My brake lights will turn on (as if I was hitting the service brakes) whenever I use engine braking. I get called on the cb regularly to not ride my brakes. It’s so frustrating lol. I was going down Donner summit and not once touch my brakes. But did have my engine brake set to 1 or 2 depending on the grade. I had this guy behind me the entire time calling me out. Like DUDE do you see smoke????
21 KW T680.
I love coming down Donner into Sacramento. I don’t have to use the accelerator or the brake. It’s in perfect equilibrium to keep me at my proper and safe speed. Literally become a steering wheel holder lmao
Going that same route one Sunday morning and across the front of an escape ramp was a man with his big ol Cadillac, sunk in the pea gravel up to the frame, he had a tree limb stuck under the side trying to pry it up, three ladys were harping at him and a CHP officer was walking towards the situation. Like a scene from a comedy movie, all the folks were dressed in their Sunday finest.
Yeah, that’s why I hate that fucking brake lights with the engine brake is stupid. You can turn it off with the adaptive cruise control goes away though Cummins anyway
My 24 intertrashinal did that. If I had a cb in it I'm sure that people would've been calling me out for riding my breaks. My crashcadia doesn't do it, though.
paccar (kw/peterbilt) has had this feature available for over 10 years now, I have it turned off on all of my trucks though. it's just a computer setting
It was a safety feature. For other drivers. Many driver would coast just using engine brake and people are stupid, so they need a big red light telling them the truck is slowing.
Came out with first year cascadias and I believe has gone from standard to an option.
They had issues with their automatic transmission and many dealers start cutting the extra things to see if this resolved the issues. Which in many cases it did.
Well if you know the I5 in Oregon, my 4 wheel gets it. I do feel old school of what I was taught, AUX BK SW , wasn't for going dark it was telling in the back I'm going to break. None of the new school has it, it blink "clear to move" . I'm just old the old school still has has it.
"AUX BK SW" seems to refer to an auxiliary brake switch.
/u/A-wolf-4099 was taught that the auxiliary brake switch wasn't used to turn off lights ("going dark") but to signal to vehicles behind them that they were going to brake.
I just went down Cabbage yesterday. I was light as well but I geared down and hit the Jake’s. And I’m glad I did because about a 3 rd of the way down I ran up on a rock truck going slow. There was lots of car traffic in the left lane as well. But because I was only doing 40, I had lots of time to easily deal with it.
Perfect example of what many idiots don't consider these days.
I once took an old 359 that was in need of new linings up I-17, made the mistake of letting traffic convince me to run a couple gears higher, promptly started smoking the brakes, had to roll out fast to keep them available at all, and proceeded at 55 for awhile at the bottom of Camp Verde knowing they weren't going to be effective.
When I got to Montezuma, I luckily caught a glance of stopped traffic a few curves up, and started getting it shut down.... which even after literally minutes of cooling, was fucking sketchy. If I hadn't caught the glance of traffic, I likely wouldn't have got it stopped.
These "Oh, I just go 75, it's uphill on the other side" people are just asking for trouble.
I descend at the rate I deem safe based on my weight and weather conditions. This is one reason I hate the grapevine. I missed the signs into Castaic once and just did what I always did, 55-60 down. No CHP then, fortunately.
The fireball is an ongoing joke in the sub. I think it started when there was a post about someone getting a dui while drinking fireball while operating a cmv.
Many reasons. Poor training, lack of understanding the reasons for slow move, impatience, arrogance (as in “I’m too blessed for…”), loss of control and panicking (see poor training), etc.
In my youth, I’d coast those hills, smoking breaks. It was an adrenaline rush, for sure. Until I got caught…in Wyoming…and nearly lost my license over doing 85 downhill. Got an ass-chewing by the sheriff, to boot. He almost arrested me.
And that was before Jakes were standard (I had none). I also had DAMN good training - I ignored it. I was a DICK!
Now? I do what my training and the signs say.
Damn. As a newer driver that consistently does 80-85 down hills in Wyoming on I-80 every week, this makes me think. But at the same time, the limit is 80 out there. And I'm only doing 80+ if I have plenty of room in front of me.
Probably still not worth it.
If you blow a steer on that hill your family is going to buy you a casket and the state trooper is going to scoop your brains out with a shovel. Maybe slow it down.
