Sure it can. Some people think that an 80,000 rig can't hydroplane at all. It is a misconception that a heavy rig like that will displace the water and all is safe. Well, at normal speed limits, water on the road can be very deadly to you as a driver.
Why do I say that? Did you know that the faster you go, the more the truck lifts? That is why I say you can hydroplane. You are literally floating on the water and therefore you can hydroplane and lose control. Use the weight of your rig by slowing down. This way, your rig lowers and the tires have more traction on the ground.
The safest way to keep a truck from hydroplaning is to watch the weather conditions. If you see rain, there will be water on the road and you need to slow down. Every truck is different in respect to the weight of their load and their setup. The lighter you are (empty or light loads), the easier it is for you to hydroplane. You don't have to be going that fast either. I'm not saying that heavy loads (up to 80,000 pounds) can't hydroplane. On the contrary. You can hydroplane at speeds as slow as 45mph in just a little bit of water on the road.
You also need to be sure you have enough tread depth in your tires. DOT standards are a minimum of 4/32 on the steer tires and 2/32 on the drive tires. But if you get yourself a tire depth gauge and look at what that depth looks like, you will want to get your tires changed sooner in adverse weather and seasonal conditions.
Also, there is a wedge of water that forms in front of the tire on the wet pavement. The tire needs to displace that water, but if you are going too fast for conditions, the tire can't do its job and therefore the tire just rides up on the wedge causing the truck to 'float'.
Think of it like this...A water skier is in the water holding the tow rope. He is not moving, but rather waiting for when the driver of the boat is getting ready to pull him. The skier gives the thumbs up and the boat is put into a forward gear. The skier then is getting pulled out of the water. At this point, water is being displaced by the ski and the skier is not quite on top of the water. He is going too slow to float just yet. There is a huge wedge of water just in front of his ski. The boat picks up more speed and the skier comes out of the water and begins to level out. Now the skier has picked up speed (due to the boat) and the wedge of water in front of his ski has just about disappeared. He is now 'floating' on top of the water.
You need to be sure that you know your rig and the roads you will be traveling on while driving your truck. Be ready to change your driving habits at a moments notice as rain happens year 'round and can happen at any given time. One way to be sure that you will be able to maintain good traction on the road is to be sure that your tires are properly inflated and have enough tread depth on them.
One thing that I have found is that you have better traction on wet surfaces on the cement roads as opposed to the asphalt roads. Why is that? Oil sets on the asphalt and is more ready pulled up during the rainy seasons as opposed to the cement. This theory only works with wet, rainy roads, not icy roads. Be sure you are aware of the outside temperatures also. Falling temperatures will likely turn the water to ice, therefore, your driving habits must be reduced dramatically. Did you know that water will sit on top of black ice? Yep, but that's another subject.
To be safe out on the road, be sure to slow down when there is water on the road. Let the weight of your rig hold you on the road. The more tread you have in contact with the pavement, the better off you are. The faster you go, the more the truck lifts and you will tend to lose control.
Research done on Crash Foresnics
Keep safe out there and look out for your fellow drivers, also.
No comments:
Post a Comment