Lost control twice now, what happened?

if your steers are getting light and wandering and the road is not rutted, your running the 5th wheel too far back.

 

And usually try to load a trailer nose to where your drives are 34000. Or close to it full fuel. Your drives is the foundation.

God help you if you got a ### end heavy trailer. Those are hard to handle.

 

Not on these daycabs. Slide them anymore, trailer hits the cab while turning. Great thinking on this spec order.

 

The cruise control can be dangerous in wet conditions. I have had a truck lose traction at highway speed with the cruise on when I ran over a heavy sheet of water running over the roadway. Obviously the tires will play a part and the ones I had were not very good. Now I am definitely aware of that if the rain gets heavy.

 

I believe I've had the exact same thing happen 2-3 times over the last year, and have never figured out what caused it. My regular lane is the I-5 between NorCal and Seattle. The highway just north of Redding CA goes through the Mt Shasta area. The road is curvy and has a number of grades for about 40 miles. I believe it's only been when raining, I'll be making a corner at around 55 MPH and feel a slight surge as if the trailer is pushing me. It never lasts for more than a second or two. I've never thought it was a loss of control, just a very strange feeling that immediately gets my attention. I always figured it has something to do with how my load is in the trailer and maybe a dip in the road. I'm an O/O and always have the same trailer. My loads tend to be heavy and I have new equipment.

 

If the understanding is correct, both times it was raining and roads wet. Trailer had little to no weight. Moderately high rates of speed. Sounds like you had been in the early stages of hydroplaning.

 

I have taken tractors and loaded trailers down coal roads in rain up near Scranton and sometimes if I am pushing it downgrade the trailer has enough angle and force to push against the drives to the outside on each curve. It really gets your attention becuase essentially if those tires are crappy you are going to have a tractor jackknife. I must mention that those curves are way steeper and tighter than most interstate ones.

 

Alignment?

 

I've felt what you described in clear weather. Likely just ruts in the asphalt.

 

Even with new tires cruise control should be deactivated when driving in wet, snow or icy conditions also remember to reduce your speed when driving on wet roads. Also, the lighter the weight is inside the wagon the easier it is to hydroplane or jack nice.