25 years ago.....ahem ops:

mr. crabtree, an ex marine who was my teacher in school told me, keep your feet under the seat, meaning go slow, downshift using the motor to slow you down instead of the brakes, and steer your way through it.

 

Being a truck driver still comes down to KNOWING YOUR EQUIPMENT. Even with ABS brakes, it is possible to lock up the brakes and not have ABS activate. At slow speeds, it is possible to lock up all wheels at once, and the computer says; "VEHICLE IS STOPPED". At 15 mph, it is possible that the computer will not release the brakes and let them roll again. You'll slide until you come to a stop.

 

You could also do like I did back in NH. Go to a big company parking lot on a Sunday if there is snow and screw around trying everything. I got pretty good at a 180. Turn the wheel a little, let of the pedal and hit the trolley brake!!

Go fast through the lot then take a corner and brake hard to fool around with the ABS.

 

I often hear trucks using jakes on snow covered roads when going down hills here in Ohio.

I see how using the jake on an empty trailer can cause a jacknife but when going down a hill with a heavily loaded trailer + jake cause a jack knife?

 

I would say even more so - you're sort of braking the tractor, while the trailer is trying to keep going at the same speed.

 

Think of it as the trailer pushing the tractor. If you only use the drives to slow you down (using the jake) , you have 15,000 pushing you. If your drives lose traction, all that weight will continue to push it to the side.

With a loaded trailer, you have more weight on the road surface, but it will also be more weight pushing the drives to the side if your drives break loose.

If you read the manual, you will see instructions that say you should not use the jake even on a wet road. You are not to use jakes in any conditions that reduce traction. You need to distribute the braking friction, between the tires and the road, to all wheels to improve your ability to slow down or maintain your speed safely.

Think about it. It's your record on the line. Do you want to risk getting hurt or ending your career by depending on the drives only? Depending only on the drives instead of all wheels is risking exactly that.

 

Again Windwalker I think it has alot to do with your tractor, your weight & your experience.

I use the "jake test"...start with your jake in it's lowest setting, then work up to highest. I am also very good at reading the road...if it looks real bad my jake is in "off" position unless I need it...then it is tested on different areas, but I never depend on it...I pull Rocky Mountain Doubles ( lead is 48', single axle converter, 30' single axle pup) & drive in some of the worst terrain in North America, and never had any problems. I spent 10 years running in the Canadian Rockies with Super B trains (GVW 140,000 lbs) never had any issues there either.

My truck...company trailers:




The roads I deal with:







This is the MacKenzie River Ice Crossing...literally driving on a frozen river 2 miles wide.





I think the vast majority of jake & jack knife problems are simply driver error, mostly inexperience. In almost 30 years of being a professional driver I have never (knock on wood :wink: ) jack knifed a unit. Probably jinxed myself now! :? :?

 

It's a matter of just how slick it is. Up in your area, snow covered roads are not very slippery. Try it at one or two degrees below freezing and it's different. When you can easily pack a snowball, the roads will be slick. If the snowball falls apart in your hand when you let go of it, it won't pack down the same, and you have better traction.

To be honest, I have used the jake on a snow covered road when the temps are at 15 F or below. At 28 F, I will not use them.

 

Gotcha Wind...it's all about reading the road. But I beg to differ on the "not icy" when it's 40 below....man I tell ya there's nothing scarier than rolling down the road on packed ice & snow...there's no traction there at all & I probably run 1/2 my miles empty... matter of fact yesterday I spun out on a hill I normally can climb at about 50 mph...packed snow, black ice...it was 42 below, BUT I was empty...lucky for me a sand truck was right behnd me & he layed a thick layer under my truck & in front of me & I was able to get going again, but it was a bloody slow trip up the rest of the hill!

 

wildkat, those are some fantastic pictures!