Monteagle

Geez, correcting yourself? Just don't start talking to yourself!

 

You think they would put a blue crab box there. Would be a good place to take a leak.

 

No doubt. not a whole lotta places to relieve yourself from there to chattanooga

 

The old hand that trained me years ago told me a good thing about coming down grades.

You can come down a steep grade too slow a million times, you can come down too fast one time.

I still have a deep respect for steep grades, seen too much stupid stuff happen to drivers that should have known better.

 

So are you obligated to stop at the brake check areas if you are in a semi? What happens if you don't pull into the brake checks areas and you drive right on by?

 

If the Dot happens to be there as they are sometime they wont be to happy with ya.

 

Actually the stop is there also to make sure you come to a complete stop so you don't start down the hill in too high of a gear . Speed limit for fully loaded trucks is 45 m.p.h. .
I saw a post by a guy with a 3/4 ton Dodge pulling 24,000 pounds saying he was able to hold it at 50 m.p.h. going down Monteagle . He got the trailer in Louisville from a friend whose F450 had broken down . The guy was very lucky it was late at night , coops were closed , and no DOT around .

 

If you are in a big truck & the sign says that all trucks must exit... Then yes you are obligated to pull in. DOT is not around & you bypass it... Then your OK. But in that area DOT have plenty of spots to hide & view the brake check area. I'm not sure what the fine would be if they catch a person bypassing it... Me personally, it's worth the extra 2 minutes to go in there & out. It's a lot quicker then the 45 minutes that DOT will hold you up with your inspection if you get caught bypassing...

 

the only dumb question is the one not asked. Us as truckers are learning something new everyday at least I am.I run that area a lot and can tell you that if you listen to what the other drivers have told you you'll be fine.