Jbrakes and cruise control

If they think that road conditions are too bad to shut down the cruise when using the wiper, I'd put one on top and say " road conditions are too bad to continue. I'm so sorry".
Sure would leave that kindergarten.

 

I nearly always run both cruise and jakes simultaneously... Unless weather, road conditions, or traffic create situations where it could be hazardous... Thats not to say I don't ever use one and/or the other in weather or less than ideal road conditions.

As was said previously, one must know what can be done safely... And when it is not safe to do so. I routinely run my jakes (on lowest setting) on slick roads, even descending grades on slick roads. Yes I know this is something that newer drivers are told to NEVER do. But experienced drivers, in the right conditions, can and do do just that... And do so in a perfectly safe manner.

Edit: As a side note... Some of these things can't be taught... And can only be learned. I have had a few close calls in my younger days due to ignorance and lack of fear... I learned from each of them. And I have also intentionally pushed the limits to the the point of, and including, loosing control of big trucks. No this was not done where others would be placed in harms way. Many would say this is crazy, and to a point I agree. But I did so with the intention of learning... Some of the thinga I learned through this process were skid recovery, how to drive out of a Jack-knife before totally loosing control, and how to regain control in an all out spin. I finally scared myself good enough to decide I had tempted fate enough and quit taking such risks. And I DO NOT advise that ANYONE go out and attempt to learn the way I did. It was very risky... And more than once I wondered if I may have just pushed the envelope to far.

 

I don't have a habit of doing it. It feels like it comes on really strong when the cruise is set to slow you down, then you click the engine brakes on. In bad weather like snow cruise probably wont be on anyway and the sensor alignments on my anti collision are the first to go bye bye. So half the time in bad weather I couldnt do it even if I wanted to.

 

Bet you wouldn’t run team with someone from Florida through the mountains in the winter either.

 

Once the radar is covered with snow and ice on my Freightliner it turns off adaptive cruise control and all emergency braking. Your back to driving the truck manually without any help from the computers. So keep it simple turn the cruise control off and the Jake bakes.

 

Something people might not know. The skidding or spinning tires ALWAYS want to lead. They want to be in the front, that's why slide starts. So when you use Jake brake and it loses traction. You have a bigger problem to solve. You have get the tire spinning the same speed as all the other tire to stop the slide. You can turn off the Jake brake and hope the tire get traction a starts spinning again. You can give the truck some power and try to match the speed of the other tires. That hard and you might give it to much power and you now have a power spin.

It generally a lot more simple to just use all the truck and trailer bakes and go slower down the hill. Because of if you lose traction using you brake. That a simple recovery. Just take you foot off the brakes and get the tires spinning again, then apply light pressure back onto the bakes to slow down again.

 

Never heard of em.

 

I wouldn’t run teams with a hill billy from the mountains in the summer.

It’s a truck not a sweat shop.

 

In my truck, both can be turned on. Say I have my cruise control at 65. If the speed goes over about 68 on a downhill, the jakes will automatically turn on starting with the lowest level. As the speed advances, the jake strength level will increase.

I can see how this is useful for company drivers who are governed at 62, but are not allowed to go past 65, or else they get a call from their Safety department. If you’re an owner operator and you cruise at 65, then turn off the jakes and let the truck advance as fast as legally possible. This will help you increase your mpg as opposed to slowing down on every single downhill.

 

Just don’t tell that to Safety. Hahaha.