Mountain/Hill Driving

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by farmerjohn64, Dec 9, 2019.

  1. farmerjohn64

    farmerjohn64 Road Train Member

    6,383
    38,743
    Jun 25, 2019
    0
    Hi,

    I’m in North Carolina heading to Tennessee with my instructor and fellow trainee, needless to say there’s several hills at least from what I can tell; any general advice for a newbie?

    Best regards, John
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. Oor

    Oor Road Train Member

    1,366
    3,526
    Jan 11, 2012
    0
    Pay careful attention to your instructor. And ask questions.
     
  4. SteveScott

    SteveScott Road Train Member

    4,897
    16,803
    Nov 10, 2015
    0
    You're about to learn what Jake brakes are for, and how to downshift while climbing a grade. Pay close attention to your instructor.
     
  5. farmerjohn64

    farmerjohn64 Road Train Member

    6,383
    38,743
    Jun 25, 2019
    0
    My instructor isn’t very fond of questions and apparently only points out all your mistakes instead of being encouraging when you’re doing good
     
  6. okiedokie

    okiedokie Road Train Member

    9,705
    61,616
    Jun 13, 2011
    PNWET
    0
    Then he's not a good instructor. Stay calm and use your common sense.
     
  7. Flat Earth Trucker

    Flat Earth Trucker Road Train Member

    3,702
    12,416
    Nov 19, 2018
    0
    Slow and easy.
     
  8. farmerjohn64

    farmerjohn64 Road Train Member

    6,383
    38,743
    Jun 25, 2019
    0
    I’ll ask if I deem my question to be important, even if he may give a sarcastic answer, or answer my question with another question; I guess he’s not terrible, but it’s pretty lame feeling like simply talking will p/o someone you’re stuck with for 5 days
     
    truckdriver31 Thanks this.
  9. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

    34,017
    42,098
    Mar 5, 2016
    White County, Arkansas
    0
    How can your instructor be a fellow trainee?

    Most of your westbound will be upgrade most likely starting at Black Mountain. Thats 6 miles up. There isn't any hills to worry about to speak of westbound.

    There is a old saying. You come up in a gear, you come down in a lower gear than that.

    A modern saying is set the jacobs brake in a gear that allows her to stay in that gear downhill without excessive surging of RPM without shifting and without using your service or trolley brakes. Your goal is to have stone cold brakes ready to use at any moment on the downgrade.

    Upgrade loaded you want to be in a gear without redlining it and without lugging it all the way up. Today's trucks around 515 hp detriot should be able to run Black Mountain Westbound at about 40 mph give or take loaded.

    If you are in winter weather of any kind on a mountain do not whatever you do if anything, break traction. If she is pulling at 1500 without spinning upgrade in whatever gear and you are slower than everyone else? That is good. Steady as she goes until the top. Do NOT try to add power or RPM to those drives in case you are range bound in available traction. (More common in powder snow, say 2 feet or more) and if you broke traction, you will never get started again.
     
    truckdriver31 and farmerjohn64 Thank this.
  10. FlaSwampRat

    FlaSwampRat Road Train Member

    4,900
    17,790
    Jun 1, 2019
    Valrico FL
    0
    Sloooowwwww. I would go so slow it pisses people off, I don't even care. I feel ya on not knowing exactly what to do with hills being as how I live in a state where the biggest hill is a bridge lol. So I vote for sloooowwwwwww
     
  11. D.Tibbitt

    D.Tibbitt Road Train Member

    19,660
    130,552
    Apr 26, 2013
    Gettin' down westbound
    0
    Just take it easy . Learn the limits of your gears. U should know how fast each gear goes at the top of the rpm range. Once u learn that u can ride the jake down any hill. When ur ready for some real mountains come out west n have some fun
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.