Engine Brake on wet and rainy roads ?

I am also a fan of nasty weather like Mr x1Heavy, makes me feel all tingly inside.
As for the jakes, whether or not to use them is a matter of being aware of road surface, air temperature and traffic density.
I had rules for the jake, turned off when driving through cities, or obviously slippery roads, or questionably slippery roads as in oily surfaces, or when I was light or empty.
I've forgotten to turn them off a few times and nearly soiled my shorts, having gone from pavement to black ice without knowing it.
I had a lot more faith in traditional trucks like a W900 or IH 9300 or 9400 or a Pete with a hood than I do the more modern style aero trucks like a Vole Vo and that was because the classic trucks didn't severely isolate you from the road and transmitted info a lot better, you could feel and hear more of what was going on.
The first Vole Vo I drove was a 3 month old 780 and I'll never forget it.
It was the middle of August and that truck was so mushy it felt like I was driving on ice, I hated that sensation, felt exactly like it was twitching on a slippery surface and I thought to myself, I'll never drive this truck in the winter because I had no feel of the road whatsoever and I couldn't hear the engine or anything else unless I rolled down the window.
I may be talking out my butt, but I think a lot of mishaps may be caused by that lack of translation of important info to the drivers due to so much isolation from physical indicators that are really important to a lot of drivers, especially on slippery roads or questionable road surfaces.

 

I am a firm believer of using all your senses when driving a truck. When I got off an interstate I'd crack the window a bit and turn down the radio and any other devices. I'd have to have all my senses to drive on surface streets. I learned the hard way that it's a must. Luckily no body got hurt and I avoided an accident but here's what happened.

I was on a surface street in the far right lane. The houses on the right had their backyards facing the road and a high block fence went the whole block up to the signal light. As I approached the light I was very cautious because the light was a stale green. The road that lead into the intersection was divided and had large bushes ( I guess to cut down on the noise) in the center on the road. As I rolled across the intersection I heard something out of the ordinary so I slowed even more. Right then a ambulance pop up in the intersection with it's lights and siren going crossing right in front of me. If I hadn't slowed I would have T-bone that ambulance and who knows how that would have turned out.

That small incident just reassured how my senses play an important role in safe driving. There's other tricks I do also like crack the window so I can smell the truck. Sounds crazy but it's save me more than once, especially at night. So the senses I use are sight, hearing, feel, and smell. I don't drive if I can not have all of them.

 

You should be actively turning the jake on and off as needed anytime your driving... youll develop good judgment wether or not you need it in different situations. when you get good at floating gears the jake can become a pain in the ### if you leave it on all the time .

There’s times you definitely wouldn’t want them on. if you’re in an auto I would leave it off

but You can use the jake in any road condition as long as you’re staying cautious and using it at the right times...

 

Alot of the old iron, you are DRIVING.

Today's plush boats... not so much. Half the time you don't know what she is thinking in terms of footing etc.

Get me say a Diamond REO, Auto Car or Brockway for example, it will tell you everything you need to know sometimes timely enough to do something about it. For example when the tractor wants to jackknife the front end steering gets really stiff quickly. If you can put in just enough to keep her in line and feel that column loosen up you know you are doing well. Today's trucks would have to move it around way too much and actually build a new worser jackknife.

 

I am the other way around, I seldom turn mine off at all, unless I am in town. I do get used to driving my e model and forget to turn them off when I stop when I am in the b model and it will kill the engine right now. lol

 

slick as in ice and/or snow ? or slick as in wet roads ?

 

So if you feel the steering starting to tighten you are saying you want to give her just a little bit of gas to keep her straight ?

 

That depends on the situation. Trolley would be used instead. A touch of it keeps it stretched in bad weather and on ice. The steering going away is generally a bad thing. You don't add fuel to make it worse.

There are a thousand ways to drive, it's up to you how you want to drive it. Ive had too much of driving myself.

There is hardly any connection between yourself and the road in today's vehicles generally. You are so insulated from it. It's not good. Eventually humans would not be driving 18 wheelers anymore.

 

You go dragging your trailer brakes much here, you will be asked pretty quick to find another state to drive in or find another occupation. Actually a lot of them just go down to anchorage and drive on the pavement after the drivers here are done with them, but the ones that are that bad seldom last long down there either.