Route advice. Kentucky, Tennessee, NC mountains, going to Laurens SC.

the "gorge" has curves that have no banking or some that are banked in the wrong direction causing the truck to lean more.

just need to be wary.

there used to be a real bad wreck at least once a month through there, before the lane restriction.

 

Where I live and the lanes I run I've faced this exact scenario countless times over the years, to scoot thru the gorge or route thru Atlanta to arrive at points around the Nashville area (both ways being about equal miles and time wise if traffic is good).

What sucks about going through Atlanta is Atlanta traffic. I always check and use googlemaps but 99 times out of 100 I'd choose going thru the gorge. Unless I was rolling thru ATL in the middle of the night when it's smooth sailing.

 

^^^ This!!!

 

The primary problem with the I-40 gorge is not the curves. It is not the slow speeds. The primary problem with the gorge is the ground is not geologically stable. Decades ago when the planners were planning the route I 40 would take a powerful local politician had it put in that dang gorge. This was against the sound advice to take it more to the northwest of Asheville. It has been a long time since I was last in the gorge, but as much as the Tenn/NC DOTs work on those landslides they are never going to stop them. I used to drive through that gorge a lot. I have seen many rocks fall off those high peaks. One rock was about the size of a truck tire and thankfully did not hit a car.

As bad as the gorge is, I prefer running it to being in Atlanta daytime traffic. I lived for years in Northeast Georgia. Same logic I used when I trip planned to cross the then Tappan Zee Bridge over the GWB. I would drive 100 miles out of my way to avoid the GWB. Still would!

 

People, including truck drivers, like to inflate the difficulty or danger of places or events so they are the hero of the story. These are all public roads and it's legal and safe for a 16 year old kid with a brand new driver's license to be in, on, around these places. As long as you don't assume they built every road so that you can speed 20 mph over the limit while scrolling through Instagram and holding a burger in one hand and a $18 coffee drink in the other you can go anywhere any other driver has gone on any paved road in the USA. You are cautious because you are responsible. Because you are responsible you are more capable than many others. Stay cautious and responsible, only you are in charge of that.

 

As mentioned before, the construction in Asheville is worse than driving through the gorge. Driving through these "legendary" stretches of road simply involves reading the advisory signs.

 

The side you went down Monteagle isn't as bad as the other side, but I'm glad you came through it ok.
Always remember (and it's been said 1,001 times before and made more), you can go down as slow as you want to, as many times as you want to, but you can only go too fast one time.
Sounds like ya'll doing well.
Truck on!