Mountain grades

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

  1. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

    34,017
    42,135
    Mar 5, 2016
    White County, Arkansas
    0
    I watched a man in a red madza convertable westbound approaching the mountain pass me in the rain at high speed.

    halfway up he was contemplating his crushed beer can car on the inside median against the mountain. The sloped pavement piled water under him, hydroplaned at high speed right off the pavement and into the rock walls. Crump.

    Such a hurry, and now have all the time in the world to go no where. The mountain won that round.
     
    Lepton1 and BlackThought Thank this.
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. okiedokie

    okiedokie Road Train Member

    12,212
    90,824
    Jun 13, 2011
    PNWET
    0
    I've spent alot of time in the mountains, driving, hunting and skiing. You never beat the mt. It lets you pass with due respect.
    900x900px-LL-73bd6dda_scotmar7.jpeg
     
    Lepton1 and x1Heavy Thank this.
  4. scottied67

    scottied67 Road Train Member

    10,818
    12,622
    Mar 14, 2010
    california norte
    0
    I have a video playlist of some steep grades I filmed. You're welcome to peruse my library.--

    Steep Downhill Grades - YouTube
     
    x1Heavy and spindrift Thank this.
  5. Jwhis

    Jwhis Heavy Load Member

    862
    1,356
    Jan 17, 2018
    0
    I’m doing my first solo run tomorrow (just finished training, first job) taking I-40 from NC into TN. Anything in particular I need to know? We drive auto Volvos.
     
  6. Plantfoam

    Plantfoam Medium Load Member

    393
    1,127
    Aug 18, 2015
    DFW
    0
    It absolutely boggles my mind that people burn their brakes on Monteagle, but I have to put up with smelling it every time. I understand it was worse back in the day, but there's no excuse now.

    I drive a cascadia with a dt12, and it holds at 45mph (the speed limit no one follows) and it holds 80k steady. I've never touched my brakes on that hill. The same goes for cabbage...same steady grade with some curves thrown in.
     
    Lepton1 Thanks this.
  7. scottied67

    scottied67 Road Train Member

    10,818
    12,622
    Mar 14, 2010
    california norte
    0
    Here's a section of it, 50 miles per hour, trucks right lane only. Hold your lane and speed, be careful in the curves when the supertruckers try to pass you.

     
    x1Heavy and SHOJim Thank this.
  8. shogun

    shogun Road Train Member

    6,075
    72,159
    Jan 23, 2009
    Doing a regen
    0
    The Gorge is a nice fairly smooth ride. Keep the engine brake on and stay with the flow of truck traffic as much as you can. Two rules 1. You have to honk in the tunnel. 2. If any trucks fall out in the left lane, jump out there with em. They can only write one ticket at a time.
     
    Lav-25 and Jwhis Thank this.
  9. GasHauler

    GasHauler Master FMCSA Interpreter

    6,257
    4,365
    Oct 23, 2005
    Vegas/Jersey
    0
    You'd never smell my brakes. I don't know why you say that back in the day it was worse. There were more professional drivers on the road back in the day then there is now. We had less escape ramps and equipment you had to fight to get down the hills. Still most of us did not smoke the brakes because we took the grades slow with the understanding that we may have to stop anytime. I've been down a lot of grades at 25mph with no engine brakes and still have not had to use the brakes up. Today"s truck is much better and if you smoke the brakes it only shows how in-experience the driver is.
     
    Lav-25 Thanks this.
  10. Brettj3876

    Brettj3876 Road Train Member

    11,257
    54,058
    Nov 18, 2014
    Land of local
    0
    Yep that's my take. Interstates are no more than a 7% grade. Off the big road when you get those 8-12% grades with hard switchbacks and stuff is what you really need to worry about. Some can take you by surprise even, come around a blind corner and bam steep drop off with incoming traffic
     
    Brickwall Thanks this.
  11. ChaoSS

    ChaoSS Road Train Member

    3,338
    6,757
    Sep 20, 2014
    0
    Idaho Transportation Department - Low Bandwidth Web - Mountain Pass - Lookout Pass

    6%.

    It's no steeper than any other standard pass on the interstate.
     
    Oxbow Thanks this.
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.