Hello! A quick question?????

Not taking sides, just my experience. Jakes & Brakes work on slick conditions but it can go South on you very fast. Then emergency restart. That will get your heart rate up. I prefer to power brake down slick inclines. We like to think of these as Controlled Slides.

 

I really wasn't trying to say it's completely unsafe to do, just that your idea that the trailer and locked up wheels are the only thing you need to worry about is a bad assumption to make. I was just providing an example of what can happen. And driving too fast for conditions is pretty much the cause of any accident in bad weather so that's a given, doesn't matter what end of the truck starts it.

 

I won't and haven't ever used a jake/cruise control on ice/snow/or even a rain-slick road....... Especially in the mountains.... Don't believe in "stab braking" either..... Start off in the right gear and maintain steady even pressure has always worked just fine......Never had any problems.....I'm a firm believer in "if it ain't broke don't fix it". If Richter can get away with it fine for him.....but I'll stick with over thirty years of my way thanks. Once the "tail starts wagging the dog" its too late.

 

If your going down a steep hill with a heavy load, the engine on its own wont keep it slow enough. I've hit 14% grades in 1st gear and had to use the jake to keep it under 2100 rpm (Cat engine). Without Jake i would have to use brakes. I think were all getting off track here.

Another driver said don't every use jakes in bad conditions which i said is not a good recommendation. We all have our own ways of doing things, but point is, if you choose to use jakes in bad conditions, just be careful land don't relay on it. Some of us think its safer. some think its less safe.

The best recommendation, jake or not, is make sure you in the right gear, AND going slow enough for the conditions. Can we all agree on that lol?

 

Definitely easy to agree with. Crap, two truckers agree which is not allowed. On second thought, just hammer down.

 

Sometimes, that's what you have to do, "Hammer Down."

I guess the biggest problem in trucking is there isn't one hard fast rule that could be applicable for all downhill situations. If a downgrade is banked and icy, if you run down too slow, odds are you will slide off the road. What can you do? Jake? Nope. Put on the brakes? Nope. Hand brake the trailer? Nope. You have to give it some throttle. Scary as hell. Especially when there is a curve at the bottom. Give it enough throttle to where the truck doesn't slide off the road, and the trailer stays behind you AND straighten out those curves like a racecar driver.

 

Forget about the traffic behind you. Go at a pace that you feel is safe. The heavier you are the slower you go!.