Need advise. Another winter driving question.

This is what I do and found it works well. Granted I don't have a lot of snow driving under my belt but what I got was pretty #### scary.

I found with my rpms low the truck got sketchy every time I touched the throttle. Also keep in mind your weight. Bobtail, my first snow covered road driving experience, was like driving on goose snot. Luckily that was only a few miles. Then I picked up my empty and it was a little better but still not great. Then I got a 43k lb load and things got much better.

 

Did you read that somewhere in a text book?

 

Your set driving speed will determine your Gear.SAFTY is the key.Listen to that voice that tells you slow down or let them pass or leave yourself and out.It can be aggrevating.SAFTY.Everyone one has his on different answer.Remember no engine brake in the snow.no trailer brake in the snow.Light on the brake peddle.If you remember safety first your going to be fine.One more thing when the temperatures drop down below freezing make sure that your trailer brakes are released so they don't freeze up on you.Mercy

 

No, First hand experience to those that haven't had the pleasure yet. I was running in Il on unmaintained highway with 6 weeks of packed snow and ice accumulation and a fresh snow falling on top of that. I made the error of lugging the engine a bit, the instant that I saw the tach needle start to rise I knew the tires were broke loose and I let off the throttle and BAM...just like that, I was flipped around backwards, the mirror crashed through the window and I had no idea where I was headed. I ended up in the median amongst many others. I was very lucky that no other vehicles were involved. Road conditions were so bad for so long that some of the union linehaulers were purposely running their trucks off in the ditch in pairs.

 

I don't use the johnny bar for anything other than checking my service brakes, making sure some arsehat didn't pull the fifth wheel or tandem pin handle while I was inside the truck stop and setting my tandems. I have seen it used for ice, but not when the sideways slide has already started.

As to the original question, speed control and smoothness will be your most important factors. Therefore, I will be in the lower gear to avoid the "speed creep" that inevitably happens when the RPMs fall below a certain point and you subconsciously speed up a little because your ear is trained to notice engine lugging without you even thinking about it. Therefore, to avoid this, the lower gear.

The best way to get yourself out of a jack knife is to not get in one in the first place. That said, there are two different kinds of jack knife.

Trailer jack knife is when the trailer wheels slide sideways and the trailer tries to come around the tractor. This is caused by excessive braking, usually, on a slippery surface. This jack knife is corrected by taking your foot off the brake, do not touch that trolley handle, and ease onto the accellerator. Stomping the accellerator at this point will only complicate things. Pull your trailer back in line behind you then back your speed off.

Tractor jack knife is when the tractor drives move to the side and pass up the nose of the tractor. This is the type of jack knife when a trolley handle might help, if used judiciously and gently. Since many trucks don't have them, and since most braking systems engage the trailer first anyway, here's how you correct the tractor jack knife: Take your foot off the accellerator. It's the problem anyway. Gently feather the brake to engage the trailer. When you feel the tractor start to behave, place your foot on the clutch to disengage the transmission.

The final step in both cases is, ease your truck to a safe parking area, pry the seat out of your rear and change your shorts.

And then consider that you would not have been in either situation if you weren't driving so fast and following that guy in front of you so close.


Cheers!

 

snipped above quote....

.....agreed, agreed, agreed and agreed....LOL

 

High rpms you are in the horsepower, low rpms your in the tourqe. Therefore be in the lower gear, so you have room to recover from a skid.

 

If you slip at your safe speed, you need to slow down.