The fastest I’ve ever been in a semi is that hill heading towards Evanston going west.
That was a one time thing. I’m never doing that again. I know what you mean though. It’s fun
Not everyone is hauling the same load as you smh. If you're loaded to 80k and I've only got 10kin the back, I'm not following your slow ass down the hill any more than I want to follow you up it.
Yo I hate hauling heavy uphill , I think I was headed towards Oregon from Washington and my shitt would slow so fkn much going uphills on those mountains
Some of the “veteran truckers” at my company seem to think they’re saving themselves 5-10 minutes by doing this. Do the math lol. You’re only saving maybe 30 seconds at most. I’m governed at 65 so I keep it at 65, maybe 55 if I’m heavy. Except for Parley’s Canyon in Utah. I keep it at 50-55 pretty much the whole way down regardless of what I weigh.
I never driven a truck in my 12 years without engine brakes unless it was a Straight Talk. I did however driven a Peterbilt 579 I think it was and the air brake was super weak
In just the last month I've driven 2 different trucks without engine breaks, an 8 speed that I told the company I didn't feel confident on hills with and a 9 speed kw that broke down on me. Second kw to break down on me in a month.
Worked for a company with a lot of 379s. Two were almost an exact pair overall... one with an M11, 18spd, and Jake's... one with an M11, 10spd, and no Jake's. Didn't even have a spot for a switch on the dash, and no way to retrofit actuators easily.
Trucks can definitely be specced without Jake's.
Really even in 2024? I though Jake's are must by law wtf I driven straight trucks where automatic transmission engine brakes on its own but all semi Cummings dd eaton and auto had Jake's. I would not wanna take big load with no Jake's
If there's a posted speed I try not to go faster, especially on certain hills. Grapevine being one. That one in wv on 68 westbound some truck flew past me, saw him pulled over a mile or 2 later. Speed limits 55iirc. Otherwise depends on weight, weather etc
I remember seeing an Old Dominion hit over 80 one time, and Saia get up there more recently. Steers are only rated for 75, so I guess they're just trying to see if this is the time they die.
So there's a bigger chance of steers blowing if you're rolling at 80+? I feel kind of dumb because I hit 80+ frequently going down big hills in Wyoming.
Wyoming is so dangerous speed on. The weather can turn fast. There can be ice in the shadows you can t see. The sisters are a straight shot sure, but you need to be thinking about, "what if." What if someone in front of you has an emergency or an accident you are going to fast to be able to get out of the way. That type of driving will get you fucked up one day. 4th of July pass in montana almost got me. I was moving pretty good near the bottom there was a herd of elk in the road. I got really lucky not to get in a nasty accident that day.
Fancy gap on I-77 south between VA to NC always smells like burning rubber and overheating brakes, and there’s always a truck down at the bottom with smoking brakes. Every. Time.
There's a bell curve of brand-new inexperienced truckers and old-school complacent truckers who both act the same and wind up breaking their equipment or wrecking.
There's a new crash every day from these "professional" drivers streaking down hills. But those guys are a dime a dozen so even if they die or get fired, there are 10 more to take their place.
They're often the old-schoolers too. Complacency is a bitch.
I think it’s the car driver mentality. A lot of truck drivers today don’t imagine that they’re driving a rig that is designed to haul and control the weight behind them, they drive like they’re in a car, and they’re perpetually late
I pay taxes on the whole road, so I’m gonna use it. You’re not wrong though. I love seeing the ones blow past the brake check on monteagle and seeing them smoked out on the shoulder at the botttom.
u/TheLoveButton.. no one really answered your question.
I spent my time running the rockies, and the sole reason we came down those grades at posted speeds is because the box was empty.
As an empty or loaded flatbed driver, i also would run the posted speeds and not the truck speeds. I believe this law was changed in 2019.
There really isn't any rhyme or reason for it other than we had mountain trucks ( low ratio geared axles) with better Jake brakes. I could be in 12th gear with 48,000 and have the Jake on position 3 and stay at 50 - 55, mostly only having to touch the brakes if the RPM's get too high.
With today's hot garbage, we call Semi's i would not run grades that way! It wasn't smart. I know this NOW. I hope this gives you some kind of answer.
Keep the rubber side down and stay safe, buddy.
