This is what separates the Men from the boys....

Anyone have pics of the road itself? The grade my parents used to live on in NY must be at least 6%. Very scary my first time driving it but love it now. Too bad we do not have grades in FL.

KH

 

Really have to laugh at some drivers out there! I was going east on sandstone hill on I-64 in WV last week, this truck passes me coming out of the brake check area. He was at the first sandbox going down the hill, parked blocking the ramp to it. Said his brakes were acting up! He passed me again before the bottom. I was grossing 230,000 lbs, my brakes didn't smoke!

 

I wouldn't want to go up or down a 26% grade like that empty...My Pete w/C15 could probably do it though...

 

I pulled 130,000lbs up a 14% grade once, My 625hp Cat almost powered out in 3rd direct. 26% is one hell of a grade, I wonder if a loaded truck could climb it without tearing something up.

 

A nice day cab with about 600hp bob tail would be fun. I would love to learn the pikes peak race.

 

:smt044 HAHAHA! that made me laugh! thats awesome man!

 

It is all a matter of gearing. Heck IIRC I took a road leading to Driscolls in Southern CA and were I was coming from there had been an accident. Well the CHP gave us an option wait 12 hours for the road to be cleared or take a road that was restricted to trucks with trailers shorter than 28 ft. I took the road option with a 53 footer. Put my tandems at the nose and ran it. I needed a new pair of SHORTS at the other end but I made it.

 

Trust me, you won't get over Sonora Pass with a 53ft trailer. But i love wacthing guys try in the summer when i go camping up there, it takes a good 8 hours or so to get there trailer off the rocks on the first switchback. Sometimes i have stayed an extra day camping because a truck gets stuck.

 

my team mate tried taking donner at 70 the very first time he went down it, and i was ready to shoot him when i got launched out of the bunk from him locking up the brakes for going so stupid fast.

 

Love those guys always stabbing the brakes every 5 seconds going down a hill, as long as they FEEL cool, its all good. The biggest I've done was a 15% empty in Alabama somewhere, went down in 6th and was still hitting the brakes, I over estimated the awesomeness of my jakes. 5-7% hills Im used to and know what gear to be in