Driving The Canadian Rockey's

Pee every time you stop at a chain up/ brake check pullout. Nothing is worse than having the peepee dance in the Rockies because you won't find anywhere to pull over

 

Don't let anyone push you into driving faster than you feel comfortable doing. There are far to many accident in the rock pile due to overconfidence, and drivers operating beyond their means.

 

after Coquihalla there is not too many big hills, i used to take 5A to Kamloops via Knutsford (brake check), than is pretty much all flat, few hills, nothing really steep.
Just take your time, there is passing lanes, so those who hurry to cemetery let them go.
Not many places to pull a side.

 

The mass carnage in the Rocky Mountains is caused by moronic Vancouver drivers committing various acts of mindless willful negligence on the Trans-Canada Highway. Speeding is the number one cause of bloodshed.

The Coquihalla Highway in the Coast Mountains is not as bad for death by idiot truck driver, simply because there is more physical room for idiocy. Highway 5 from Kamloops to Tete Jaune Cache is an easy drive if you keep your speed at or below the speed limit. There can be the occasional ice storm between Mount Robson and Jasper but it will be obvious when you start the climb from Mount Robson.

Have your chains ready for action. The other drivers will tell you if there are chain-up conditions ahead and where the chain-up areas are.

There is a long gradual descent going into Merritt and another one going into Kamloops. The trouble on the Coquihalla Highway always happens on the climb north of Hope. Even when you are bombing up the hill fine with no chains you will find trucks spun out and sprawled all over the road like spaghetti near the summit. Half of them will not even have a proper set of chains. Prepare for pathos.


Photo: February last year on the Trans-Canada Highway near Revelstoke.

2008 video of spectacular 5 truck festival of death on the Trans-Canada Highway near Lake Louise:

Stunning stupidity of truck driver results in devastation.

 

Your lucky you have the easier route. That entire route is easy. You really only have one obstacle to worry about and that is the coke. Edmonton to Saskatoon, then down to Regina, is all 4 lane road, set the cruise and put on your favorite music. Lumsden hill is just outside of Regina, and it isn't necessarily steep, but it's long. This can be tricky in the winter time as you descend into the bottom, then you run level for about a mile, then you climb the other side. It can get awful windy in there, so be careful.

Regina to Winnipeg is easy too, really nothing to worry about. Some good pull-out spots and again, all 4 lane.

Abbotsford to Edmonton is a nice drive, way nicer then going through Calgary.

 

Stretches from Kamloops north prone to very bad black ice in winter. Who are you hauling for? Lots of pork comes out of Winnipeg and brought back to BC for shipping to the Japanese market. More pork seems to be heading overseas since the big earthquake in Japan. Arnold Brothers brings lots of pork to the coast. Agree with previous posters about the idiots who drive faster than road conditions warrant on Trans Canada-especially in the Rogers. A hell of a lot of really stupid folks flying along in their cars are passing trucks on blind corners, etc. out there. Hope you are on with a quality company-a lot of dodgy companies out there.

 

Like the others said. But don't drive to slow either, or you become the problem for everyone else. I have seen to many scared drivers out there getting hit when someone faster comes around a turn. Just use your head. This run is an easy one. If the coke is a mess then run the canyon. Check this site to see if you have to chain up. http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/roadreports/chains/chains.asp

When I see this I take the canyon which is lower then the coke. It will only add one hour to the trip.

 

Factoring in the time to put on and take off chains plus slower driving and it is the faster way to go.

 

Most of the time it just rains on that road so you don't have to chain up. I ran it often.