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Tanker · Safe Driving Rules

Apart from how the pedal is used, what does tank vehicle guidance ask of a driver in the space and time they allow for a stop?

1.Start slowing well back from the stop, with more space than a van trailer needs, since the surging load works against the stopCorrect answer
2.Keep the same following distance as any other vehicle of that same length, since surge is treated as a cornering problem rather than a stopping one
3.Keep a shorter following distance than usual, so that the vehicle ahead can be watched that much more closely the whole time
4.Change nothing about following distance at all, since a tank vehicle's stopping distance is assumed to be set by its weight alone

Explanation

Two things have to be bought in advance here, distance and time: the braking starts a long way back from where the vehicle must stop, and the cushion ahead is wider than a comparable dry van would need. The reason is specific to a liquid load rather than to size or weight, since the surge works against the stop and keeps pushing after the brakes have done their part, so the margin has to be taken before the stop begins rather than found during it. 49 CFR 383.119(b) makes proper braking procedures when the vehicle is empty, full, and partially full a required knowledge area without stating any distance or interval, so this is manual practice. The wrong options treat surge as something that only shows up in curves, cut the cushion instead of widening it, or reduce stopping distance to weight when the point is that a moving load changes the stop regardless of what the vehicle weighs.

Source: 49 CFR 383.119(b)

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