mountains

There is a couple of grades with my name on it so to speak back east. I remember one near Allentown where it's a three mile pull to summit. One winter it's shiny ice downgrade westbound off a junction with another major road that runs to philly area from up there on 78. I examined that hill and examined my empty flatbed that morning and figured no one taught me how to run it like that on that kind of surface. Figures worst case scenario I'll rub the barrier all the way down. I just took the middle (No traffic...) and let her drift She made it. But not without some moments where that trailer started to slide... that was where the trolley came in (Valve by steering wheel to apply some braking back there to stretch it.) and very small amounts was all it took. I understand some companies are not even ordering the trolleys to go with today's trucks and you younger drivers might not know what it is.

Another time I had a stop light upgrade and I sat still while allowing the drive wheels to rotate forward in gear about 1000 rpm to keep everything in place while taking the time to wonder how in the world am I gonna get going again. Turns out there was that curb, drift over, grab a hold of that sidewall and get moving. Heh.

 

At 80klbs as a driver new to long grades? 9I'm assuming a 10-speed here, YMMV if you have a 13 or 15) 6% use 8th gear, 7th or even 6th if it's icey, because you don't dare use the jakes. 5%? Use 9th or even 10th and just brake correctly.

Proper braking is to select a "safe" speed. If you're new to mountain driving, I would suggest 55 mph or 50, if it's a curvy road like Cabbage Westbound.

Take it in 8th with the jakes on. Let it get up to about 63 or so, then apply steady, but hard pressure on the brakes til you get back to your "safe" speed (55 in this case) then let it coast, rinse, wash, repeat.

Winter in high mountains can be rough as there is likely to be a lot of ice. Just remember that no one ever died or had an accident because they were going to SLOW down an icey mountain road. And DO NOT keep your jakes on. There is something life-altering that happens when you see your trailer trying to pass you in the Hammer lane. It is NOT a good thing. And that's what happens when you have your jakes on and hit a nasty, long patch of ice.

 

You suggest 50-55 for cabbage westbound? More ballsy than me I guess ...

 

I dunno man. I run as fast as it feels safe, and running Cabbage I usually have guys passing me like bats outta Hell. There are a couple of nasty curves, but they're well-signed, far in advance. I learned how to drive a truck running Cabbage and 4th of July and Donner and (honestly way more dangerous) US 97 through OR in winter.

I said 50-55. YMMV. 50-55 is a BASELINE speed. NOT the slowest you're going to go. And yep, in summer, Cabbage westbound is just fine at 50-55 for 90% of the pass barring a high-center-of-gravity load (in which case all bets are off).

I'm trying to clarify, not take issue with you, so bear with me...

No one should EVER take ANY pass at a speed that feels "fast." If it feels "fast," I figure I need to reduce my speed. Maybe I'm having a bad day and I just need to take that pass slower than usual. (Just happened to me over the divide in Montana at night. Just took it about 7 MPH slower than usual because that's what felt right).

Nor shold anyone take as gospel, an internet recommended speed. Take it as slow as you need to to feel safe. I'm happy to have you do it, even if I'm behind you. Better to go slower than I want than to watch you die before my eyes. -And WTH, you might have noticed something I MISSED, so you're actually saving me from my own stupidity.

Bottom line: No one ever got in trouble going to SLOW down a pass. And if 40 MPH is your comfy zone on Cabbage, more power to you.

 

Nope not making any issue of it. I mostly only see cabbage east, and have seen many trucks smoking brakes at the bottom. It is a very good climb east and east the downgrade isn't much to worry about. Come to think of it, most of my experience going over cabbage and most other western mountain passes is in winter time. I hang out mostly in the east in summer. Donner is something else, go from basicly sea level to some 7000 ft in a couple hours...crazy. no wonder they can have a blizzard at the top with nice weather at the bottom. Crazy...

 

Ya, Cabbage east is a breeze, barring REALLY bad weather. West is a little hairier. And Donner can be down-right TERRIFYING in bad weather. But then again, I've taken the passes east-bound on 84 from Baker City, OR in really bad snow, ice and fog and been so scared I was ready to puke by the time I got through it. Would have stopped, but the fog was so bad I was afraid to.

