ops: ops:
while to get use to!! I guess I am getting "broke in" to trucking. I like driving on flat terrain like Indiana and Ohio. PA and West Virgina are not my favorites because of some of the them dam hills,
I start gripping the steering wheel so tight when I start going down hills about 65 mph and then the curves don't help much either. I don't think an army of 1 million men could pry the steering wheel from my hands..and my palms and wrists are sore (all jokes aside :lol: ) I tense up going down some of them hills especially with a fully loaded trailer. I also roll the windows down cause i start sweating when I go down hills.

Been driving solo for a little over 2 months now :shock:

 

Just start down the hill a lot slower than you're used to. Don't worry about how many cars get stacked up behind you, they're just gonna have to wait.

 

Take it slow, Don't try to keep up with the others.

I go down mount eagle on a weekly basis the trucks are usually professional.

Last Tuesday a hazmat tanker decided the hill wasn't a big deal, I was only going 30 mph my self when the tanker went by at about 50 mph... He got blocked in by the trucks playing it safe and ended up smoking his brakes. He made to the outside lane but could no longer handle his speed. Huge cloud of white smoke behind him, Thank god he didn't kill anyone on the way down.

I just had the old jake on hardly ever touched the brakes, was fully load with 6 rolls of paper. (79,100 lbs) Going slower doesn't hurt your over all time I still ran 3362 miles for the week :twisted:

 

Yeah them hogan trucks do pretty good going down hills.

 

Running the mountians we have in the Pacific Nortwest you get settled into a gear and let the jakes take you down and only use the brakes very limited. We have quite a few hills that are 5-7 % grades. Just take your time and dont worry about the traffic behind you.

BOL

 

Dr. Comcowich demonstrated his two-stick technique on Volume IV of the ATHS Members VHS tapes. During the ride-along in his 1953 Mack COE, he repeated the advice from the ol' timers: "You can go down the hill too slow many times. You can go down too fast only once."

 

SLOW...

I NEVER take a hill as fast as the posted speed.

I went down Vail's Pass...35mph.
Donner's...about 35 too.

I have NEVER been stressed about going down (or up) a mountain.

 

As everyone mentioned, take it slow. Even after a year driving I have to prepare myself a little, don't sweat the hills so much as I respect them now. I little nervousness in the stomach is a good thing, just don't let it overpower your judgement.

 

My first job involved hauling lumber from Russelville, AR to Sedalia, MO with a Crackerbox GMC. I ran empty down to Russelville on the first trip, so I knew what Rt 7 was like through the Ozark National Forest. However, the signs deceived me on the loaded return trip. The first sign read: "Truckers Use Lower Gear - 1 Mile Grade". So, I geared down but the brakes warmed somewhat on that mile when I saw the second sign: "Truckers Gear Down - 2 Mile Grade." I snubbed the speed and downshifted, but still had the brakes smoking when I went through the town at the bottom of the grades. I found a flat spot to park and allow the brakes to cool while released.

I drove for a manufacturer in Sedalia. The lumber company's own drivers used a longer route out of Russelville. I thought that was because they drove 2-stick Macks and did not appreciate all of the shifting on the scenic route. Perhaps they had other reasons.

 

You can go down a hill too slow many times....
You can go down a hill too fast only once!