Mountain grades

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Bigowl, Dec 11, 2009.

  1. RenegadeTrucker

    RenegadeTrucker Road Train Member

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    I have seen a few of those roads out in PA, hauled a lot of JLG and Ingersoll Rand equipment out of McConnelsbrug, Chambersburg and over at Letterkenny.

    Wait till you get out west and get to play in the rockies. :biggrin_25525:
     
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  3. Working Class Patriot

    Working Class Patriot Road Train Member

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    US 50 between Pueblo and Grand Junction is fun......

    UT 10 is fun too.....
    Both offer a nice weight loss program...especially at night while it's snowing.... :biggrin_25523:
     
  4. RenegadeTrucker

    RenegadeTrucker Road Train Member

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    Highway 13 north of Rifle Colorado, then cutting up US 287 from 80 through Thermopolis over to Grangeville with the snow dumping and the wind blowing 60+ mph is a really fun one too.
     
  5. Working Class Patriot

    Working Class Patriot Road Train Member

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    Yeah....been on that one during the "calmer" spring months....:biggrin_25523:
     
  6. RenegadeTrucker

    RenegadeTrucker Road Train Member

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    I was empty on that trip and the CAT display on the dash told me I was getting 4.2 MPG fighting that head wind. :biggrin_2556:
     
  7. striker

    striker Road Train Member

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    I've driven 13 many times, never thought it was that bad, except for the massive quantities of deer. 287 doesn't do through Thermopolis, you mean 287 from Rawlins to Lander? Now 20/26 from Casper to Shoshone and then up Wind River into Thermopolis is an amusing drive at night in a snow storm, those three low narrow tunnels become even lower and even narrower. Now 139 from Loma to Rangely over Douglas Pass is an amusing one, I've only done that once, 80,000 lbs, I swear I vibrated 50 lbs of weight from the roughness of the road.
     
  8. blown02GT

    blown02GT Light Load Member

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    Aug 26, 2009
    Cecil, Ohio
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    I think i went down that one night about 2 A.M. in PA with my trainer sleeping in the bunk.. had 32k in the box and i was just truckin along. I hit the brakes so hard when i saw 12% grade that my trainer came out of the bunk and hit the shifter LOL he wasn't too happy, but he was #### glad i hit the brakes after i told him what was going on. He said he forgot to warn me about that one lol
     
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2009
  9. Tommo2

    Tommo2 Bobtail Member

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    Apr 2, 2009
    Shelby, MI
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    Worst was 6 am in San Diego coming down into rush hr. traffic w/ 44k lbs of energy drinks in the back coming from Tuscon. No jake on the truck, the climb there on I-8 made me wish I'd gone around to the north on I-10. Then the descent into that mad rush and my tiredness was hellish. On top of the pass the border patrol had eyeballed me hard at a checkpoint because in the past my carrier had one driver who actually tried to smuggle illegal aliens north from that area.
    Another good trip for crazy grades was in the same truck, no jake, in eastern OH near the PA border. I was headed back to this dump run by Apex Enviromental. It was on 164 between Salineville and Amsterdam, I think. Or maybe it was south of Amsterdam where things got hairy. It was all bad in there. I picked the worst route possible to get back there w/ that load of garbage I'd picked up in Stratford, CT. It was not a road recommended for 240" wb tractor and 53' trailer. But it was doable. There are plenty of roads that could kill you in the mountains. One time I was on the bypass around the Eisenhauer Tunnel (CO Rt 6) which goes to Dillon, CO from I-l70. I was in my van but at some point on the climb I came upon a tractor trailer coming down w/ a tanker load that was prohibitted from the tunnel. Man, that truck was in low range I can tell you and w/ the jake on hi!
     
  10. REDD

    REDD The Legend

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    Dueling Banjoville
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    I've posted this before, but figured I might as well repost.

    California 108 over Sonora pass....

    [​IMG]



    I chickened out. Made my delivery at the base & went out of there the way I went in!
     
    White_Knuckle_Newbie Thanks this.
  11. Johnny99

    Johnny99 Johnny be Good

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    Big Sandy Tenn
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    I 64 in West Virginia. The Sandstone grade eastbound, just east of Beckley.
    7% grade for 5 miles with a curve at the bottom. Its a steady 7% all the way down. The escape ramps have been used a lot of times.
     
    Brickwall Thanks this.
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