Steepest grade you ever pulled or went down.....

15% grade, on SD40 heading into Keystone SD. we used to load out 42,000 lbs of silica sand from a mine that they shipped to China for etching glass for copy, x-ray and other applications. It's about 2 mile long hill with a gentle curve at the bottom.

Same area, there are some steep grades 8, 9 and 10% around Lead, SD. also. Delivered parts to a mining operation above Lead one year in the winter, was fully chained up and had to idle up the hill (10%) to get to the place as I couldn't give it any power or I would spin. They had a D9 sitting at the top in case I got stuck that would pullme up.

 

I was in Death Valley 5 weeks ago. I believe it is State road 190 in California towards the west end of the valley right before you get to the no trucks over 35 ft sign it is 11%. The truck was a 425hp and I was grossed at 74,000 pounds. Made for a slow day.

 

well not that far like 1/4 mile, but there are allot of 10-15% grades or more in pa.

There is one allot of us have been on in pa, rt15 between williamsport and white deer pa, there is a stretch near LEwisburg penitentiary, that even when i start at the bottom of this 1/2 mile pull at 75mph, I go down to 15-20mph with a 550 cat and 80k load.


K

 

Been there. Imagine that with a 40K set and a 350 Detroit..lol.. Pa has some real steep grades. None are that long but they are steep and have a good amount of traffic. Another one is Pa 153. There is a steep one between I80 and Pa 255 and there is a longer steeper one between Pa 255 and US 219. My truck pukes as soon as it sees them..lol..

 

11% I think

here are a couple that I can think of off the top of my head:

US 27 from Chattanooga TN to Crossville TN
US 27 from Somerset,KY to I-40
some "shortcut" from North Carolina into TN but can't remember the hwy # but it also has about 50 curves that you have to take up both lanes blindly on the edge of a cliff to make it around, #### that driver that told me about that "good road"!
Tons of roads off the beaten path in PA

 

only time in my 48 state career I had to chain was in PA to get over a series of hills, others said " I dont chain", i did and made it through, the others waited 5hrs for a salter.


K

 

16% on some 2 mile long switchbacked road going up to a jobsite on the top of a mountain near the coast in california. And I have no idea what the grade is, but coming out of the phelps dogde copper mine in Globe, Az is definately a treat at 80k

 

This pic was taken on the road out of that mine... some 18 years ago or so.


Had to let the brakes cool down... no jake on that truck.

 

I've run up a couple short ones that weren't marked but felt like straight up. Ran down a marked 11% yesterday but I was empty so it kinda took the fun out of it.

 

We play that game every winter trying to get up the hill between I80 and our terminal. About three or four times a year we shut the hill down. Imagine 20 - 30 sets of doubles all stuck on a 3/4 mile long hill. You always know who has the heavy lead and light kite - they go right on up. If your trailers are close in weight you're getting stuck. We have those little digger chains to get in and out of docks and stuff. I put them on at the bottom and by time I was halfway up they broke off and I was stuck. Penn Dot sent a few salt shakers and got us the rest of the way up. Great times.. Great times..