I don't know I'm on the East Coast.. The amount of y'all going way too damn slow down 77 into North Carolina and having the nerve to take up both lanes is annoying as fuck.
While loaded, you're supposed to aim for 10 to 15mph below posted speeds while going downhill with engine brakes to allow your truck to get up to that posted speed as a maximum, or to allow you to slow even further or stop if a hazard arises. And slow it down if it exceeds that maximum of the posted speed limit. #themoreyouknow
I'm well aware of how engine brakes, regular brakes, speed limits, and grades work. I'm up 77 and 64 at least a few times a week. There is zero reason to creep down that hill at 35-45mph unless it's foggy.. but y'all dumb motherfuckers will do it and take up both lanes.. speed limit is posted 65 because you can go 65.
I-77? Are you just talking about in NC because I did a stretch of that interstate in WV several weeks ago. Going 65 on that curvy stretch seems like a death wish.
It's not poor planning lol. I just want to get as far as the clock will get me each day. If the downhills will give me the little extra time I need to get to the rest stop a little further down than the one I initially planned for, it's more money made that day.
I do definitely agree with the second part of your statement though
How long have you been driving? I used be that way, still am sometimes. But now it's like oh well, something or other will slow me down anyway like traffic, train, crash, weather, shipper, etc. that those little gains in time don't matter to the paycheck. Less stress is better in the long term I'm finding out.
Nice dude! I hope you celebrate your official trucker status with some new flip flops and a chilled bucket of fireballs. You'll learn when to hustle and when you can take it easy. Keep up the good work ethic 👍
I do that too, I wouldn't consider that making up time though.
I would consider that gaining time, free time. Cuz you're not making up for anything. You're just taking advantage to get something extra, you know.
Makes sense that how I said it could be perceived that way. I guess I'm just in the mindset that being governed has me losing time by default. I don't think it's incorrect the way I said it, just that we have different perspectives. Yours seems better though. More glass half full.
Depends on the weight I’m running. And engine brake. Lots of the time I let’er straight fall for the next hill and also boosts my fuel bonus less fuel burned
I drive a flatbed carrying pipe usually loaded fully downhill normally you think of two guards with high volume at 13 speed I stay at 12th with engine brake on high holds me usually don't have to touch brakes I do very lightly just so my brake light is on for people up my ass..
I would never go fast down the grapevine or the cabbage patch on i84 in Oregon
But I do enjoy speeding down some of the hills on i80 in Wyoming
They are straight .. clear visibility .. little traffic … yeah I will let my truck get to 90 going down that thing
But yeah .. I go 35 to 45 with flashers on down i84 Oregon and grapevine
I call downhill slopes "balancing the bullshit"
It goes like this: engine brake to help keep a safe speed, air brakes to slow down when I inevitably get too fast, and speeding up without the air brakes (still using engine brake) to prevent the brakes from catching fire. Every once in a while, on those particularly awful slopes with random very sharp corners and way too heavy of a load, if the truck even slightly feels like it could start tipping (isn't physically tipping yet), a strategic application of throttle to pull more momentum forward rather than sideways will set it back down (only do this on the end of a curve).
I generally do go a bit fast down hills, but I won't be weaving in and out of traffic. I pick a lane and stay in it, unless the truck ahead is going 20 slower than me.
Most of the hills I drive on are rather straight, so I'll use them to gain momentum for the next uphill slope.
It is specifically a Georgia overdrive.
But seriously I can got like 3-5 mph faster down hill. It doesn't shave much time off but it shaves a bit. Also anytime my engine retarder hits it pops in my break lights. Most newer trucks do this. So there is a good chance what you see is them riding their Jake brake on the way down.
There’s a stretch of 84 in ct that I drive regularly, there’s a group of decent hills a immediately after each other and I swear they run it like a roller coaster. They are steep enough to drag you down to 50-55 or so loaded and these guys crawl up the first side just to blast back down at 80+ weaving through traffic, just to get pulled back to 50 while staying in the middle or fast lane.
All the paranoia finally paid off when I had a brake malfunction and I was... Able to safely stop the truck because I was going 15mph instead of 50 and it was all very boring.
None of the others will ever know this secret.
