driving down mountains in truck has no engine brake,how to handle that

I will say this about driving trucks in the mountains. I have actually found there is no right way to do it. Just about every one of those mountain grades are different. When I was driving a manual and a jake I used an entry speed and gear setting I was comfortable with. Over time I could do those downhills and use my service brakes VERY little. I find these debates over who is the salty ole driver that does IT THE RIGHT WAY is boring to those of us that has done it safely for decades. After MILLIONS of LOGGED SAFE miles I find it interesting that over 5 years after I retired I was always doing it wrong.

 

I can't imagine the reaction if someone had mentioned holding pressure on the brake pedal with the left foot while dowshifting, in order to be able hold ones speed and not have to rush a downshift and risk missing a gear and gaining speed. No longer an issue with automatic transmissions, but a handy old school method to come out of the hills safely.
Glad I didn't mention it and risk facing the wrath of the more enlightened folks.

 

That is another item I considered talking about.

I took the same position you did. Things were getting light around here so I held off on that. It's not a problem three pedals and two feet.

Heck my one experiment on the church organ has one foot put away in a box out of the way of the other going crazy on the bottom stairs with big pipe. I made some mistakes.

To add to your list of tricks, I offer throttle sticks. You can set them just so and take it away at the right moment so that truck will be working on releasing brakes while you are adding power before gravity has a chance to do something out of line with it.

I hear they are taking trolleys away and taking the clutch pedal away. I don't think I will ever accept driving such a big truck. It's unnatural.

 

If icy road you do not Jake unless you have chains on. Or are very skilled.

 

Even I don't use jakes on ice. It will lock the drives up and slide. Once you slide gravity has it now. By the time you unlock the jake, restart the engine and get into a new gear and try to get moving again, you are in the ditch.

With that said. I wont deny there was a little snort or three from under my hood now and then on ice. A form of additional braking where the oppertunity presents itself. (There is no way to apply a tractor only braking like you can with trolley on trailer) Sort of like a enormous line braking locking a front axle of a drag race car on the whole weight of that trailer.

 

I flipping love jaking with chains, on ice pack roads. It's awesome.

 

Just don't spill that hot coffee in your lap going off a beaver slide into a hairpin on a goat trail at 2am.

 

...while calling out mile markers on the CB and eating a sandwich at the same time.

 

Sounds like you worked at the same outfit.

 

While also solving all the country's problems, and doing so in 5 minutes! Makes a body wonder if you are that smart why are you driving a truck? <<Something I have done more then once!