Downgrades east of the Mississippi that really get your attention

If you have to go through the gorge in NC, make #### sure you let all the Petes pass you or all you'll hear the entire time through is loud mouth CB bs about whoever is in front is going too slow. Doesn't matter if you are all doing 50 or 60, some big CB is going to be pushing and complaining.

 

Let them push and talk their smack. I follow the speed limit.

 

Simple solution: turn off the CB

 

That's when you explain to em look drivah you don't like this gear? You really ain't gonna like the next one.

 

NC 226A, gave me a pucker factor of about 7.9.

 

What about 7 mountains hill eastbound on US 322?

Google Maps

 

Is that where those 2 drivers just died?

 

I've been across that one several times in the last couple months. Wide and heavy. It's nothing. Boils down to the same thing all hills do, go down at a speed appropriate for the grade and your load and you won't have any problems. What makes these hills dangerous is the moron driving the truck that thinks dropping a single gear is sufficient with 80k lbs down in a hill.

 

I'm not sure, but that hill sucks without an engine brake.

 

None that any good trucker would be concerned about. However for those 'people driving trucks'; many underestimate Monteagle eastbound on I-24, Black Mountain eastbound on I-40, and Sandstone eastbound on I-64. Those are about the only concerning ones for new drivers or "people driving trucks'. These are Sunday drives compared to alternate 14 in Wyoming which can be a thrill ride. My wife and I trucked alt 14 both ways...carefully.

The US 14-A is the name of the sharply winding and precipitous ascent in a steep and narrow zig-zag road. It’s 98.5 miles long between Cody and Burgess Junction. It’s extremely steep, a 10-percent grade and more, is winding, has several hairpin turns, and many blind corners. This is a challenging road during the summer season and closed during the winter. Unless you are experienced in extreme mountain road driving, it is not advisable for 18-wheelers.