Steepest grade you ever pulled or went down.....

I dont see how its different. An 8% grade here is the same there. I dont think I would be bothered by the grades out your way either. I got my mountain experience in a way most dont. I run a coal bucket, tri axle, so I'm running the same weight as a tractor trailer with one less set of axle brakes. usually it is more weight than a freight hauler, sometimes in the 90-100k pound range. This means 25-35 tons in a 19' long box piled 6'-8' high with air ride suspension. With a top heavy load on the roads here if you get carried away on any grade you'll be on your side.

 

Maybe not the steepest but a couple I've driven and wondered "why would they build a plant here?"
The International(?) paper mill on top of the mountain near Big Island, VA, loaded 44k roll paper down a crooked 2 lane road with almost continuous curves, no shoulders and thousands of deer.
And that mine someone else mentioned on Ute Pass Road, northwest of Silverthorne, CO. The loading docks are at the 10,000 ft level, and the road out (with 44k in the wagon) is at least 10 miles all downhill. CFI had a regular account here, I made the trip 6 times in one year.
Concerning I-68 westbound, if I had a heavy load, I'd rather take the PA Tpk from Breezewood to New Stanton and pay the toll out of my own pocket, no company reimbursement than run I-68 all the way to Morgantown!
Got stuck on a beer run from the old Strohs Brewery outside Baltimore to Lexington, Ky for awhile. It only took one run with 45k of beer on 68 for me to decide to take PA Tpk.

 

12%, somewhere in PA west of New College.

 

68 definitely sucks when heavy. My company likes to route you that way to avoid the tolls. Luckily, as long as you call ahead of time and tell them you're running tolls they don't care much. They only get mad if you do it without a call.

I took it a bit though since I was often only running 13k-15k in the box through there.

 

Colo. doesn't require drag chains, but if your going to run 550 in the winter, you better have one to use. Co-worker ran it a few winters back, all 4 drives chained up, and two drags to keep the can from going off the side.

Coal Bank, Molas, and Red Mtn. were never really designed for semi's. They are in the process of widening the worst part of Red Mtn. so that it's more passable, then they have to figure out how to make the rest of it wider. Part of Red Mtn. is no big deal, but, from the midway point to Ouray, is 15 mph and all switchbacks that were cut with cars and semi's pulling 40' trailers with cabovers in mind. Not, 53' vans and long nose tractors.

 

Ive been through Red Mtn Pass... Glad Im not the only one who tried it... I dont remember it bein that steep... I just remember the 25mph speed limit n the 10mph turns... With a condo sleeper, flatbed, while in training. Trainer thought it would be a fun road to take... Ya, he wasnt driving it lol Was interesting though. Especially when you got the road, 2 blades of grass, and a drop off lol I think someone ran over the two blades of grass though...

Have gone down Vail at night, but it was clear n dry. After US550, it was actually boring. The canyon after it was fun though. I enjoy the challenge. Steepest grade was a 9% in WV somewhere on a side road. It was very short though. Been on I40 going into Cali too many times to remember...

 

us 129 between blairsville and clevland ga

 

I made the mistake of taking back roads in WV once. (or stupidly, twice)

It's amazing getting the jakebrakes to light off on the LOW side!

 

Try coming off the interstate in PA sometime.

 

Steepest grade I ever climbed was as a newbie, back in 1980 in Alberta. Hauling drilling mud out to the oil and gas rigs.

You'd call your dispatch from a restaurant about 8 miles from the jump off from the highway to the bush road. They would call the drilling company who would radio the rig and let them know you were on your way. About an hour (15miles) later you'd chain up then give it hell as far up the mountain as you could get then park it. Usually around 15 - 30 mins later a D9 would come down, hook a chain and tow you up to the summit. Now *that* was a grade!!!