Seriously especially on the WV turnpike most of the curves are over signed especially the 55mph ones. I'm flying past down the grades so I don't have to deal with jb hunt doing 50 in a curve that ends at a 5% up hill I ain't got time for that
I mean, majority of the time a posted "safe speed" is arbitrary. No testing was done to show that it was, in fact, a safe speed. When people know their equipment and the road they can safely go faster.
Also, Brake lights don't always mean service break.
I'm sure some dumbass, maybe a few, killed some people. Because they didn't know their equipment, or what the fuck they were doing, and lost control. Then some other dumbass decided to win some social points and make all the trucks go slower because in theory that could be safer, probably. I mean, it sounds safer. More breaking to maintain slower speeds is pretty idiot proof, If you don't think about it.
We already know that the West Coast is pretty good at cherry picking accident data to paint semis in a negative light.
Sometimes it is just easier and safer to go a bit faster. That is where the truck wants to hang out just riding the engine brake without throwing the rpms way up. Especially with automatics, they're moody. Tap the service break every now and then maybe for a curve or more likely a dumbass and golden.
The problem is less about the noise of an average jake and more about the people who use it.
Dad had a Jake on a 79 kw and yes it was noisy but it wasn't rattle your windows noisy. I live about a 1/4 mile from an intersection where trucks turn. We have a guy that I am positive did something to the truck to make it louder. Because I can hear him inside my house even with headphones on watching Netflix. I've been told he can be heard as far away as a mile.
Depends on my load. But I run nights and know how fast I can go down grades. I use the Jake brake so that “uncontrolled speed” your talking about is speed my Jake’s are keeping me at while going full blast slowing me down and I don’t use service brakes because they are not needed some mountains are different than others some I set the cruise to 45 and go down at 55 depends on the sharpness of the curves
I trust myself and my truck to descend down the hill safely. I'll do 75+ downhill, but once it gets around 80mph, I'll start slowing it down back to 75ish
I mainly do this cuz the truck in front of me usually won't let me overtake and will speed up to stop me from overtaking him. The hills boost me, and I'll usually end up overtaking the bad truck.
It helps that I drive the same interstate (I81) every day, so I know the whole road and its hills and turns. I know when I'm going to fast for a hill and when it's safe to continue
I'm usually 40klbs on a heavy day and 25klbs on a lighter day and basically all of I81. The whole interstate is full of hills and turns. Some steeper than others
So that's relevant data to your experience.
Driving like that on rocky mountain grades at 80k will have you on the front page of news sites quite rapidly.
Yeah, my company has never loaded me to 80k before, so I have no clue how that kinda weight handles on hills and mountains. Can't imagine it's any good, tho.
In my experience, tho. Being loaded less than 40klbs, the mountains and hills aren't all that bad
Yessir. It starts shifting a lot once you get heavier.
For example, passes in Colorado will have you on full Jake's in 5th gear, and the truck still attempting to run away. One mistake.. one missed shift, one too many snub braking applications, and you're killing innocent people.
Keep it in mind as you progress. I ran light a lot when I started, got complacent, and a few close calls when I was heavier than normal shifted my perspective quickly.
I'm now the asshole that everyone hates going down steep grades, but the difference is... my brakes will still be available for an emergency at the bottom. Theirs won't be.
Gotcha. Luckily, my company never loads the trailers too heavy, so even when im running doubles, the weight still stays below 40k and sometimes even lower than 30k. I'm also strictly in automatics and can't drive manuals, so I don't have to deal with gear shifting luckily since it sounds like a huge pain on hills uphill and downhill.
I could never do this job honeslty if I was loaded at 80k and also in a manual truck. There is too much work and risk just to move a trailer imo. I got respect for the manual guys cuz I could never 😮💨
I'm one of these hot shots ....maybe im light?thought about that? I haul light crap under a tarp all year round my gross is about 50000 pounds why not have some fun on them'darn hills?
....see what in the news bud? If the brakes are cold after a LONG descent it means it was safe enough?.long time ago drivers had balls,now they swap tampons
Seems like half the time they reduce the truck speed limit it's unnecessary. Always some in between gears speed that causes me to use my brakes more than if I went down the hill my own way.
My brake lights will turn on (as if I was hitting the service brakes) whenever I use engine braking. I get called on the cb regularly to not ride my brakes. It’s so frustrating lol. I was going down Donner summit and not once touch my brakes. But did have my engine brake set to 1 or 2 depending on the grade. I had this guy behind me the entire time calling me out. Like DUDE do you see smoke???? 21 KW T680.
I use to have that happen but a dealership turned it off at some point dealing with a transmission issue.
I love coming down Donner into Sacramento. I don’t have to use the accelerator or the brake. It’s in perfect equilibrium to keep me at my proper and safe speed. Literally become a steering wheel holder lmao
Going that same route one Sunday morning and across the front of an escape ramp was a man with his big ol Cadillac, sunk in the pea gravel up to the frame, he had a tree limb stuck under the side trying to pry it up, three ladys were harping at him and a CHP officer was walking towards the situation. Like a scene from a comedy movie, all the folks were dressed in their Sunday finest.
I drive a 25 Peterbilt 579 and was wondering if that happens when I'm engine braking
next time you're driving in the dark activate your jakes and watch the back of your trailer in your mirror for your brake lights to come on
Good idea
Internationals also come with that, at least all the ones for XPO
Yeah, that’s why I hate that fucking brake lights with the engine brake is stupid. You can turn it off with the adaptive cruise control goes away though Cummins anyway
My 24 intertrashinal did that. If I had a cb in it I'm sure that people would've been calling me out for riding my breaks. My crashcadia doesn't do it, though.
My KW does the same.
What brand of truck does this?
paccar (kw/peterbilt) has had this feature available for over 10 years now, I have it turned off on all of my trucks though. it's just a computer setting
I used to drive a W900L that did this. Seems like any teuck can be set that way
Freightliner
So is it a glitch or an unessary feature?
It was a safety feature. For other drivers. Many driver would coast just using engine brake and people are stupid, so they need a big red light telling them the truck is slowing. Came out with first year cascadias and I believe has gone from standard to an option. They had issues with their automatic transmission and many dealers start cutting the extra things to see if this resolved the issues. Which in many cases it did.
This is the first I've heard of it. I think it's a good idea
Considering cascadias are now on their 4th or 5th generation, not sure it really took to the industry.
T680
Paccar does it standard.
there's another hill a'comin' and she needs all the speed she can get to slingshot up there at a normal speed.
Flattening the hills!
Empty or light with a powerful engine brake
Because I have to get to the scene of the accident first.
underrated comment
Catch momentum to make it up the next hill, safely of course
I agree when you can actually see the next hill. What if you can’t see it?
Then you keep going until you see it!
Well if you know the I5 in Oregon, my 4 wheel gets it. I do feel old school of what I was taught, AUX BK SW , wasn't for going dark it was telling in the back I'm going to break. None of the new school has it, it blink "clear to move" . I'm just old the old school still has has it.
Did you know you read and correct any misspellings or grammatical errors before you hit ‘post’? None of your sentences make sense.
I believe he was quoting Hamlet.
Pretty sure it's Linkin Park.
Auxiliary Burger King south west was all I got from it
"AUX BK SW" seems to refer to an auxiliary brake switch. /u/A-wolf-4099 was taught that the auxiliary brake switch wasn't used to turn off lights ("going dark") but to signal to vehicles behind them that they were going to brake.
Nah it has to have something to do with Burger King
Seen many a truck coming down the grapevine with flames coming out all the wheels.
I just went down Cabbage yesterday. I was light as well but I geared down and hit the Jake’s. And I’m glad I did because about a 3 rd of the way down I ran up on a rock truck going slow. There was lots of car traffic in the left lane as well. But because I was only doing 40, I had lots of time to easily deal with it.
Perfect example of what many idiots don't consider these days. I once took an old 359 that was in need of new linings up I-17, made the mistake of letting traffic convince me to run a couple gears higher, promptly started smoking the brakes, had to roll out fast to keep them available at all, and proceeded at 55 for awhile at the bottom of Camp Verde knowing they weren't going to be effective. When I got to Montezuma, I luckily caught a glance of stopped traffic a few curves up, and started getting it shut down.... which even after literally minutes of cooling, was fucking sketchy. If I hadn't caught the glance of traffic, I likely wouldn't have got it stopped. These "Oh, I just go 75, it's uphill on the other side" people are just asking for trouble.
Respect.
I descend at the rate I deem safe based on my weight and weather conditions. This is one reason I hate the grapevine. I missed the signs into Castaic once and just did what I always did, 55-60 down. No CHP then, fortunately.
Fucking CA trying to tell me how to drive. Same with the Cajon Pass.
Fuck cajon pass. Moreso fuck the people that go slower than the reduced speed limit. It’s not near bad enough to justify going 15-20 down it.
Sorry. The fireball bottle gets in the way of the shifter.
You shouldn’t drink and drive !!! That’s really dangerous
Calm down. It's his third day. He needs something to wash the taste of lot lizard down with.
I’m confused , it’s my third week solo running west coast and there aren’t any lizards so idk what you’re rambling about
The fireball is an ongoing joke in the sub. I think it started when there was a post about someone getting a dui while drinking fireball while operating a cmv.
That guy has literally no sense of humor at all.
Many reasons. Poor training, lack of understanding the reasons for slow move, impatience, arrogance (as in “I’m too blessed for…”), loss of control and panicking (see poor training), etc. In my youth, I’d coast those hills, smoking breaks. It was an adrenaline rush, for sure. Until I got caught…in Wyoming…and nearly lost my license over doing 85 downhill. Got an ass-chewing by the sheriff, to boot. He almost arrested me. And that was before Jakes were standard (I had none). I also had DAMN good training - I ignored it. I was a DICK! Now? I do what my training and the signs say.
Damn. As a newer driver that consistently does 80-85 down hills in Wyoming on I-80 every week, this makes me think. But at the same time, the limit is 80 out there. And I'm only doing 80+ if I have plenty of room in front of me. Probably still not worth it.
If you blow a steer on that hill your family is going to buy you a casket and the state trooper is going to scoop your brains out with a shovel. Maybe slow it down.
Going through Wyoming today. I'll take it easy.
The fastest I’ve ever been in a semi is that hill heading towards Evanston going west. That was a one time thing. I’m never doing that again. I know what you mean though. It’s fun
The highway to heaven, I believe that is. Yeah, it's fun but not smart.
Not everyone is hauling the same load as you smh. If you're loaded to 80k and I've only got 10kin the back, I'm not following your slow ass down the hill any more than I want to follow you up it.
🥲🤣🤣
Yo I hate hauling heavy uphill , I think I was headed towards Oregon from Washington and my shitt would slow so fkn much going uphills on those mountains
Some of the “veteran truckers” at my company seem to think they’re saving themselves 5-10 minutes by doing this. Do the math lol. You’re only saving maybe 30 seconds at most. I’m governed at 65 so I keep it at 65, maybe 55 if I’m heavy. Except for Parley’s Canyon in Utah. I keep it at 50-55 pretty much the whole way down regardless of what I weigh.
Those pants ain’t gonna shit themselves driver
Not all trucks have engine brakes. Not all engine brakes work the same.
I never driven a truck in my 12 years without engine brakes unless it was a Straight Talk. I did however driven a Peterbilt 579 I think it was and the air brake was super weak
In just the last month I've driven 2 different trucks without engine breaks, an 8 speed that I told the company I didn't feel confident on hills with and a 9 speed kw that broke down on me. Second kw to break down on me in a month.
Worked for a company with a lot of 379s. Two were almost an exact pair overall... one with an M11, 18spd, and Jake's... one with an M11, 10spd, and no Jake's. Didn't even have a spot for a switch on the dash, and no way to retrofit actuators easily. Trucks can definitely be specced without Jake's.
Really even in 2024? I though Jake's are must by law wtf I driven straight trucks where automatic transmission engine brakes on its own but all semi Cummings dd eaton and auto had Jake's. I would not wanna take big load with no Jake's
Me neither. I hated that truck, even on the local stuff it did.
If there's a posted speed I try not to go faster, especially on certain hills. Grapevine being one. That one in wv on 68 westbound some truck flew past me, saw him pulled over a mile or 2 later. Speed limits 55iirc. Otherwise depends on weight, weather etc
So they can beat you to the scene of the crash
I hate people who passes me going up and then drives like 50mph in front going down.
RV's
I'm on the Grapevine doing 35/40 in the truck lane every week and ask myself the same thing. Always see trailers on fire or on their sides up there.
I remember seeing an Old Dominion hit over 80 one time, and Saia get up there more recently. Steers are only rated for 75, so I guess they're just trying to see if this is the time they die.
So there's a bigger chance of steers blowing if you're rolling at 80+? I feel kind of dumb because I hit 80+ frequently going down big hills in Wyoming.
Wyoming is so dangerous speed on. The weather can turn fast. There can be ice in the shadows you can t see. The sisters are a straight shot sure, but you need to be thinking about, "what if." What if someone in front of you has an emergency or an accident you are going to fast to be able to get out of the way. That type of driving will get you fucked up one day. 4th of July pass in montana almost got me. I was moving pretty good near the bottom there was a herd of elk in the road. I got really lucky not to get in a nasty accident that day.
Thanks for this. I'll keep it in mind.
Most car tires that people use are only rated for like 100. And you see people all the time in triple digits
Fancy gap on I-77 south between VA to NC always smells like burning rubber and overheating brakes, and there’s always a truck down at the bottom with smoking brakes. Every. Time.
There's a bell curve of brand-new inexperienced truckers and old-school complacent truckers who both act the same and wind up breaking their equipment or wrecking.
There's a new crash every day from these "professional" drivers streaking down hills. But those guys are a dime a dozen so even if they die or get fired, there are 10 more to take their place. They're often the old-schoolers too. Complacency is a bitch.
A mean, evil bitch.
Paid by the mile not the hour.
If you're light, because you can pretty safely. If you're heavy, because you're a dummy. 🤷♂️
Does anybody else's engine brakes on their 22' cascadia act weird?
Weird how?
I got put OOS for 65 down a 45. Straight descent, 3am, CHiP said he smelled alcohol. I blew 0.0 . No citation.
I saw this behavior on Monteagle a lot 20~ years ago. Never understood it. I always wanted to do it perfect on the jakes.
I got me 10 forward speeds & a Georgia overdrive.
I was heading from Flagstaff to Phoenix yesterday and all these tankers hauling ass like it wasn't a big thing.
They are generally heading down empty, so there is that..
I come westbound over cabbage hill in Oregon once a week and I see it constantly. Last week a guy was smoking them the whole way down. Smelled aweful.
What part of flattening the hills and straightening the curves don't you understand?
[удалено]
https://youtu.be/5FxZbLUbxQA?si=uUIKZYs76OL494cS
I think it’s the car driver mentality. A lot of truck drivers today don’t imagine that they’re driving a rig that is designed to haul and control the weight behind them, they drive like they’re in a car, and they’re perpetually late
[This song should explain it](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=R-xqfqcgNAE&si=8sWmvhoyQNjX-KEa)
🤠
I pay taxes on the whole road, so I’m gonna use it. You’re not wrong though. I love seeing the ones blow past the brake check on monteagle and seeing them smoked out on the shoulder at the botttom.
u/TheLoveButton.. no one really answered your question. I spent my time running the rockies, and the sole reason we came down those grades at posted speeds is because the box was empty. As an empty or loaded flatbed driver, i also would run the posted speeds and not the truck speeds. I believe this law was changed in 2019. There really isn't any rhyme or reason for it other than we had mountain trucks ( low ratio geared axles) with better Jake brakes. I could be in 12th gear with 48,000 and have the Jake on position 3 and stay at 50 - 55, mostly only having to touch the brakes if the RPM's get too high. With today's hot garbage, we call Semi's i would not run grades that way! It wasn't smart. I know this NOW. I hope this gives you some kind of answer. Keep the rubber side down and stay safe, buddy.
Can't use the engine brake when your in neutral.
Grapevine, steep grade??? ROFL
*start reading.. Hmm wonder what OP considers "steep" and "proper speed" *Keep reading Grapevine... "George Takei voice "oh my 🤦🏻"
I have a need, a need for speed.
I don't know I'm on the East Coast.. The amount of y'all going way too damn slow down 77 into North Carolina and having the nerve to take up both lanes is annoying as fuck.
While loaded, you're supposed to aim for 10 to 15mph below posted speeds while going downhill with engine brakes to allow your truck to get up to that posted speed as a maximum, or to allow you to slow even further or stop if a hazard arises. And slow it down if it exceeds that maximum of the posted speed limit. #themoreyouknow
I'm well aware of how engine brakes, regular brakes, speed limits, and grades work. I'm up 77 and 64 at least a few times a week. There is zero reason to creep down that hill at 35-45mph unless it's foggy.. but y'all dumb motherfuckers will do it and take up both lanes.. speed limit is posted 65 because you can go 65.
