Steep Downhill and you need to downshift

I run Donners often I usually come down 1 gear lower then going up and If I down shift I try to slow down enough to shift 2 gears down that way by the time I shift I can grab the lower gear if I up shift I usually grab 2 gears

7th gear to 6th I slow down like im putting it in 5th and up shift I go 5th to 7th I hope I explained this good

 

I just wanted to bump this thread for some of the new guys I've been posting to in the last week or few. Yeah, you too, @Boattlebot , on your new endeavour. Especially with the stuff YOU'RE gonna be hauling. Can't play around with flats and tanks, guys... let alone vans and reef's.

This is critical, crucial, information. Great job, @Lepton1 . . . that's trucker's bible stuff right there, man.

 

Brake with left foot n downshift with right foot at the same time.

Terrible how ppl driving legal weight trucks gave trouble with downgrades. Try these hills grossing 180k plus..
Then you'll learn a thing or 2

 

Or die.

 

Very well said.
I would rather go down it a 1000 times to slow, than one time to fast.
I have my gps set to warn me at least a mile before the downhill grade that way I can't start slowing earlier.
When I go down a grade, I'm in what ever gear is low enough to hold the truck with my jake to where I never have to touch the service brakes.
That way I am always in complete control.

 

Properly downshifting an Automated Transmission on a steep downhill grade--

 

... and ya know, it's not "optimal" to have to downshift, on a downgrade. However, you may end up in some small town, where the exit turns INTO a pretty steep downgrade, with 40k asphalt and surge.... Granville, Ohio... happening REALLY quick; first time to Fultonham... and you catch a red light. First time there.... one of my WTF moments. And the right turn I had to make was straight uphill. EF ten. (or was it the 18? nah... the ten.)

Thank God the downgrade was short and sweet; but the above laws of physics STILL apply!

ps: Now, when I have to go to Thornville or E.Fultonham, I get off the interstate and go in the back way. That was SO not designed for truckers. Scary arse day, and the wife was with...didn't help the fear factor!

@F150Jim ... bet you know where I mean... @Bob Dobalina ... bet you do, too! Good ole' 661. Ha. Almost lost 4th and 9th that day.

 

On that day in time; almost wish I DID have an auto...for some assist factor, LoL. Me and the RPM's were NOT the best friends, by no means that day. Got'r'done, but still.