newbie winter driving - tips...need some

[Zen Road Warrior]

thanks everyone...that's what i was looking for, hate to learn it all the hard way.

went through donner today, it was dry, no problem but it wont always be. ....

thanks again.

[Windwalker]

The two MOST IMPORTANT rules are:

1. Keep a cool head and don't panic.

2. Don't "over-drive" your ability.

The rest is pretty much common sense with a little bit of background.

Good luck to you.

[bigpapa7272]

as a friend of mine says "if its time to chain up its time to park it."

[Windwalker]

If You're on a one lane or construction zone & you hear the SuperTruckers giving you hell over the radio for not going 20 mph over the speed limit like they do, turn it off !!
Also heard some older driver say about driving in snowy / icey conditions " hit the brakes too hard & round you go", keep that 1 in mind at all times.

There's another saying you might hear from some of the "old timers".....

"I MAY BE ABLE TO DO A THING TOO SLOW A THOUSAND TIMES AND COME BACK TO DO IT AGAIN. BUT IF I DO IT TOO FAST JUST ONCE, I MAY NOT BE THE ONLY ONE THAT GETS JUST ONE SHOT AT IT".

And, that one has been with me for quite a number of years.

[LadyNorthStar]

Best advice I ever got from an old Alaska Highway veteran.

"I ain't never seen a bad road.... but I seen a lot of bad drivers"

[Sizzle]

The two best suggestions I've had since being a driver are:

1) Listen to that "little voice" if it's telling you not to do something don't do it. Every time I've disregarded that little voice I got into trouble.

2) On snow and ice the best advice I've ever received was remember the word SLOW! It usually works. However, when the roads are extremely icy it's better to shut it down if the truck is sliding. There's no sense in trying to deliver a load-your life is much more important. Most companies will let you shut it down if you say "it isn't safe" to be driving. Personally, I've always slugged it out. However, the other night I knew the weather was getting the better of the roads.

I agree with all the other drivers that told you not to let anyone push you to speed up. If the Super Truckers want to speed by let them. Quite often you'll see them in the median down the road jack knifed from trying to be too macho. I don't think you should be doing 25-30 for long periods of time either. You should probably get off if you have to sustain those slow of speeds for long.

My first time down Donner heading east, I had been running with two long time experienced drivers driving Peterbilts. They were trying to impress me that they could fly down the mountain that they had been there many times over the years. They were trying to get me to keep up with them. I told them I wasn't rushing that I could really screw up and wanted to make it into Reno. Another female driver chimed in on the radio and said good for you girl you'll make it to Reno they may not. NEVER LET THE SUPER TRUCKERS PUSH YOU. Speed is probably one of the most detrimental causes of death out here along with the idiot four wheeler shenanigans.

My own suggestions:
1) Remember you can go fast probably more than once uphill but it will be rare that you can go down hill too fast more than once particularly in the winter weather we have out west.

2) I personally will chain-don't like to but will! I've never shut the truck down in 40 months of driving. However, when you start having to do 25-30 m.p.h. on a long term basis you probably would be better to shut down and start up when the weather is better. Why take double the drive time to accomplish the same miles?!?

I learned by bobtailing the first winter and carrying empty trailers to Canada. Most of the time I would drop the empty trailers on the U.S. side [New England] and bobtail across the border. It was a great learning experience because I was told that bobtailing in the winter ice and snow is the most dangerous way to drive. Hence, I learned quickly how to maneuver the truck in bad weather.

I just went through the blizzard that swept through Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and continued east on Saturday, December 23rd. After cleaning my windshield wipers twice in ten miles it was apparent to me that too much ice was accumulating too quickly. Hence, it was freezing rain. That along with fog are the two worst weather phenomena that bother me. I don't mind the snow it usually isn't detrimental unless ice is building up underneath it!!! However, when the freezing rain continues it is very dangerous and I wasn't getting very far having to stop so often. Hence, I was almost out of hours and shut down for the night.

