquid moves more when you come to a stop or accelerate harshly and when you come to a stop if you don’t either put the park brake on or keep your foot brake applied the movement of the liquid can be enough to push you forward. Also you need to let the vehicle in front of you move off a bit further than normal before you set off because if you time it wrong so you’re letting off the brake as the surging liquid reaches its forward most point of movement the moment you let off your brake you can shoot forward very quickly.

Conor sorry to intervene but your last sentence would only happen to a complete fool. For it to surge foward and hit the vehicle in front from a standstill you would almost have to have stopped inches from the vehicle in front. You come out with some whoppers from time to time. :wink:

To keep you right, when you stop behind another vehicle always leave enough room that if anything happens you can pull round the said vehicle safely.

Considering the target audience in this case has no tanker experience, I think it’s a very valid point. I have no tanker experience either, and although I am aware that the sloshing liquid will push the tanker forward, the distance it pushes me could well catch me by surprise.

As a “former driver trainer” surely you understand the importance of filling in all the potential gaps in the learners knowledge.

Drift:
I drive tankers delivering liquid animal feed and dairy products, my tank only has one baffle an you certainly notice it when you have to brake hard, so keep good distances and be ready for the dopes that cut in front of you.
Also when loaded go very slowly around sharp bends as the product climbs the inside of the tank opposite to the turn you are in and wants to drag it over, I’ve tried strapping it down but I just got wet and smelly :laughing:

Would load bars help ? put a couple on top of the liquid to hold it down :wink: :wink:

Nite Owl:

jakethesnake:

Conor:
Your braking and acceleration will be the thing they look at the most along with putting on the park brake when you come to a stop or keeping your foot brake on. This is because if you’re taking liquid in a tanker, especially milk where the tanks can’t be baffled, the liquid moves more when you come to a stop or accelerate harshly and when you come to a stop if you don’t either put the park brake on or keep your foot brake applied the movement of the liquid can be enough to push you forward. Also you need to let the vehicle in front of you move off a bit further than normal before you set off because if you time it wrong so you’re letting off the brake as the surging liquid reaches its forward most point of movement the moment you let off your brake you can shoot forward very quickly.

Conor sorry to intervene but your last sentence would only happen to a complete fool. For it to surge foward and hit the vehicle in front from a standstill you would almost have to have stopped inches from the vehicle in front. You come out with some whoppers from time to time. :wink:

To keep you right, when you stop behind another vehicle always leave enough room that if anything happens you can pull round the said vehicle safely.

Considering the target audience in this case has no tanker experience, I think it’s a very valid point. I have no tanker experience either, and although I am aware that the sloshing liquid will push the tanker forward, the distance it pushes me could well catch me by surprise.

As a “former driver trainer” surely you understand the importance of filling in all the potential gaps in the learners knowledge.

OMG Do you really think any assessor would take a driver who has no tanker experience out in a loaded unbaffled tanker? I can tell you theres not a chance in hell.

Any driver that did or does what Conor said should not be driving tankers and any driver putting himself in that situation would never get a job. End of.

GOODNIGHT… :unamused: