SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/cdl-hazmat-cargo-tanks

What do baffles inside a liquid tank help control?

Forward and backward liquid surge.

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  1. Side-to-side surge only
  2. Forward and backward surge ✔
  3. The liquid's temperature

Why: Baffles are bulkheads with holes that let liquid flow through. They slow forward and back surge, but side-to-side surge can still cause a rollover.

Huh, didn't know that: Smooth bore tanks have no baffles; they usually haul food like milk, since baffles are hard to clean.

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Why did the tanker feel so steady? It had good inner support.
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References

Answer: Forward and backward surge. Baffles are bulkheads with holes that let liquid flow through. They slow forward and back surge, but side-to-side surge can still cause a rollover.

  1. California Commercial Driver Handbook (DMV) www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/file/california-commercial-driver-handbook-pdf
    The baffles help to control the forward and backward liquid surge.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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