Winter ahead; Tips anyone?

Don't forget a clean pair of underwear. When it happens, you'll know why. And turn that engine brake off ! Speed control too.

 

I'll post this again. Don't run where the traffic has. Split the tracks that's where the gravel is and the traction. Don't drive to slow on supers they will suck you down and jacknife you. Too slow can be as bad as too fast. Let your tires cool off before you park. Roll back and forth 20-30 ft. Now go out there and kill some snowflakes.

 

Hi TheDude, I guess whatever works for you is cool. It also depends on the engine brake. Some trucks I've driven, had some really potent engine brakes, while others, not so much. My Pete (below)with a BC Cummins, had a really strong engine brake, and on slippery surfaces, did indeed get squirrelly, (on #3 setting) , especially empty, loaded, not so much, and putting the switch on #1, or shutting off altogether helped. Same with power divider, as with it locked, it was something like a posi-traction car, and tended to walk out, and leaving it unlocked, just spun 1 tire. The only time I ever used the power divider was when I was sitting still and stuck. Maybe I'm being over dramatic, but just that feeling of getting out of line, even a little, was enough for me to grab those clean underwear.

 

I'm a firm believer that new drivers need to taken out into slippery, open lots, and find out what it feels like when various parts of the truck lose traction. If they know what it feels like by doing it on purpose, when it happens accidentally they'll be much less likely to freeze up or do something stupid like stomping the brake pedal. I realize the it's unlikely to ever be a common thing, but I've learned so much 'playing' on the slick stuff that real world slips are just another part of winter driving, and no reason to freak out. Mind you, running in the northern plains for a few decades means I have more crappy road driving experience than most, as shutting down when it snows would mean sitting at home all winter. It's just another part of the job. Icy, or blizzard conditions? Fine, we stay home too, but snow pack all day isn't a big deal, and an unplowed road is just an annoyance. (Except in North Dakota, with their lack of delineator posts, which makes driving a trackless, unplowed two-lane interesting, as the only indication you're too close to the road edge is the trailer stepping out. That's a PITA.)

I'm not suggesting that I want the inexperienced out there when it's nasty, either. I just want them to be able to handle some trashy roads long enough get somewhere safe, without introducing the pooch to intimate behaviors, if you know what I mean!

 

And for those of you who say stay down on 10---y'all have obviously NEVER run from tallahasse to houston on a rainy 30deg day----LMAO
Ill take a blizzard across the Dakota's over THAT anyday-

 

You can always drop your trailer in the bar ditch & drag it with your johnson bar on those really nasty winter goat trails.

 

ya, take the winter off and hibernate

 

Only time I shut down last winter was on I-10 west of New Orleans, for two days. Raised roads over the swamps with ice storms aren't a good mix.

 

I still do the tug test. I put kitty litter down just before backing under the trailer. It's a good time to inspect the kingpin and plate, and how many times have you seen anyone do that?