Going up and down a mountain questions

Ya, I'm very confident in my ability. I'm also confident in my truck, the jake, and the brakes. I make sure everything is adjusted properly every trip. I've never had a chargable accident, I've been hit a few times, once only month ago, and only a few tickets. And by the way, I don't consider 8% grades to be a "bunny Hill"

 

I prefer not to use the brakes, but 5# pressure is good. anymore and old smokey will be rolling out the back of the trailers! Like the old saying goes, "you can go down 1000's of times to slow, but only once to fast!!"

 

like 8thnote said most are experienced (like i was) and just got to confident cause I was going over that mountain at least once a month. That's how I earned my handle was going down Cabbage. "Brakeshoe" If it wasn't for 2 other drivers I wouldn't have made it down that day. I knew better!!

 

Most of us have made mistakes before and got our brakes at least hot. I've driven 105,500 in WA, OR and ID (Lewiston grade on 95, and Government Camp on OR 26 are my favorites). Gears and Jakes are your friends. I've caught flak on the radio for coming down too slow only to see the loudmouth at the bottom with smoke everywhere.

 

Gears and Jakes not only are your friends, but on some of the passes here in the great NW, they are your BEST friend!!, along with that speedometer!

 

Are you sure,absolutely positive you wanna read the horror stories?That might scare you out of this career,lol.i.m kidding.But you deffinately have to have thick tough skin for this carreer,that's for sure.I lost my brks once going down wolfe creek pass in Colorado.Guess that's one of the steepest mountains in CO..Once you start losing brks immediately pull over till they cool.Mother nature is unforgiving.

 

nope. Catastrophic air loss allows the spring brakes to engage. Most tractors only have spring brake chambers on one drive axle, normally the front drive. Think they work well? Try this test. Park on a decent grade when loaded close to gross and then push in the red knob. Those spring brakes don't apply nearly the force you can apply with the brake pedal and you only got 6 spring brakes on a typical 18.

You lose air on a hill you better pray your spring brakes and jake can stop it. Otherwise you need to be looking for an emergency parking spot real fast... Runaway ramp... Guardrail... Etc.

 

Yes, you can control a trucks speed with only the brakes but why would you? You only have one brake pedal, if you get those brakes hot, you are out of options. I have always believed in saving them for an unforeseen mechanical issue like a Jake quitting, transmission popping out of gear, u-joint breaking, etc…
I regularly haul 250K or more in the western U.S. we have long grades in AZ, CA, CO, etc… The brake pedal should ONLY be used as a last resort, its a one time use. If you need that pedal and you just used it to get back down to the speed you should have been at, guess what, you may not have it.

Here is the most important thing I always tell drivers who are doing heavy haul for the first time. If you need that brake pedal because the jake can't keep you at the speed you want to be going, YOU ARE IN TOO HIGH OF A GEAR! If you only do 80K loads in the east you may be able to get away with going too fast and just using the brakes to bring your speed back down, but when you start trucking with the big kids on 25 mile long 8% grades @ 250K you had better KNOW that you NEVER use the brake pedal unless you already messed up. I admit, I have done it more times than I will ever admit but at least I understand that once I do use that middle pedal I am going to stop ASAP and sit for 30 minutes. Its a great feeling getting to the bottom of the hill on highway 68 in Bullhead without touching your brake pedal, that traffic light at the bottom of that grade is ALWAYS red.

 

Amen to that, I know for a fact that the light is always red!! I've been down 68 into Laughlin, and even with a 80k load you still need to watch your speed, and brakes. If the light doesn't get you the 90 degree corner and next light will!

 

I been down that hill once, pulling a reefer grossing a few under 80k.... Anyone doing it at +100 has my utmost respect!