Taking Curves

I was told by our shop manager that the truck will seem to lean because of the way the cab shocks are designed in newer trucks, especially Freightliner Cascadias.. It's a safety feature, and as Phoenix said, if you feel the lean, you are going too fast. Thats also why your trailer still appeared straight.

I agree with everybody else on here. I wouldn't worry about all those other fools. You don't know diddly squat about them. They could be brand new drivers, or maybe they've been out here driving that stretch for twenty years; you don't know what's in their box, if anything; they could have multiple accidents on their record, or maybe this is the fastest they've ever taken this stretch and you'll see one of them on the side of the road further down. Different tractors respond differently too. Like Sue said, the cabs in Freightliners pitch and lean alot more than some other tractors. They also have a higher center of gravity and a shorter wheelbase than alot of the old Petes passing you.

I used to try to go around curves as fast as everyone else until I got a "critical event" as they call it. I don't know where you work, but here at Swift they keep track of things like that and can penalize or terminate you if you get too many.

Hi everyone and thanks for all the info and advice. Very helpful and enlightening. I'll continue to do what I've been doing and drive my taters through there at my own comfort level. There's other lanes for the drivers of the rally trucks. And I agree that the I-40 gorge is much less of a hassle than the WV Turnpike also! I am NOT going to be the guy that makes 47,000 lbs of mashed potatoes on I-77.

Hi everyone and thanks for all the info and advice. Very helpful and enlightening. I'll continue to do what I've been doing and drive my taters through there at my own comfort level. There's other lanes for the drivers of the rally trucks. And I agree that the I-40 gorge is much less of a hassle than the WV Turnpike also! I am NOT going to be the guy that makes 47,000 lbs of mashed potatoes on I-77.

One thing that I have not seen mentioned here, that might help you stay safe.

Loose loads can abruptly shift their center of gravity.

If you are feeling the turn enough to lean, then your load probably is too. If the potatoes start rolling in the trailer during a turn, they will roll to the outside of the curve, which is exactly where you least want them.

Even worse, if you hit a bump in the road when you are on the curve, you might see a dramatic shift as the potatoes jump in the air, and shift to the outside of the trailer slightly.

Loose loads are dangerous. Once they start to shift, all hell can break loose.