Smokey mountains

*IN GOOD ROAD CONDITIONS* As long as you are careful, you can drive a truck on ALMOST any Interstate or US highway mountain route. I know of no Interstate routes over 8% grade. I know a few US highway routes have 8+% grades.

The steeper it is, the slower you go. It only starts becoming a real problem in good conditions with a healthy truck at around 10% grades which you will rarely see on common routes.

Grades over 10% are uncommon, and many of them are forbidden to heavy trucks.

 

Pine Mountain and about 70 tons of coal, that’s some experience right there OLDSKOOLERnWV. The roads we never forget.

 

With a low HP fleet truck I’d imagine it could be quite nerve wracking.. With a 500+hp you’ll be king of the hill.

 

nah. any road any load. you will be fine. just pay attention and treat every grade with caution

 

theres a back road in cali over by lake tahoe going into sac. its 24% grade

 

Yes Sir lol Been about 20 years since I crossed it last with a Talbert Beam trailer loaded. Cumberland was shut down at that time, I was moving drilling equipment to Harlan from WV.

 

Comparitivly, the Smokies aren't that bad. Try running 79 in West Virginia and there are some bad ones, its been a while since I ran it, but its the 84 or 86 in New York. The Rockies are the worse I have been over. 68 in Maryland as well.

It can be bad, if you dont know what you are doing. But it is nothing to lpse sleep over.

 

WV Turnpike has claimed it’s fair share of victims too, and they’re only about 3 miles long.

 

Get in the gear you want to be in before descending and you won't be like that driver in Colorado.

When climbing and you have to downshift, skip a gear to maintain those RPM.

If you start climbing those grades on dirt I'll share the rest of what I know.

Edit: don't stress about the drivers behind you. If they can drive two trucks at once just let them drive yours and theirs down. I'll never get upset with a driver that's going the speed their comfortable with (only for driving, I will get flipped out over moving slowly at the pump)

 

It's not the grade that's scary, it's those tight curves...especially on Blue Ridge Parkway!