- 5 times
- 10 times
- Unknown
- The same
From The CDL Manual
Rollover Risks—
More than half of truck driver deaths in accidents are the result of truck rollovers. When more cargo is piled up in a truck, the “center of gravity” moves higher up from the road. The truck becomes easier to turn over. Fully loaded rigs are 10 times more likely to roll over in a crash than empty rigs.
- Explosions
- Rollovers
- Bridge collapse
- Brake failure
From The CDL Manual
Rollover Risks—
More than half of truck driver deaths in accidents are the result of truck rollovers. When more cargo is piled up in a truck, the “center of gravity” moves higher up from the road. The truck becomes easier to turn over. Fully loaded rigs are 10 times more likely to roll over in a crash than empty rigs.
- Stack all cargo towards the rear of the trailer
- Keep cargo on the side you are most likely to turn towards
- Pile cargo high in the middle of the trailer
- Keep cargo as low as possible
From The CDL Manual
Two things will help prevent rollover: keeping the cargo as close to the ground as possible, and going slowly while turning. Keeping cargo low is even more important in combination vehicles than in straight trucks.
- Turn in the direction you want your cargo to shift
- Pump the brakes when stopping
- Take turns slowly
- Coast to a stop
From The CDL Manual
Two things will help prevent rollover: keeping the cargo as close to the ground as possible, and going slowly while turning. Keeping cargo low is even more important in combination vehicles than in straight trucks.
- 2.5
- 3
- 1.5
- 2
From The CDL Manual
- Trailer rollover accidents
- Brake failure
- Jack-knifing
- Massive air loss
From The CDL Manual
Rearward Amplification —
Trucks with trailers have a dangerous “crack-the-whip” effect. When you make a quick lane change, the crack-the-whip effect can turn the trailer over. There are many accidents where only the trailer has overturned.
- 1.0
- 2.5
- 3.5
- 2
From The CDL Manual
- How easily you can roll the last trailer, i.e. 3.0 = 3 times as likely
- How likely it is that the brakes will lock up when stopping
- How loud it is inside the trailer
- The likelihood that you blow the rear speakers in the cab
From The CDL Manual
Rearward amplification of 2.0 on the chart means that the rear trailer is twice as likely to turn over as the tractor. You can see that triples have a rearward amplification of 3.5. This means you can roll the last trailer of triples 3.5 times as easily as a 5-axle tractor-semi.
- 1 second for every car length
- 10 seconds for every 10 feet
- 40 feet
- 1 second for every 10 feet
From The CDL Manual
Steer Gently
Steer gently and smoothly when pulling trailers. If you make a sudden movement with your steering wheel, you could tip over. Follow far enough behind other vehicles (at least 1 second for each 10 feet of your vehicle length, plus another second if going over 40 mph). Look far enough down the road to avoid being surprised and having to make a sudden lane change. At night, drive slow enough to see obstacles with your headlights before it is too late to change lanes or stop gently. Slow down to a safe speed before going into a turn.
- These are all good rules to follow when driving combination vehicles
- Slow down to a safe speed before going into a turn
- Steer gently and smoothly
- Look far enough down the road to avoid being surprised and having to make a sudden lane change.
From The CDL Manual
Steer Gently
Steer gently and smoothly when pulling trailers. If you make a sudden movement with your steering wheel, you could tip over. Follow far enough behind other vehicles (at least 1 second for each 10 feet of your vehicle length, plus another second if going over 40 mph). Look far enough down the road to avoid being surprised and having to make a sudden lane change. At night, drive slow enough to see obstacles with your headlights before it is too late to change lanes or stop gently. Slow down to a safe speed before going into a turn.