Ice, Snow and an Mountain Pass

[TeamCaffee]

I fear a mountain pass even more then I do the icy, snowy road.

I would much rather have the chains on going at a slow turtle speed with everyone going slow then to just have an icy snowy pass and no restrictions.

What are some of the rules everyone follows when going down steep hills in the winter? I have always been told if the road is good you let the truck drift to about five over the speed limit then keep a steady foot on the brake and bring the truck down to about 5 under the speed limit. We do not have an engine retarded and this seems to work very well on dry roads. Now on icy mountain roads I am thinking the slower the better and put your flashers on. I have also been told no engine brake when the roads are bad.

 

[Turtle]

Slow turtle speeds, eh?

Yeah, OK.

On icy mountain roads, the slower the better, all the way down to not moving at all.

On snow and ice, you're dealing with the simple physics of friction, inertia and gravity. You have to have the delicate balance of all three in order to stay on the road. The more friction the better. Chains help, as does slower speeds in relation to gravity. Going up hill, not enough inertia and friction will let gravity take over and pull you right back down.

Going downhill gravity wants to take control, so you have to keep inertia to a minimum in order to keep friction to a maximum.

Otherwise, when the road turns to the left, inertia will keep you going straight, and then gravity will pull you down. Straight down.


Gravity doesn't exist. The Earth sucks.

 

[TeamCaffee]

I was hoping you would catch that reference even though I really don't know how fast you drive!

 

[ATeam]

If you are in conditions where fear of losing control of the truck rises, STOP! Get safely off the road as soon as you can and wait for conditions to improve; which may happen the next time the snow plow passes through. If driving at slow speeds and using tire chains will help, so be it. But never think that you have to proceed where the danger of losing vehicle control exists.

In four years, we have been stopped twice by snow. Both times we reported it to dispatch. Both times our decision to stay safe was honored and we were not charged with service failures.

That is one of the reasons we chose FedEx Custom Critical as our carrier. When they say, "Safety takes priority." they mean it. While as expediters we specialize in fast freight, we have never once been pressured to get the load through by taking unsafe risks.

 

[LDB]

If conditions are that bad I will be on the side of the road waving as you pass. I wish I had some advice to give but I don't run if there's known ice. Once on 469 around Ft. Wayne, on a clear sunny day, I started up an overpass in the right lane and ended on the other side in the left lane, all at the whim of the truck and the invisible ice. That was enough to convince me that ice and parked are the only acceptable bed buddies, especially after dark.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB
OOIDA Life Member 677319, JOIN NOW
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[Turtle]

Well, I've never had a speeding ticket, but I'm not a slow-moving hazard on the road, either. I'll drive as fast as conditions allow, up to the speed limit, once in a while cheating a few miles an hour here or there. It mostly depends on surrounding traffic and how fast they are going. If everyone around me is going 75 in a 65, I'm gonna go 70, too. By the same token, if everyone around me is going 50 in a 65, I'll go 50. What I won't do is go 75 or 80 in a 65 while everyone else is going 65, just to make a quicker delivery. (Never been late, either)

Once in a while I'll drive a hare under the speed limit, like when I'm going across the Ohio Turnpike, and get that long distance drafting thing going where I get just stoopid fuel economy. 63 MPH on the Turnpike and the big trucks just pull me along that flat road, and I'll get silly mileage, like 28-30 MPG in a fully loaded Sprinter.

Slow and steady, even in expediting, wins the race - Aesop

 

[arkjarhead]

If you are going down a steep dry grade with no engine brake keep it in a low gear. If it's a long grade and there is some kind of brake cooling area I'd stop and let them cool off a bit. After holding you back very long they will get hot. I'm sure you've seen other people's brakes smoking before. I came down a grade in N. Carolina one night got to the bottom and there was an open scale house. Well the driver in front of me had his trailer brakes smoking like they were on fire. They let him go, and sent someone out looking at my truck and trailer with a flash light trying to find smoke. Some states have equipment that's infrared I think and it will show them how hot your brakes are.

 

[nobb4u]

I drive by a very simple chemical formula...



Oil and water don't mix,


Therefore,


Driving and Ice don't either.


No one has ever driven on ice, you have just held on and prayed because you have absolutely no control on ice that truck will do whatever it wants and there is nothing you can do about it, not even stop it when you want to. This is just my personal experience and observation. Also in 25 years I have only chained up once, if it is bad enough for chains then it is bad enough to park.

 

[layoutshooter]

If you need chains park should be the rule. I will NEVER chain up to drive into bad weather. I might chain up to get out if I cannot find a safe place to park. To be really effective you need them on the steers as well. No use having increased drive/braking traction if you can't steer the beast. We always use chains on all 4 wheels when driving on lakes after the mighty perch. Layoutshooter

 

[Suds43]

One thing I've been taught about driving trucks.......

Rule of thumb, get into a lower gear "before" you break the crest of the hill. And whatever gear it took you to get to the top, that's the gear you should be in going down the other side. Let the gearing help you down the other side but don't let the speed build where you over-rev the engine. Push and release the brakes as needed to keep the rpm's down.
Now, driving on ice?? I won't/don't do it! It's that simple.
Growing up in the Northeast you learn pretty quickly about ice and snow.
Oh yeah, one other thing.........I never use my engine brake in snow or ice........it will break your drives loose when it's slippery.
But the absolute best solution so snow and ice??? Go south!!!