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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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"

 

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) :roll:

 

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:

 

Watch for ice on bridges :wink:

 

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

 

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.