Winter driving do's and don'ts

Jake bad but sometimes is used, do not put on full or intermittent. keep it steady.

 

So you mean if you can not get in line and flow with the rest take a break, folks have somewhere to go and are time restricted. Just increase the distances, find a good station and enjoy the ride.

 

Here is a rather touchy tip.

Im not sure where you are in terms of experience. But I'll try my best to explain it.

You know you shift down at torque RPM call it 1250 for sake of discussion. At 1600 you spin out. So what do you do?

I try a form of RPM driving that is not used on anything other than a slippery place like ice. I'll let the engine come down to 1000. Maybe 900 if she aint bucking me. Add just enough fuel to hold it there without the bucking and nosing down. I know my old Mack Superliner 500 will accept 850 but my old boss snowball could do it better than I could.

THAT sometimes, NOT always keeps her moving. Then... I'll try a really light shift. Here is the difficult part.

Coming out of gear at 900 and then directly into the next gear down which the RPM should be around 1300 roughly really close to the 1250 situation. It's outrageous to try to drive on nothing at all like that but when the road is very slipping and you cannot stay where you are at, it's a trick kept in the bag for that reason.

I don't know too many computer trucks that will accept that kind of driving. In the old days of iron and natural breathing engines, you could get away with it as long you don't use more than just a smidgen of fuel. It's really hard to tell you just how light your right foot is on that fuel pedal. A eggshell is the closest. Just enough to dribble fuel towards the cylinders because if you try to add more than that, you are back to lugging which will lead to stalling, bucking, nosing down etc.

 

Hmm. If you are going downhill and start to slide don't try and stop, you won't be able to. Just gonna have to ride it out. you need to let off the brakes and regain control then try try the breaks again just to maintain the speed you have. It will be hard to slow down without breaking traction again.

 

Yes that's pretty much it. The issue is how ignorant a large "sector of the population" shall we say is, completely oblivious of the 50 vehicles behind while doing 30 mph when conditions permit about double that. Never turn into a pullout or go through the next towns truck stop, never crosses their mind. Then there's the polar opposite, out of my way I will drive against my governed 105 kmh and hope I don't have a head on crash. You find both in northern Ontario. Winter just makes it worse.

 

There are a few hills too slippery to brake on so I just come off at idle in low gear and accept that Im a sled now. All the way down where the bottom is a straight run out.

One mountain near Altoona has a 220 degree 10 mph curve with two lanes for me at the bottom of about 10% more or less. I forget the exact percentage of that mile drop but it's steep. At that curve my trailer is coming out and is dragged around because shes empty. The cars are mostly locals who understand me and give me room to do that. Which is why I loved to be around that area because the people are so accommodating and will wait a minute. You cannot help it doing your job with a 18 wheeler.

A few times south of Allentown on what I think is PA 309 Ill have to double check that. There is a town with redlights on a upgrade.

I'll have to stop at that light but allow the rig to stay in gear at idle with the drive wheels rotating slowly with just the trolley brake holding the trailer. Eventually by the time the light is green I hope to have the drive wheels chew down the sleet and reach concrete just enough to get moving again upgrade. It's outrageous. I had a police man there on the corner mentally debating if that is a ticket or not from the expression on his face.

I wonder how that will play out in the court house. It was not a day to be driving, but the boss man says here is your load of shingles. Mush.

 

Funny how that works, super trucker and white knucklers in same boat, just get in line with increased following distances and steady as she goes. plus look ahead, way ahead.

 

If you drove it...you would understand

 

There are detour routes. 622, 599,71,Burchell Lake road and more. Fortunately few drivers use them or would be allowed as they would just become another statistic unless they have actual bush hauling experience. When I reroute at a road closure I don't broadcast WTF I'm doing.
NW Ontario Backroads, Book by Mussio (Spiral Bound) | chapters.indigo.ca