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A little nervous about this run

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by j76ny, Jul 19, 2014.

Page 1 of 4
  1. Jul 19, 2014 #1
    j76ny

    j76ny Light Load Member

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    Canandaigua,NY
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    Hello all. I'm starting my second week of running solo at my first driving job. I've got a load out of NY headed south to Cherry Hill NJ. HEAVY load. I brought something up this way that was a bit lighter and I noticed on the way up that I could smell the brakes. My engine brake does ok but I still seem to be picking up speed on the way down. The route I will be taking is 81s - 380s - 80e. Needless to say this is making me a bit nervous. Any advice you could give about how to best handle the hilly areas on this would be much appreciated. Also, will moving the tandems slightly forward take some of the stress off the tractor brakes? Thanks for your help!
     
    j76ny, Jul 19, 2014
    j76ny, Jul 19, 2014
    #1
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  3. Jul 19, 2014 #2
    ‘Olhand

    ‘Olhand Cantankerous Crusty

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    OK first and foremost--make sure your brakes are all in proper working order and in GOOD shape--now--
    think about HOW you are applying your brakes--are you overbraking or using too much pressure--(only you can answer this)in most situations on the route your taking(and more on that in a moment)...
    Also when you say heavy--are you talking Heavy haul--or just a heavy legal load?
    Now also check your gear selection--you may be coming off some of these hills in too hi a gear to let your motor help you control your speed on desent...there really isnt anything on this trip that is too hard to handle...the drop off on 80 as you get on from 380 can be a little tricky due to the reduced speed limit..again--gear selection may or may not come into play...
    So assuming your brakes are all ok...the best (IMHO)way to set your load up is as evenly as possible--just sliding tandems up--while taking weight off your tractor--will add to your wagon--possibly requiring your trailer brakes to work harder--and I always prefer when possible to be slightly heavier on my drives than on my wagon....
    As for your routing...may i suggest you take PA33 south off of 80 to I 78east to 287--it's shorter and I personally find it a nicer ride--compared to the mess from Pa into jersey thru the water gap...
    and if possible--with your concerns--leave a little sooner than you may need to so you can take your time and get an xtra break or two in so you can stay fresh...
    Enjoy the ride
     
    ‘Olhand, Jul 19, 2014
    ‘Olhand, Jul 19, 2014
    #2
    peterbilt_2005, wore out, Logan76 and 5 others Thank this.
  4. Jul 19, 2014 #3
    windsmith

    windsmith Road Train Member

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    Slow down. Plain and simple. Before starting down a grade, downshift and set a speed that can be maintained without touching the brakes. If that speed happens to be 20mph because of your load, then that's the speed that you travel down the grade. Set your engine brake to max, activate your engine fan manually, and let traffic flow around you.

    Personally, I like to set up the engine brake to maintain the engine at a steady 1700rpm at max engine braking on the steepest part of the grade. This will vary by truck. As the grade gets shallower and you start to slow, you can either cut back on your engine braking, or disable the engine brake with the throttle to pick up a bit of speed. Then let off the throttle to maintain that speed. Use the brakes only if you need to come to a stop, or if you selected a gear that's too high and need to downshift. If you do need to downshift, make sure you brake firmly until your engine RPM gets down to 1000. That will give you more time to downshift, especially if you miss it. The trick is to be in the correct gear at the top of the grade.

    I run 380 / 80 into NYC all the time, sometimes loaded heavy. It's not a big deal. Now, PA 28 from I-80 into Pittsburgh - that can be fun, what with the 2 lanes and 10% grades... :)
     
    windsmith, Jul 19, 2014
    windsmith, Jul 19, 2014
    #3
    j76ny Thanks this.
  5. Jul 19, 2014 #4
    sherlock510

    sherlock510 Road Train Member

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    Intercontinental.
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    Being nervous is a good thing haha

    good luck.
     
    sherlock510, Jul 19, 2014
    sherlock510, Jul 19, 2014
    #4
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  7. Jul 19, 2014 #5
    TripleSix

    TripleSix God of Roads

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    Ol hand touched on it...GEAR DOWN! You are running too high of a gear. If your jake can't hold you to a constant speed, you are in too high of a gear.
     
    TripleSix, Jul 19, 2014
    TripleSix, Jul 19, 2014
    #5
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  8. Jul 19, 2014 #6
    Florida Playboy

    Florida Playboy Road Train Member

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    Not to sound like a douche but didn't they teach you how to handle grades loaded in driving school?
     
    Florida Playboy, Jul 19, 2014
    Florida Playboy, Jul 19, 2014
    #6
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  9. Jul 19, 2014 #7
    Fire-Man

    Fire-Man Light Load Member

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    Sounded like a douche to me :biggrin_25525: ...at least it was a legit question.

    Be safe!
     
    Fire-Man, Jul 19, 2014
    Fire-Man, Jul 19, 2014
    #7
    GenericUserName, Wingnut1 and Moosetek13 Thank this.
  10. Jul 19, 2014 #8
    j76ny

    j76ny Light Load Member

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    Nov 1, 2013
    Canandaigua,NY
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    Haha not douchy at all DrivertoBroker, yes they did and I was using firm pressure until I got to the speed I was aiming for, which is around 65. I will have to slow it down to 50 and not let it get up above 60. The 380-80 downhill was primarily what I was thinking about. I was planning on splitting off onto 33s - 78e - 287 route that 'olhand mentioned as this is the route I went to Elizabeth during my training.

    My weight is just below 80k and I will be leaving Sunday afternoon for a Monday morning delivery so I will be able to run as slow as need be. They just assigned me this truck and the shop said the brakes are new and I checked the adjustment which seems fine. The reason I was concerned was because I ran with 74k on and didn't get that smell. Maybe just my inexperience showing but I thought it was a good idea to ask.

    Thanks for the advice!
     
    j76ny, Jul 19, 2014
    j76ny, Jul 19, 2014
    #8
  11. Jul 19, 2014 #9
    windsmith

    windsmith Road Train Member

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    THAT is where the brake smell is coming from. It will fade (no pun intended) with time.
     
    windsmith, Jul 19, 2014
    windsmith, Jul 19, 2014
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  12. Jul 19, 2014 #10
    darknessesedge

    darknessesedge Medium Load Member

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    engine brake engine brake engine brake and lower gears....
     
    darknessesedge, Jul 19, 2014
    darknessesedge, Jul 19, 2014
    #10
    j76ny Thanks this.
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