Driving in the mountains advice for new drivers.

Some Western states start enforcing you must carry chains even if roads are dry and weather is sunny from about Oct 1 to April or May. If you are from Midwest, you probably don't carry chains at all. I think Washington State, California, & Colorado are the strictest. I think WA fines you $500 for no chains in the truck during their chain season, even if the weather conditions do not require chains. Each state has its web site Colorado DOT, WA DOT, Ca DOT, etc. Also it is in the front pages of the Motor Carrier Road Atlas which I am sure you carry, right?

 

I remember someone once saying that they would never run chains because of the damage to tires. Lol

Nothing feels better than a set of three railers when it's dicey with snow pack. It really takes all the stress out of it for me.

 

The Rand McNally Motor Carrier Road Atlas (MCRA) is more important to have than coffee, and I don't know almost anything more important than coffee. In the front, each state has a few pages about that one state. It gives the location of truck restricted routes and low clearances, State Kingpin to rear axle length limits (and how that one state measures it) plus phone numbers and websites for state DOT and police, etc. Since GPS people stopped buying the $20-40 book, get the paper version and replace it every 2 years at the end of the year for half-price. "But I was just following my GPS" will not get you out of a ticket. Yes, GPS should know better, but they often don't and you get the tickets and points, not the GPS. The MCRA can replace the GPS. The GPS cannot replace the MCRA.

 

I think WA requires you have some spare chains, in addition to sufficient chains for required tires. I never had spares.

In fact I ran out west 2 years and we used tire socks. The only things good about tire socks is they are light, easier to install. They are effective in packed snow, they shred like wet toilet paper on combination ice, rain, and dry roads. Oregon activates the "chains required" when the roads get wet and falling temps are on the mountain passes. "Oh good, I can destroy my tire socks 8 miles from where I will need them." Most running I did was in mixed conditions that ruin tire socks in a handful of miles. On dry roads, stop in a trailer length and take them off or you won't have anything to take off. IF I had to run in something, I'd choses chains over socks. Socks cost the same as chains, fly off tires at 1-2 over the 20 mph max speed and if you spin a wheel, your sock in now permanently wrapped around the hub between tires or in a tree somewhere. The trucks with chains passing me were able to do 30-35 mph. Out West you may put chains on and off 6 times in 30 miles. CA has a nifty deal when chains are required. CA has a 2 stage chain law. Some times CA only requires chains on the tractor and one trailer axle. In heavier more winter conditions they require chains on tractor and 2 trailer axles. If you run tire socks, or alternative traction devices, when you have to chain anything you have to chain tractor and 2 trailer axles. I found that out on top of Donner where they check each vehicle for chains before it can enter the highway. First CA employee told me take this exit, put on your chains (tractor and 1 trailer). I did that. At the checkpoint, he said you have to turn around and go back and chain up both trailer axles since you are using ATDs/tire socks.

Oregon DOT has the best diagrams about how many chains and which axles must be chained for 48/53ft trailers and all the combinations of pups and full-size trailers. If you chain like Oregon wants, you should be good in any state.

 

This doesn't always work, especially where you have an easy climb, but a steep descent, like you'll find in the Front Range of the Rockies ( like Eisenhower Pass). Always start out slow; NEVER expect that you'll be able to gear down once you start a descent. "Fanning" the brakes will reduce heat buildup, but will also reduce your air pressure; do it SPARINGLY AND SLOWLY.

Oh_good_lord, you haul HAZMAT? From the experiences you have admitted to here, I would postulate that you are probably not experienced enough to be trusted with hazmat. It used to be that hazmat carriers wouldn't even consider somebody with less than 2 years experience, mostly for the same stuff that you have posted about. At this point, you need to consider your lack of experience and the danger it is putting not only yourself into, but also everybody else nearby you on the road. Screw up ONCE on a mountain pass with a flammable load, and you are DEAD, as well as probably a few other people as well. I don't blame you for being in this situation; I blame whomever the IDIOT is at your company that hired a rookie to haul dangerous cargo. You need to be EXTREMELY careful in your mountain driving for at least the next year or more, or else both you and your fly-by-night company will become statistics.

 

At 15 psi you will probably overheat the brakes. Not right away but 5 mile downhill you probably be smoking. That more heat then the drums can handle. 10 psi is not very much braking power. The drums will almost be smoking after a long downhill. They will very very hot but not smoking. If you had to you still have enough power to stop the truck going downhill hill. If there was accident or going into souther California the scale house is at bottom of hill basically. So you might have to stop if scale was open.

 

Another thing they told us I don’t see drivers talk about. When you go down a mountain don’t stop at bottom and set you parking brakes. Because the brakes will get even hotter with no air flow and putting the shoes against the drums. It’s possible to start brakes on fire. If they had oil on the drums or shoes. I never seen it happen or had it happen to me. Just something to remember if you stop at bottom of mountain the brakes will get even hotter.

 

Fanning the brakes causes a huge addition of energy, which will heat the brakes A LOT, but only allows a relatively small amount of cooling.

If you were jogging & got tired you wouldn't want to jog faster because it gives you more refreshing breeze. The effort running faster is a much bigger toll on you than the slight extra breeze causes you to feel less tired.