Probably a stupid rookie question.

Wet on anyway engine brake is not recommended, rain sleet snow ice. Engine brake gets turned off

 

I use the retarder all the time. Now that I said that, on wet roads or snow covered roads you have to watch yourself if your light in weight or empty. You can cause the drive tires to stall out if your not use to the truck. This B's of not using the retarder on wet roads is a loaded statement. Use your own discretion.

 

This has been a pretty informative thread. Might be worth a read if you haven't come across it yet.

Driving down steep grades in icy conditions

 

Well I'm already going at a moderate speed to begin with if it's raining. Same with snow. A lot of it is feel. But if your going down a big hill, you shouldn't be going that fast to begin with. You also need to be in the proper gear. Probably 8th, maybe 7th if you have a 10 speed. Other than that, I use my jakes like I normally would. Depending on the amount of rain, perhaps in medium, rather than high. If it's been raining, that's not as bad as when it first starts, because when it first starts, the road surface is slicker than owl ####.

If you have to chain up to go over a big hill, then you need to ask yourself " How bad do I really need to go over this hill? " And perhaps just wait.

The problem with snow, or rain isn't you verses the hill. It's the tard that's behind you, that's fully out of control, and is going to crash into you, or the one further down the hill that you can't see, that is already crashed across the road way.

See it all the time, these guys go flying down these hills, that's where I make my living, I just don't know what device they have on their trucks that guarantee's them no one has crashed around the bend.

 

Check this out

Driving down steep grades in icy conditions

Thanks to @Lepton1

 

Sorry @NorthernMechanic , As usual, I'm a day late and a dollar short

 

OP: Are you in an auto or a manual? If auto, what year/make is the transmission? It makes a difference how one should approach the subject. I only recently moved into an Freightliner auto (Detroit) after many many decades in a stick. I don't have a lot of experience in autos but I can tell you with my configuration, you have to be very very careful about how/when/where you use the engine brake based on how I'm learning it can work.

The auto I have can decide to do some things you really don't want it to do with regards to down-shifting and maximize engine brake if you're ever caught off guard on slick roads. Best advice I can give at this point - if in an auto, forget about engaging engine brakes if roads are slick. And/or learn to get proficient with Manual Mode before things get dicey this fall.

Otherwise, use care and common sense and a very light foot on brake and accelerator, always on ice.

 

You are over thinking it. Take your time and use whatever will do it's job. In the bad weather I personally have my jakes on low and lightly hold the accelerator. And driving in the bad weather by your self is easy, but you take a batch of tailgaiting lunatics then the things get more interesting.

 

I just drive like a grandma in the rain; I personally am guilty of engine braking in the rain, though I'm typically alone on the road or have no one in front of me. I would say use it at your own discretion, but it's never an issue being too safe.