made a mistake

All these formulas and catch phrases just confuse guys. You must get heavy and get in the mountains and let a trainer drill you until you can confidently get out of any scenario. It's just like skydivers hanging in their harness in the hanger being drilled over and over. I still say the guy needs to get with a real trainer who drives the Rockies.

 

grossing 78k.... the jake would be on

 

UH...Yes you were going too fast...PERIOD With that kind of attitude you are gonna get yourself killed or worse kill an innocent. If you're not sure about what your "safe speed" is then ALWAYS go 10mph slower that you think it to be...ALWAYS start out slower than you think you need to, If you are not too familiar with your terrain. With less than a year behind you you need to do one thing and that is LISTEN and don't worry about being able to get "her" into any gear...Rookies always seem to have a better way...til they are either tied up in a wreck themselves or they witness some other rookies stupidity......Letting off the footvalve and coasting to cool the brakes used to be called "FANNING the brakes" that is one thing you never do on a steep grade...just like the other guys said...when you get into trouble like that stop while you can.......before you can't stop.

 

Pick a gear where you use the brakes less than 30% of the time. Off the brakes until 1700 then firm pressure on the brakes to 1300RPM. Cycle the brakes within that rpm window, if you see smoke wisp when you let off the brakes, then drop a gear or two. If it's night at you can't see smoke, just descend slow enough that you rarely need to use brakes. I go down Vail at 15 to 20 mph with 80000lb and no engine brake. With engine brake - 25 to 30 mph.

You can also cycle brakes by speed rather than rpm. It's best to get in the truck and have an experienced driver show you. At least follow a guy while he's on the cb with you.

And, i don't care if i hurt your feelings. Mountain driving is serious business and its a shame so many hack companies just throw drivers out here being halfassed trained. It cheapens our whole profession.

 

Yeah it cools them until you have to get back on them to avoid loosing control, then you erased any cooling gain you had by having to put even more energy back into them. It's a net loss in trying to cool them like that unless you're coming to the bottom where it flattens out.

And if you get a ticket for doing 61 or higher in that 45 mph section you blew down, you'll have a "serious violation" .

 

You do notice rockyroad..that he has not responded to either of your posts that are trying to give him some advice on how to maybe save his or some else life sometime.....

 

"Letting off the brakes does in fact cool them, the only problem with it is that fire likes air. I was not going too fast for the hill, I was going too fast for the load. Also, I have never missed a gear descending a hill... That night included. The only mistake that I see was mis-judging my safe speed. I started down in 6th at around 35 mph and only got up to about 45 in 7th before I was able to get her in 5th. Unfortunately, by that time, I was smoking pretty good".

"Thank you for your 1/2 penny anyways!"

Heres the comment that got me going...you seem to arguing with a driver that was trying to help....if I jumped the gun I'm sorry for that, but it seems that too many companies are letting you newer guys go way too soon and without the skills that you really need. I'm not "super trucker" by no means , but when I hear a new driver try and explain his mistakes away then I get a little grumpy....I just want you guys to be safe and have the tools necessary to do the job...my kids and grand-kids use the same roads you do. Again my apologies for stepping out of line.