Downgrades east of the Mississippi that really get your attention

Thats exactly correct. You go down at such a speed that your jake is able to hold it back with very little extra help from the service brakes. Unfortunately most of today's drivers ate going down long grades (fancy gap for example) at 60 mph having to use the service brakes the whole way down so their brakes are right on the edge of being too hot. My favorite is monteagle. Its nor a bad hill at all going east but its got that blind curve right at the bottom. Guys will fly down it with no idea what is ahead of them. Screw that, i want to be able to stop at the bottom if there is a traffic back up in that curve.

Edit to add: i used to have one of those ddec 2 11.1s. Great little engine. Ran the heck out of that truck. Live plants from Florida to the northwest and apples or seafood back to Florida. Took quite a bit of creative paperwork to do that turn. So glad those days are gone for good.

 

None of them. Not Black Mountain in NC, Monteagle in TN (it's NOT Mount Eagle), or Fancy Gap. Drive like a professional and you can go anywhere in this country, even if you don't like it.

 

17% grade on OH-303 west of Richland, OH.

If you’re going east... weeeeeeee!!!

If you’re going west and loaded, better make sure your drivetrain is in tip-top shape.

 

It's the trucks doing 20 mph in the 50/55mph right lane only section that create a huge backup and that causes some hero to decide he's had enough and try to pass the circus parade going through The Gorge and he goes too fast until he screws up or a car screws up in front of him.

If you notice you are holding up 10 trucks and doing 20 under the speed limit a professional would take the next exit and get back on the road. But the truck stops are full of non-professionals taking their 30 minute break and their 6 daily 8,000 calorie meal breaks at the fuel pumps and blocking the entrance/exit DAILY. The rookies have white knuckles and a death stare out the windshield and wouldn't notice if their trailer was on fire at night. ME FIRST.

 

I’ve been known to pass really slow trucks through there. But it is bad when there’s a dozen or more trucks following pokey.

 

I’ve noticed anywhere there is a split speed limit most truckers are blind to the bottom number. I generally run 52-55 through there and ALWAYS have someone riding my butt and passing me.

 

I never understood the tailgating through there, I always used the jakes to slow down so they must be back there stabbing their brakes when I slowed down without brake lights.

 

That's my old stomping grounds. Sure that hill is steep, but its only a few hundred feet long. Just pay attention and make sure there isn't a school bus stopping at the bottom.

 

Saluda?

 

^^^ Yep, where I pretty much run and live.