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FL CDL Tanker study materials
FL CDL Tanker study resources

FL CDL Tanker: Tank Vehicle Emergency Procedures and Rollover Prevention

FL CDL Tanker · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

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Tank Vehicle Emergency Procedures and Rollover Prevention

Tank Vehicle Emergency Procedures and Rollover Prevention

Questions here test judgment under pressure: what causes a tanker rollover, what you do first when product is leaking or burning, and what you must never do.

Why tankers roll

  • The tank carries its weight high, so the center of gravity is higher than a van's, and a partial load can slosh to the outside of a curve.
  • The usual setup: too much speed entering an on-ramp, off-ramp, or curve; a sudden evasive steer; a soft shoulder; a load shifted to one side or to the rear compartments.
  • The posted curve speed is for cars. Slow to your safe speed before the curve, hold steady power through it, and do not brake hard once the vehicle is leaning.

Leak or spill

  1. Stop away from traffic, ignition sources, and drains; set the parking brake; shut off the engine.
  2. Warn others, keep people upwind and back, and keep ignition sources away.
  3. Call 911, notify your carrier, and call CHEMTREC at 1-800-424-9300; use the Emergency Response Guidebook number from the shipping papers.
  4. Use the emergency shutoff or internal stop valve to stop the flow if it can be done safely; do not try to patch a tank.
  5. Report a reportable release to the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.

Fire

If the fire involves the cargo, get away and stay away; a heated tank can fail violently. Do not fight a flammable-liquid fire with water. Move upwind and uphill, keep others back, and let responders use the placards and shipping papers to identify the product.

Blowout, brake failure, skid

Hold the wheel, keep the vehicle straight, slow gradually without hard braking because liquid will surge forward, and get off the road under control. In a rear-wheel skid, steer in the direction the rear is sliding.

Worked example

A half-loaded tanker enters an Interstate ramp posted 25 mph at 40 mph. Reasoning: the posted speed is a car speed; lateral acceleration plus liquid surging to the outside raises the roll moment beyond what the tires can hold, and a rollover at that speed is likely. The correct action was to be at or below 25 mph before the ramp, with steady throttle and no mid-curve braking. Once committed, do not stab the brakes; ease off and steer smoothly.

Traps

  • Braking hard in the curve to scrub off speed.
  • Walking toward a leak without checking wind direction first.
  • Assuming an empty or nearly empty tank cannot roll over.