braking on big mountains...

I just want to say thanks to all of you for the info.. As a new driver, information is key to me. My co. truck has a jake and I love it! Yeah i'm still learning how to use it best, but I do like not having to touch the brakes very much. Having the knowledge of braking without a jake is something I will use the next hill I come to, to get used to the idea, and not be dependant on the jake. Its also good that you talked about gearing down, not a lot of hills to practice on in central MN! Again, thanks!

 

I agree with you and I think I didn't explain myself well enough. But I stand by the standard saying of going down the hill in a certain gear, It's crap. Not all grades are the same on the down side as the upside. I can think of a couple of good examples and that's the grade going down into Lauglin NV on the NV side. I can climb that grade in high gear because there's really no grade going up but if I were to drop two or three gears going down I'd be dead in the river. And what about Cajon CA? There is no up grade going south south. I'd would much rather pick a speed than a gear but I think we're both saying the same thing. BTW, I'm the driver that's going down slow.

 

I am happy to hear that. I understand your comment better now. Thankyou for clarifying it.

Using common sense is one of the biggest rules when going down any grade. Of course there are usually big signs to alert truckers about nasty downgrades that list the length and percentage of drop. Some signs actually have a guide based upon your weight what the recommended safe speed is for that particular hill. Then it is up to the driver to select the gear that most closely matches the recommendations.

 

I'll agree with some of these other folks. You aren't really going to have a grasp of this little bugger that comes here and there for some drivers - daily for others - until you experience it. You get a heavy load going down a steep grade, there's a sense of - horror affixed with it, at least there was with me - the first several times I did it. I basically figured my life was over. I had brakes smoking all over the place, I didn't have a clue what I was doing, and I was terrified. I remember one time getting to the bottom of a long, steep grade, pulling the truck over and kissing the earth.
But I didn't have engine brakes to help me back then, so it was a different ballgame altogether. I really don't see a big problem with a Jake brake. If want to go REALLY slow, you can go down grades without EVER touching the brakes.
I mean, really, I remember the first time I got in a truck, I was totally petrified, much less going down some behemoth hill that has no empathy, emotion or care whether you live or die through the experience.....

 

Message #35,..You only ..Go down a pass,..2fast ...Once!..10-4?

 

Thanks for the advice in this thread. It's amazing to read about the really scary experiences you guys have. It's especially scary if you consider the number of new drivers hitting the road on an annual basis.

 

But what if its wet or is raining? Instructors told us you can't use jakes then because it'll cause a jack knife.

 

Is that Georgia Overdrive thing just a joke I was told or do drivers really do that mess?

 

Going down hills without a jake brake sucks. I drove dumptruck for a while hauling asphalt, and a couple times when four-wheelers did some stupid $### I had to burn the crap outta my brakes trying to not hit them. You really have to plan when you are going to slow down when you got a full load and no jake brake. Never understood why my jake didnt work. It was a mack dump truck 2006 it would work for the first 30 minutes of my day, but when my truck got up to temp it would quit working. The MACK repair shop couldnt even figure out why it wouldnt work. lol

 

Keep geared down and keep your speed down. If the road is wet, forget the jake. So what if you are holding up traffic for a minute, better that than killing somebody!