We were all told that there was a major accident in the K.C. area and we knew that we probably wouldn't find parking there. There were many cars that spun out that night. The next morning on the way into K.C. it looked like a war zone with all the vehicles off the road. Hence, the ice was very detrimental particularly when people are speeding down the road.

Good luck and remember SLOW IT DOWN in the bad weather. 8)

[Orangetxguy]

Nothing..and I mean nothing..gets your heart pumping and your blood flowing, like slip sliding down a grade, with 11,000 gallons of gas behind you!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp6Zx_fzpq8

:twisted:

[mbadriver]

Watch for ice on bridges :wink:

[CrazyTulip]

And you asked where the 4th of July is? It's on the state line from ID and MT on I-90.

[Zen Road Warrior]

thanks everyone.

a question....if you're heavy and going down a mountain (like donner, cabbage) in the snow, you can not use the jake, so you must stab brake, 3 sec on, 5 sec off. how do u do this without causing the truck to slide?

should we not stab brake going down the mountain in snow?

if i go easy on the brake, as i did the other day, i run out of air pressure.

it was a little scary to have the low air buzzer come on going down donner.

is there a better way to do this?

if you're heavy seems like you have to hit the brakes.

[COLT]

thanks everyone.

a question....if you're heavy and going down a mountain (like donner, cabbage) in the snow, you can not use the jake, so you must stab brake, 3 sec on, 5 sec off. how do u do this without causing the truck to slide?

should we not stab brake going down the mountain in snow?

if i go easy on the brake, as i did the other day, i run out of air pressure.

it was a little scary to have the low air buzzer come on going down donner.

is there a better way to do this?

if you're heavy seems like you have to hit the brakes.

Years ago before electronic engines, using your jake on ice could cause some problems... :wink: When your jake locked up your drives, the engine would stall :shock: normally in a bad spot, you would have to quickly shut the jake off, throw the shifter into neutral, restart the engine, and find the appropriate gear for your road speed, usually about 10 mph faster than you were going before all the fun started...... :?

Those days are gone, I drive on icy roads every day for 6 months a year, even if the highway is clear, the bush roads are slick.

I use my jake all the time, I haul heavy and without it my brakes would be hot all the time as I drive in the foothills/mountains.

With today's engines and A.B.S. using your jake is not an issue, if your jake locks just touch the throttle, back it off a setting, or shut it off.

This "stab braking" on ice is the last thing I would do :shock:

Zen, You have a serious air leak if your running out of air You should've known that at the top of the hill, before the descent...

Good luck :wink:

[LadyNorthStar]

Good post Colt, I run mine all the time too, on low of need be. I have to be more 'aware' down here of sounds, its not like running at 30 below.

What on earth is this 'stab braking' about? If I have to use my brakes down a hill on slick roads (got caught a few times recently being on unfamiliar roads) I apply a small amount of pressure and hold.
Seems to work, "no suden movements" is the key in winter, and it keeps your brakes from getting hot. (They need air to get hot.) And this should not cause you to lose air unless you have an air leak somewhere in the lines to your brakes.

[CrazyTulip]

Crawl down the mountain is all I can say.

[COLT]

Crawl down the mountain is all I can say.

This, and many other statements about driving slow on ice are very "politically" correct but can be misleading...

There is a point where too slow will cause problems, I don't understand the physics involved,(torque X traction X road conditions?) :shock: but I do know that I can climb an icy hill in "x" gear, but if I down shift to "y" gear, I'm gona spin-out...

This is also true descending an icy hill, too slow, you will demand too much traction and slide...

I "drive" down hills that can't be driven "carefully"

Sometimes, the only safe thing to do is drive, just let er go and keep steering... :shock:

What do you do when you start locking up ?

Grab another gear (up) and then start again, trying to slow up to the speed that you feel good at....

I seriously dought an inexperienced driver will be driving too fast on ice, it's the cocky, (some what) experienced drivers that will drive too fast...

