Indeed.
The engines tend to have high horsepower, and the trans and
differentials are geared to manage all that weight.

Most highway Tractors are smaller engines and set up geared to go...
faster speeds, and better fuel economy. When Tractors like this
engage a steep grade, they can look out of wind and grunting
like a pig to make it to the summit.

Some of those Rigs getting in your way... are probably highway Rigs,
if their nuts are sucked up tight, and the headlights are bulging.
They will fart like a mule...but they will still make it.

 

Your right Hog, different trucks.

Our yard truck for the mechanics has a M11, nobody else would drive it :lol:

Teal green 378 with a bunk, lots of chrome....

 

Do you have the same length restrictions as US Tractor/Trailers coming into Canada?

I think in BC we are limited to 244" on the Tractor, but we can permit to run longer.
Not sure about other Provinces.

Weight limits for us is usually not a problem, as your limits are higher than ours.
No problem with tandems or sliding spreads, but fixed spreads might be trouble. I'd check first.

 

One reason I don't sleep most nights is due to my husband dedicated route that takes him basicaly down all of these passes twice to three time a week with a freakin student.

Sometimes I go to bed holding my breath. This last week when WY was shut down for two days, Babe is in Aurora and so backed it up and went the US 40 Berthound, Real white knuckles.. But he made it safe and sound.

I forgot to mention he runs light loads so that sucks even more, 3000lbs might as well be flying a kite behind him.

 

Great post Roadhog. I like reading about stuff like that.


I think Fancy Gap, Black Mountain and Monteagle are cake compared to Sandstone. East Bound I-64 in WV is my pick for toughest hill in the East. I'm not very religious but I have had many conversations with God while driving worn out Roadway equipment down Sandstone. :lol:

 

Sandstone is one of the scariest hills to come down if you have never been on 64 East. It is easy to get suckered into rolling down the other side in way too high a gear. If you make the first 2 curves you have a runaway ramp on your right that is straight as an arrow to hit. If you miss that one, your screwed because you ain't making the right hand turn at the bottom where another ramp is. Your more likely to flip over than make that curve or turn into the ramp. I see trucks smoking the brakes all the time coming down that hill only because when heading eastbound, you do not climb up Sandstone. When you hit Beckley, WV, your already on top of the mountain plateau. Signs are there for the mandatory brake check, but you always get a cowboy or two that rolls out of the check like a hot rod. Surprised nothing major has really happened there with how easy it is to get into the wrong gear and get going too fast, especially with rookies.

 

Who you talking to Hog?

I had to go, but you did an excellent impersonation. That's what I would have said. :lol:

 

Colt, I know you too well. :P

I have my own Killer Hill ! right here at home. I'm sure many of us have a few of these. It is a 2 lane Principal Road, but it it is a bugger both ascending, and descending. Lots of accidents on or near this monster when it's icy.

I run frozen fruit from a Processor here, to a local Freezer Storage. I have this hill to climb loaded heavy. After you load, you have to remember to slide your tandems all the way forward, or you won't make the corner at the bottom of this hill. Right away you are grunting up hill after the turn in 1st gear. She goes from about 4% up to 10%. You do have a chance to gain a few more gears. It's about 3 miles long, so it's not a major grade, but you still have to respect it just the same.

At the bottom, straight through the intersection is Lake Michigan. Someone always finds it necessary to see if they can reach the water.

 

More than once, I've had to chain to get out of my flat parking spot... :evil: That sucks!

And in the bush.... I could tell stories :shock:

20 yrds. of 20% in the wrong place when weighing 140,000 lbs. is enough to get you in trouble... Grrr...

I've chained up for a 1 min hill climb.... Honestly

I sometimes will load at an oil rig, and I have to chain to get up their driveway, then I can make it without... Thats why I chain up so fast.

Just yesterday a guy was pulling a small cat on a trailer (a 1 ton truck) on a bush road, spun-out and slid backwards into the ditch, unloaded the cat, pulled it up the hill, reloaded it, and did it again on the next hill....

He must have been mad as the next hill was right there, 1/4 mile at most.

 

A word about the Sandstone grade. That section of I 64 from Beckley to Sam Black Church didn't open for traffic untill about 1990 or so. The first week it was open they had a record number of runaways. When you came off I77 onto I64 there wasn't much of an uphill pull and guys would think its not gonna be much of a hill. When you broke the top of the grade there was a flashing light and sign that said truck speed 45mph. Guys thought at 45 it can't be that bad of a hill. Then once you started down the grade you seen the sign that said 7% grade next 5 miles. If you are close to 80.000 lbs thats way to fast for that length and grade. Those escape ramps got a lot of use the first two weeks and there were quite a few wrecks where guys tried to ride it out. Its a steady 7% all the way with no leveling out and a right hand curve at the bottom. I took a wild ride off of it the second day it was open. Luckily the tractor and trailer had new brakes and I was able to keep it under 80 and ride it out. Next trip across it was a 25 mph hill for me. Fancy Gap, Black Mountain and Monteagle were a piece of cake after that.