Mountain Driving

[Scuba78]

Just info from on rookie to the other rookies. If your training and you are running all 48 or going to run areas with mountain passes/steep grades, make sure you what your rig is capable of.

After my little experience last week coming out of California, I have healthy respect for steep grades. I was always told to go down the hill two gears lower than what I went up the hill in. Problem is, I went up the hill with a very light load and was really heavy coming down.

I was schedule through that area again next week, but some things came up and I will be taking an over size to IL on Monday. I found out that there are some grades on I-44 in MO. I'm not really excited about that, but if I want to drive, I need to suck it up and deal.

So if your going east bound through that area and you see an over size crawling down in 2nd gear, that's probably me.

 

[diehard]

ive seen several in the first ramp on sandstone but only witnessed that one go in. i can imagine the paper work on that is living hell. theres usually 40 cops there from every department. and the fire dept and rescue squad and the guy that runs the super sized motor grader. i bet thats a hard pull to get a loaded truck outta all that gravel. could be interesting to watch.

 

[Scuba78]

Well I changed routes, decided to just go I-40 to I-15. I understand the whole get-the-correct-gear-and-let-the-Jake-do-the-work. But what gear is best per weight ? I'm running 75k and I crawled down the hill at Alba, NM and was almost rammed. That's a little hill too. I've been told to use two gears lower than what I went up in. Anyways, I don't want to sound like a baby, but that fun ride last time shook me up. I almost got out of the truck for good. I thought about it long and hard and there are thousands of drivers that go through the mountains everyday successfully. I know they had to start some where. Well I'm here at Winslow, AZ getting a weather report, looks like ADOT is reporting snow and ice up at Flagstaff. Not sure what to do, wait and see if it melts a little or drive on. Again, thanks for the advice from everyone. I just want to do this safely.

 

[patriciajnsn]

Well I changed routes, decided to just go I-40 to I-15. I understand the whole get-the-correct-gear-and-let-the-Jake-do-the-work. But what gear is best per weight ? I'm running 75k and I crawled down the hill at Alba, NM and was almost rammed. That's a little hill too. I've been told to use two gears lower than what I went up in. Anyways, I don't want to sound like a baby, but that fun ride last time shook me up. I almost got out of the truck for good. I thought about it long and hard and there are thousands of drivers that go through the mountains everyday successfully. I know they had to start some where. Well I'm here at Winslow, AZ getting a weather report, looks like ADOT is reporting snow and ice up at Flagstaff. Not sure what to do, wait and see if it melts a little or drive on. Again, thanks for the advice from everyone. I just want to do this safely.

There he is.You must be really running I don't see u on here much lately.First and foremost don't use your brk too offten let jakes do the work.Depending on the mountain I usually leave it in 6 or 7th gear even if its a small mountain AND i STAY RELAXED.i DON'T WORRY ABOUT ANY OF THE TRAFFIC.You'll get the hang of it.Just go slow.You wanna know what stupid thing I did awhile back,I was on this hwy satrted out real nice it was dark foggy and raining so I didnt see the sign.But this hwy was trk restricted,my tral was too long.It literally was a very steap and very windy rollar coast.er,9%grade somebody on here thought.I learned my lesson.

 

[Keendriver]

Like I said in another thread, I go down a hill in a gear that will keep me going at a constant speed using the engine brake and NOT using the service brakes. Use the engine brake to keep the rig at a safe and manageable speed, and under control. I was taught to save the service brakes for emergencies on grades. You want them cool enough to work properly and stop the vehicle quickly and safely.

It seems like everytime I am descending a grade I get passed by some dimwit riding his brakes all the way down the hill, trailing smoke and giving off the smell of overheated brake linings. I have on occasion been treated to the sight of one of these "very good" drivers on the shoulder with smoke and fire rolling out from under the trailer and/or the drivers, and sometimes I see someone part way up an escape ramp (although I have never had the pleasure of witnessing the actual entrance into said ramp, darn!).

I am proud to say I have not had the opportunity to use the downhill parking pits.

Ever.

I like the ones that ride the brakes all the way to the bottom gettin 'em hotter than hell and then pulling over at the bottom,on level ground and letting them "cool".

 

[greybeard]

I like the ones that ride the brakes all the way to the bottom gettin 'em hotter than hell and then pulling over at the bottom,on level ground and letting them "cool".

The ones that kill me are the ones who stop ON the grade (usually blocking the escape ramp. Seen several Swifties do this on Cabbage)

 

[Keendriver]

The ones that kill me are the ones who stop ON the grade (usually blocking the escape ramp. Seen several Swifties do this on Cabbage)

Well what are the chances that 2 trucks would need to use that ramp at the same time?

 

[boone315]

I like the ones that ride the brakes all the way to the bottom gettin 'em hotter than hell and then pulling over at the bottom,on level ground and letting them "cool".

I was guilty of that the first time I went down the Eisenhower, I had 38,000# on, I had no clue how long that down grade was, I found out, learned my lesson about hitting the top of a big hill in top gear wide open

 

[Keendriver]

I was guilty of that the first time I went down the Eisenhower, I had 38,000# on, I had no clue how long that down grade was, I found out, learned my lesson about hitting the top of a big hill in top gear wide open

Hell, I did it once tonce is usually all it takes then self preservation kicks in and you get a little smarter.JAYSUS...I'm goin way too fast!!!Whoa mule....whoa

 

[patriciajnsn]

I have never seen any trks parked on escape ramps that I can recall.But what I don't understand is why are some of the escape ramps on the left.That's kind of silly isn't it?

 

[Keendriver]

I have never seen any trks parked on escape ramps that I can recall.But what I don't understand is why are some of the escape ramps on the left.That's kind of silly isn't it?

Cuz the other side is downhill?