Mountain Snow Driving

Actually Six, everyone can do it - if they choose to do it.
There is no one out here but us controlling how we do things.

People talk down about the mega's for micromanagement, but companies that try to force drivers into unsafe conditions are doing just that.
And doing it in the worst way possible.

 

Yea, I know. But, I know myself too well and I could be too easily coerced into doing something my common sense suggests I shouldn't. I am so grateful for the overwhelming acceptance and support when I have to shut down. I already feel like a wimp when I do. It's just nice to me that they have always been so gracious and accommodating about it.

 

I would rather feel like a wimp for shutting down in bad conditions, than a fool for not doing so when something goes horribly wrong.

Just look at all the fools along I-80 in Wyoming every year that get tossed over because they fail to heed high wind warnings.
And the list would be a mile long even with 1 point text if you include heavy rain, snow and ice, fog...

Swift does pressure us in those conditions.
It is the pressure to shut down to be safe.
They would rather have an intact load, truck, driver to deliver a bit late, than none of it to be delivered at all.

 

OP, I've got several threads about winter driving, although I've not specifically addressed hills in winter.

I would like to expand a little on why you're getting recommendations to run at higher rpm on slick surfaces. While it's true engines make less torque at higher rpm, that's not really why you do it. If you think about it, to run a given speed requires a given amount of torque at the wheels, so what rpm the engine is turning doesn't change the torque at the wheels.

But what is does do is give you built in snubber. You break loose at low rpm, the engine will easily accelerate the spinning wheels until it reaches the governor. And the faster those wheels are spinning the less traction they have and the longer it's gonna take to regain traction. If you are operating near the governor, the wheels are only going to spin up a little bit before the governor pulls the power back.

Running a higher gear does have the engine making more torque because there's less torque multiplication to the wheels, and it will accelerate faster in a no load situation, but it's a lesser issue that's really only noticeable on the very slickest wet ice (talking about the stuff you can't hardly drive 30mph on without spinning.) A driver with a good throttle foot can run normal rpm without issues until it gets really slick, and then you switch to running higher rpm. It comes down to the fact that on the super slick stuff there's so little traction you can't really feel what's happening anymore, and you need to be near the governor to catch the rpm if you miss the slip.

And I'll echo the "Get out of the wheel tracks!" chorus

 

Depends on the hill. If there's a straight shot then let gravity assist before it hinders. If it's all windy and curvy, make sure you can maintain a safe speed all the way down, right? That means proper gear before decent, like youve heard a thousand times I'm sure. Safe speed is the one that feels a little slower than you think lol.

 

I'll add to the rumble strips... they = traction in the worst icy conditions. If you find yourself spinning out, hit the strip with the right drives to re-gain traction before you end up stopping in the middle of the lane. The reverse is true for needing to stop. If the "oh ####" moment occurs that you need to stop faster than the available traction will allow, hit that strip again and hang on. Lots more stopping power available, but remember it will only be on the one side, so expect the truck to try turning on you.

 

These questions get asked all of the time and there is very little trolling that happens here. Some answers may be snarky, but you will get good answers. Snarky just goes with the industry.

But to your question, just what I would do, is not take a major grade if the roads aren't treated. You can take the grade slowly, very slowly, and many truckers do... but if your trailer starts to swing around... what are you going to do? You can't brake, you can't let off your stop controls either. And when you wreck your truck, you will be blamed for it. So just don't do it. Park it and wait.

I sat for 3 days waiting on a connecting load that was shut down in Laramie for 3 days. I was fine with it. The driver will leave when he feels conditions are safe. And after the 3rd day I still didn't get that load, they found something else for me.

If you do decide to take the grade, favor your pedal brake. If you use your engine brake just use one or two clicks and go easy on your controls. One time I drove after a storm in South Dakota overnight and I went too hard on my engine brake and my trailer started to swing around. Not a lot, but enough my stomach drop down into my butt. What I didn't learn until after that was that the engine brakes only slow down the drives, while the trailer still pushes on you. The pedal will slow down your entire system in harmony. Which do you think is better on ice? Your only other real stopping power is to just stop your entire system at a Flying J and eat ice cream until the roads are cleared.

 

What’s the best position for tandems when it’s snowing?

 

Front ahead of the back

 

Back. Not all the way, but enough to max out the drives. It also slightly increases stability by moving the trailer axles away from the moment of inertia. Gives the trailer tires a longer lever, makes their traction more effective.