[Orangetxguy]

Crawl down the mountain is all I can say.

This, and many other statements about driving slow on ice are very "politically" correct but can be misleading...

There is a point where too slow will cause problems, I don't understand the physics involved,(torque X traction X road conditions?) :shock: but I do know that I can climb an icy hill in "x" gear, but if I down shift to "y" gear, I'm gona spin-out...

This is also true descending an icy hill, too slow, you will demand too much traction and slide...

I "drive" down hills that can't be driven "carefully"

Sometimes, the only safe thing to do is drive, just let er go and keep steering... :shock:

What do you do when you start locking up ?

Grab another gear (up) and then start again, trying to slow up to the speed that you feel good at....

I seriously dought an inexperienced driver will be driving too fast on ice, it's the cocky, (some what) experienced drivers that will drive too fast...

Colt is so right, about driving the situation. The only way a driver is going to regain control on ice, is to drive the truck. If you begin sliding, there is now safe way to stop..once the slide has begun. You can however apply power, drive out of the slide, regain control, and slow to a safe and contolable speed.

If you are decending a hill...such as Cabbage, where there are numerous banked turns, and you see in your mirror, that the back of the trailer is coming around on you, you do ot attempt to control the trailer with brakes....you apply power, and drive the tractor away from the trailer, thus drawing the trailer back into line. Same thing applies to pulling a 4-axle or 2-axle pup..you drive away from the trailer to get it under control.

Climbing a hill on ice, is all about torque. To much power and you are spinning the drives. On ice it is best to lug the engine just a bit, to keep traction while pulling the grade. You don't let the power drop off to the point you can not reaquire it, you just lug at about 1250 to 1350 rpm, and still have the ability to accelerate.

[scania]

This is also true descending an icy hill, too slow, you will demand too much traction and slide...

I "drive" down hills that can't be driven "carefully"

Sometimes, the only safe thing to do is drive, just let er go and keep steering... :shock:

quote]

In other words outrunning gravity of a downhill slide?

[COLT]

I know it's hard, but do not watch your trailer/ trailers.... :wink:

Drive the truck ! Pull the trailers...

If you take care, and drive, the trailers will follow...

Use the "force" Lady North, I mean Luke. :wink: (Famous Star Wars Quote)

[COLT]

In other words outrunning gravity of a downhill slide?

Controlling sounds better than "outrunning" the inevitable...

You will,... end up at the bottom of that icy hill, just do it on your terms...

Drive to Survive... :wink:

[CrazyTulip]

You guys are all right but all I meant to say is be careful and think; don't floor it as if you're driving in summertime with excellent road conditions. You always have to see on the spot what's going on; it's just hard giving a cookie cut answer to his question as weather conditions and locations vary, trucks and load weights vary so you have to play it by ear and just use common sense. Don't think like some drivers that nothing will happen to you if you floor it; common sense dictates to expect anything can happen and be prepared for it. That's why you've got mirrors to keep an eye on your trailer/equipment in the first place. Just don't make harsh sudden movements and don't slam on the brakes.

[thebobguy]

I live and drive in Colorado and like OrangeTxGuy and many others, have crossed many nasty passes in both US and Canada. No one has said anything about chaining yet, so I thought I would share something I have found to be a super but hard to find tchain up tool.

I know..no one LIKES to chain...if they say they like it they are lying...it just aint fun. GOOD NEWS is that I have found a tool that makes the chaining process much eaiser...even for the pros that throw iron 10 times a day. I'm a driver and have no reason to "promote" the Truckers Chain Up Tool other than it makes the whole process so much faster and eaiser...for about $50...it's a no brainer!

Check out the Truckers Chain Up Tool at: http://www.chainuptool.com/index.html

They are available in single, triple rail and even super single tires.

Dont know who's the best or who has the best attitude (certainly not me)about chaining up but this tool sure makes it easier! This company needs to do more advertising, they are hard to find, hope it helps, let me know what you think!