Going down the grades HEAVY

that figures, I havn't been over it since probably...... 97 or so.

There isn't a good way around it is there?

 

I did Mack, I ran into him (with another student,every time) about 3 times after I was done, and I made sure to tell him 'thanks', especially after reading some of the nightmares stories on this site.

 

I'm based in Colorado and go "over the hill" 6-7% grades with 80,000 lbs at least once a week so I kinda know about taking a heavy load safely down long curvy grades. Gashauler, you are absolutely correct in your way of downhill driving. This is called the "stab and release method" whereupon you judge what you feel to be a safe speed- say 35mph- and let your truck run up to that speed, then apply firm pressure to the foot treadle to reduce your speed to 30mph, then completely release the brakes and allow the rig to creep back up to your 35mph, repeating this process till you've arrived at the bottom of the grade. Why is this the preferred way to safely negotiate big grades? Most importantly you will preserve **** near all of your air pressure. You'll also save your company's brake linings. Asphaltcowboy, your method is dead wrong, and I do mean dead potentially. Here's why. Air between the linings and drum causing heat buildup is an old wive's tale and who ever told you such nonsense should have their mouth washed out with soap. One thing and one thing only causes brake heat and that's friction. Friction is only caused by contact between the lining and the drum. Excess heat will also cause glazing of the brake linings leading to brake fade and loss of effectiveness. But here's something you may not have considered: excess heat caused by your inept braking can cause the drums themselves to expand leadind to a reduced contact pressure of the linings against the drum prompting an inexperienced driver to pump the brakes a time or two which in the right circumstance (panic, worn or out of adjustment brakes, a cracked drum, etc.) can cause a dreaded "cam-over" where the s-cam spins completely over rendering your brakes inoperable. Then my friend your options are only to bail or if you've got the stones for it to ride it to the next runaway truck ramp. I only hope you don't kill some innocent motorists along the way and give our industry another black eye. Bottom line- if you don't know what your doing, c r e e p
Please drive safe.

 

I forgot to mention, and this is for you newbies, that unless you are really in touch with your particular equipment, and unless you can double clutch perfectly every time without even thinking about it, don't ever, ever attempt to change gears after your rig has "bit" into the grade. Always select your proper gear at the top. (NOT overdrive!!!) remember, slow and steady wins the race.
Drive safe...

 

Ok, now that we have shared a couple pages of decending a steep hill loaded. Lets up the stakes a little and talk about driving light and decending a steed hill in the winter time, with say... 7500lbs in the box. My company used to haul light bulbs from Hillsbourgh, NH west over hogs back mountain in Vermont (Rt.9) in to albany ny and then on west to warren PA. Hogs back might not be as bad as some of you have seen but it's a lot worse when u haul light bulbs that wiegh next to nothing and the snow is on the road.

 

Topic of this thread prompted me to register - hope I can offer something postitive to the forum.

Light load - icy road.

The day the new airport opened in Denver, 6 degrees for a high temperature. I'm coming from Industry, CA to Denver with 5000 lbs of plastic bottles in a set of high cube doubles. Too high to fit in the Eisenhower Tunnel, so I have to go up and around over Loveland Pass.

It just seemed so wrong - so unfair and unnatural. It was snowing, but not heavily, and if it was 6 degrees in Denver, it had to be minus-something up there. Only time during my driving experience that I had to share the road with snowboarders and the only time I have ever looked down on a ski resort from above it from a windy, snowy, two-lane road.

Then a dead-head to Salt Lake City for a load of pallets.

The winter prior: Rolls of foam, 12k pounds in another set of doubles out of Visalia, CA to freakin' Wenatchee, unload, empty to Yakima to pick up foam egg cartons (Amoco?), then back to Tacoma. Started snowing in Dorris, CA (US97), didn't stop till Issaquah, WA. 97 was a 25 mph nightmare, till Biggs, Ore. Then it started again going up the Washington side. Satus sucked. Then the three humps north of Yakima on I-82. Going down into Wenatchee via Quincy wasn't too bad, coming back out was. Then the 3 humps back into Yakima empty. Then loaded with foam egg cartons, back over the 3 humps. Finally get to Snoqualmie - started raining at North Bend. Then started snowing again at Tiger Summit (SR18).

A white-knuckler no doubt, but if I shut down every time it snowed, I would have averaged 500 miles a week. Sat in Redding for 3 days waiting for the canyon to clear up. It never did - it just kept snowing. I'd have been there a week if I didn't go. But if you don't feel safe doing it, or don't think it's worth it, don't do it.

Park.

White Bird, south out of Lewiston. The Lewiston Grade, Willamette, Blewett, all those can be nasty. Saw snow on Tejon (Grapevine Hill) and all the cars pulled over to play in it, so the CHP shut down the freeway. Good call. The worst ice on flat terrain: I-84, Umatilla, Columbia Gorge, to Troutdale, Ore. Unbelievale, cars, trucks and buildings looked like they were covered in melted wax.

Downhill: 80-105,500k, 25mph, 5th gear.
Downhill: less than 60k, 35mph, 6th gear.

Ashland at -10mph many times in the snow - no regrets. That's fast enough.

Keep in mind, these are highway/ freeway grades (6-7%). There are some one-lane, gravel logging and mining roads with 10+% grades that make Donner look like a skateboard ramp.

If you don't feel safe in the snow, don't drive in it. Wait it out.

[I've been out of trucking since 2000, after 10 years, 6 OTR, 4 local. Hope my input isn't too dated. It's fascinating to hear about the changes since I left. Thanks for sharing]

 

The best way to go from Kingman to Vegas in a truck is to run 40 all the way into needles,Ca. and go north on 95. It is longer but faster than having to go thru Bullhead city.

 

West11, great post! Personal experience is always welcome, especially considering how many drivers use this board.
I remember my time with my trainer, had to run MT from Eugene to Bend, to pick up a load of windows (Jeld-Wen). And that road was NERVEWRACKING, at least to me, it was so narrow with that 53', and the log trucks were doing about 50 coming at me. Then we hit light snow near (I think) Sisters.
All that fun stuff aside, it was a blast, that is some beautiful country up there!