I64 West through WV KY IN MO at night?

Downhill..
I-64 is a easy road to drive. Just a few hills to climb and coast down. You're light so all the better.
Not much different than I-81 or I-24 thru the mountains.
Good luck

 

I had my spouse towards Black Mountain on 40 as her graduation test during training, she took the rig across west virginia the hard way on the spine of the smoky mountains through the turnpike where speeds are 50 and less in spots and other considerations.

I cannot recall exactly but a light bulb went off about that New River Gorge. That bridge is the 8th wonder of the world roughly 800 feet up. You cannot allow yourself to be scared of heights on that thing. Prior to it's built, people needed 3 hours to get across that particular river. With the new bridge built it was down to 40 minutes. Nice.

The next thing about WVa is a place called White Sulphur Springs. Its the third big hill after Sandstone near the state line eastbound. You absolutely have to be prepared and have cold brakes before you get that far. Greenbrier comes to mind. (That I think was a cold war era hotel designated as a nuclear HQ for entire Congress before it's secrets were betrayed I think back in the 80's I think we rely on mount weather for that purpose now)

If you pound west virginia too hard up and down, using brakes all the time you will find that the brakes retain heat and then build on it. Then begin to fade a touch and wisps of haze then smoke. You will smell it first before anything. That is already too much.

Every mountain grade requires a little gentle work going down. Anyone can climb a hill. But all mountains, depending on what is your gross weight, what truck you have, engine, jacobs braking or not, condition of your brakes and so on etc going down grade is not a place to be screwing around. I built my life in trucking specializing on downgrades. Im not alive or living unless I am on a goodie heading down.

Whatever the videos you see on the various mountains for speed etc, gears and so on, subtract 10 to start off. At some point if 80K against a 7% grade down, I think it's right around 5th high or 6th high at about 22 or so at most on max jake where gravity has balanced your rig at one speed with a gentle change in RPMs here and there and no need to touch your brakes at all.

To be the slowest truck going down is to be the safest. I have no ego towards those sillies who want to trash talk you for holding them up. Ive also used to let a truck go downgrade for miles at 130+ only to find that gravity quits pulling if the grade is 5% or more gentle. Anything steeper the gravity will continue to increase your speed until you are killed. In fact a little bit of negative gravity comes into play because you are dropping so fast. THATs interesting. But not something I ever say to anyone reading this crap. Never try it.

White Sulphur on 64 East will be your big hill. At the state line. There will be additional hills ahead as you work towards the east coast. There are songs, legends and stories from the ghosts of those who have not yet made it to the bottom of WSS grade for one reason or another.

The eastern mountains millions of years ago were bigger than the Western Rockies. Weather and so forth has eroded the eastern mountains down quite a bit. The rockies are still relatively young and in a millions of years into the future they too will erode down. But the Rockies are where the really BIG hills are. WVa is good ground for learning the mountain work in trucking before you head west.

Winter is coming. Or already here. Steamboat and MT had snow last week. So... chains up.

 

First hill I ever worked in the snow was 33 from VA going to Elkins. Went up and over empty. Nice dry road. Interesting how the rock and log haulers drive it. On the way back was dry most of the way back up...got to the top and nothing but snow and ice! Got towards the top and stopped! Only 1 car on the head rack. Trooper and another driver stopped and asked what's up? I gulped real deep and said I never done this before! Their advice?? Stay off the brakes... really?! That's what ya got?? Stay off the brakes?! Lol. I survived..but it weren't not fun!!!
Like was said above..take it easy and let the supertruckers supertruckers! You'll be fine. Just give the truck and the road the respect they deserve!
Happy truckin'!!

 

Indeed. If you were real slow and stayed off the brakes, your tires have a limited amount of traction and all of it is used by rotation. If you touched the brakes it would have taken away any traction that was left stopped the rotation possibly and there you are sliding.

The old trolley is useful, you could add just a touch of it, which stretches your trailer against your 5th wheel and making your entire unit somewhat... resistant to sliding. But it really takes a tiny bit of trolley as you go doing this. I suspect fleets may have quit buying trolleys in new trucks now to prevent drivers that level of control.

Even winter winds if strong enough leaning on that trailer is a problem. I drove a curtain side with european 14 inch trailer wheels on the back for auto glass into KY back to GM in baltimore across WVA my first winter. When the winds blew on it empty westbound it became a sail. And a real problem.

I learned if I got into deep enough snow, to push with the front bumper the trailer wheels dragged into the snow and kept it from being shoved around in the winds. It's against any logic but it worked for me. Straight ice is not fun. But there are dozens if not hundreds of posts about my battles with ice in this site.

If the road was plowed, I would gently ride the heap of snow on the side but not all the way in because it will grab you and wreck you.

 

Keep us updated.

 

It is a device attached to the column below your steering wheel to the right, opposite the 4 ways box. On that device is a small lever. With air lines attached to it. When you pull that lever on the trolley youre applying braking pressure to just your trailer wheels. (And activating the inside pair of stop lights on that trailer telling the rest of us exactly what you are doing...)

It does not take much to apply adequate braking with a trolley. It does and will change the situation for better or for worse if you do not use it correctly.

I could go on into more detail, but rather not. That trolley offers certain advantages such as for example...

You are sitting at a stop sign on a vertical hill. Wondering how you are going to get off your brake, to the clutch and apply fuel with enough power to move out and finish your turn without stalling out? You can apply the trolley first. All the way down. Wait a moment for your air to stablize. Release the trolley. You have about 2 seconds or so to get your feet moving and power applied to start pulling before you roll backwards when that trailer releases all the braking.

Makes sense?

 

Since were on the topic of grades...........

I Notice something very important that needs to be addressed ASAP.

I-26 east of Asheville before crossing into SC.......There's a 3 mile Downgrade which is posted at 6%....

They have it posted for trucks to travel 55mph going down- THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED,

35-40 mph for 72k gross and above- Why? Your Jake wont hold you back at 55 going down that stretch-Geared right its still too much- If traffic is slowed or stopped at the bottom.......Your Not stopping.

Some of you may know EXACTLY what I'm talking about


Same with I-68 in Maryland- I Have a Huge Gripe that the Grades aren't posted going East- Those are 7-9% 1 mile Downgrades NOT POSTED! Its 100 times Harder to prepare for the descent NOT knowing the Grade- Please Fix that Maryland and North Carolina.