Braking, Skid Control and Emergency Handling with Liquid Loads
Braking with a moving load
Stopping distance grows with a liquid load: surge hitting the front of the tank adds force the brakes must overcome, and weight transfer unloads the rear axle. Plan stops early, aim for controlled braking - firm, steady pedal pressure that slows the vehicle without locking wheels - and avoid stab braking, which sets the load rocking. With ABS, hold firm pressure and steer; do not pump the pedal.
On long downgrades, select a low gear before the descent, use engine braking, and apply the brakes in short, firm applications rather than riding them. If brakes begin to fade, use an escape ramp rather than continuing.
Skids and emergency handling
If the drive (rear) wheels skid, release the brakes so the wheels roll again, and steer in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go; counter-steer as the rear comes back. If the front wheels skid, you have lost steering: release the brake or accelerator and steer where you want to go. In a tanker a skid is a rollover risk - a high center of gravity and shifting load can trip the vehicle if a wheel drops off the pavement edge, so brake straight and avoid hard swerving.
Emergency steering: brake in a straight line first, then steer only as much as needed. Never let the load decide your line for you.
Trap to expect: answers that brake hard first and steer later, that pump ABS brakes, that accelerate out of a rear-wheel skid, or that treat a loaded tanker's stopping distance as equal to a dry van's.
Rule of thumb: double your normal following distance so you have room to brake gently with the load settled.