Weather is always the crazy factor. I've been on straight, flat interstates in Iowa in winter that scared the Bejesus out of me because of high wind and Ice everywhere. And I've driven many MANY times on flat, straight roads during thunderstorms at 35 MPH and felt gutsy for doing it.

 

Cabbage is not a place to be running 55. And not in winter weather.

You always come off a hill however steep in a slow enough speed to maintain a balance between the 4 forces acting on your rig, Gravity, braking (Jake is best) traction and centrifugal forces induced by curves on the grade.

Mount Eagle would have you at 15 mph to start off at 80K. Black Mountain requires 30 or less. Spotted Wolf needs you to be at 30 or less because you will lose your life against the boulders in the median to your left if you don't and wreckage stays down there forever. 7% is a healthy grade. Call it 30 on the jake. Anything steeper than that requires more drastic speed reductions and a careful use of gearing, jake braking and finally brakes themselves only if you really need them.

It is nothing to do with ballsy or macho etc. That sillyness will get you or someone or someones killed. My specialtiy again is mountain work and Ive seen so many lose it going too fast (I have too until I settled down and got really good at being slow coming off a hill)

I have told stories in the past running 130 plus downgrade, that stuff stays in the past. It's not acceptable anywhere.

I worry when some of you start throwing big boy hills like Cabbage around to those who have not yet hit a little one. Or has a trainer to teach em how to handle mountains correctly. I hate to be such a drip or a rain on a parade but I have to be. There are too many stupid people overheating brakes, fading them out and then either flopping over or hitting a ramp. (IF there is one...)

 

It all depends on the truck, the load, the conditions...I try not to base my speed on what I did last time, rather I go slow enough that I do not have to use the brakes. If the jakes won't hold it back I go a bit slower. I came over 191 yesterday between Helper and Duschesne in UT yesterday...15mph going up and 8 mph coming down. Next time it may be different. Today it will be 191 and 44 between Vernal and Manila, then on toward the house, but it will be faster running empty. Both routes have some amazing scenery.

 

I really LIKE having a proper trolley brake. By proper I mean the kind as you described, mounted under the steering wheel, on the column, that can apply LIGHT braking pressure. When the feces hit the spinning blades it's in an ergonomic position, your hands don't have to go far from the steering wheel and you are braced to apply small amounts of air pressure.

There are TWO big problems with the trolley brake on modern trucks. The first problem with every truck I drove for Swift was the ###### trolley brake is mounted up on the dash. Now you have to extend your right arm straight and try to apply small amounts of air pressure delicately with your straight arm while going over bumps.

The second and more important problem was it was well nigh impossible to apply anything less than 20 psi. Try sitting in a stopped truck with one of these trolley brakes designed by an idiot and apply anything less than 20 psi. I couldn't do it, even in a motionless truck, leaning forward to use small muscles in my hand.

You think sudden application of 20 psi or more on the trailer brakes is a good idea on an icy descent? I don't.

The last truck I drove for Swift had no trolley brake. It did have traction control and was very stable in slick conditions. I still Jones for that '15 KW T680. I Jones more for a trolley brake on the steering column that can come in at 2-3 psi.

 

Well, i assume (perhaps foolish of me) that the readers on is forum are not totally stupid. Like I said: If it feels FAST, you're going too fast. And as for smoking brakes, WTF are you driving and HOW are you driving that smokes your brakes? I've blown smoke exactly once. And it wasn't on a hill. Respect the mountains, take them slow. As for a specific speed? YMMV. And yes, in summer, I routinely run cabbage west at 55 except for the nasty bits, barring a high-center load. In winter, I've been known to take Donner and and the divide in Montana and Eagle in Tennessee at 20 MPH in 5th gear, riding the Hell out of the brakes. (And never smoked them).

They key is always to RESPECT grades. Especially if you're new to them. I think it's Eagle in TN, where the Max speed lmit for trucks is 25 or 35. In summer I could take that SAFELY at 60. And #### near NO ONE, obeys the speed limits, because they're STUPID, except in icey conditions. I don't like getting tickets, so I go 4 over and no more. And I have my dorrs blown off by 90%of the drivers out there.

But when you know a road well, you can take it a lot faster than someone who does NOT know that road WELL. That's just experience. But sure as Heck, I've been down US 97 a LOT, but not for a year. So the next time I take it, I'm going to go SLOW, even though 1 1/2 years ago I might have done it a lot faster.