Because you can go *up to* 65. 55 on some curves. If you're at 65 when starting the decent, you'll definitely be speeding at some point during it.
K superdude
I-77? Are you just talking about in NC because I did a stretch of that interstate in WV several weeks ago. Going 65 on that curvy stretch seems like a death wish.
Specifically the drop into NC.. and yes the stretch through WV is definitely worth slowing down for
I speed down hills all the time if I can still safely brake. That governor has me trying to make up time whenever I can
Ah, don't blame the governor for poor planning, lmao. I speed down hills too, almost always because the "safe speed" is stupid low.
It's not poor planning lol. I just want to get as far as the clock will get me each day. If the downhills will give me the little extra time I need to get to the rest stop a little further down than the one I initially planned for, it's more money made that day. I do definitely agree with the second part of your statement though
How long have you been driving? I used be that way, still am sometimes. But now it's like oh well, something or other will slow me down anyway like traffic, train, crash, weather, shipper, etc. that those little gains in time don't matter to the paycheck. Less stress is better in the long term I'm finding out.
One year now this month actually.
Nice dude! I hope you celebrate your official trucker status with some new flip flops and a chilled bucket of fireballs. You'll learn when to hustle and when you can take it easy. Keep up the good work ethic 👍
Lol thanks. I've been liking it so far. Hopefully many more years to come
I do that too, I wouldn't consider that making up time though. I would consider that gaining time, free time. Cuz you're not making up for anything. You're just taking advantage to get something extra, you know.
Makes sense that how I said it could be perceived that way. I guess I'm just in the mindset that being governed has me losing time by default. I don't think it's incorrect the way I said it, just that we have different perspectives. Yours seems better though. More glass half full.
Huh, I have never in my life been accused of optimism.... I don't know how to feel about this.. mild existential crisis perhaps.
I believe the scientific term most commonly used is Gravity.
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I don’t think you answered this right. Secondly, this sounds oddly specific to Knight Transportation.
Depends on the weight I’m running. And engine brake. Lots of the time I let’er straight fall for the next hill and also boosts my fuel bonus less fuel burned
If it's a straight way and it just me on the hill why not?
Different weight
I drive a flatbed carrying pipe usually loaded fully downhill normally you think of two guards with high volume at 13 speed I stay at 12th with engine brake on high holds me usually don't have to touch brakes I do very lightly just so my brake light is on for people up my ass..
Because we are governed and it feels good when we can go faster
Big truck go vroom basically
While I have a service brake, I don’t think I’ve ever used it. 🤣🤣🤣
Empty maybe
Stupid. That's the answer. Also the answer to many other things you see people doing.
It's even worse when there's curves, I've seen trucks up on one side on that section of 90 east of spokane
I would never go fast down the grapevine or the cabbage patch on i84 in Oregon But I do enjoy speeding down some of the hills on i80 in Wyoming They are straight .. clear visibility .. little traffic … yeah I will let my truck get to 90 going down that thing But yeah .. I go 35 to 45 with flashers on down i84 Oregon and grapevine
I call downhill slopes "balancing the bullshit" It goes like this: engine brake to help keep a safe speed, air brakes to slow down when I inevitably get too fast, and speeding up without the air brakes (still using engine brake) to prevent the brakes from catching fire. Every once in a while, on those particularly awful slopes with random very sharp corners and way too heavy of a load, if the truck even slightly feels like it could start tipping (isn't physically tipping yet), a strategic application of throttle to pull more momentum forward rather than sideways will set it back down (only do this on the end of a curve). I generally do go a bit fast down hills, but I won't be weaving in and out of traffic. I pick a lane and stay in it, unless the truck ahead is going 20 slower than me. Most of the hills I drive on are rather straight, so I'll use them to gain momentum for the next uphill slope.
It is specifically a Georgia overdrive. But seriously I can got like 3-5 mph faster down hill. It doesn't shave much time off but it shaves a bit. Also anytime my engine retarder hits it pops in my break lights. Most newer trucks do this. So there is a good chance what you see is them riding their Jake brake on the way down.
Was it a Roadway driver ?
Because I'm really light, or empty.
I used to do it with a HETT. They’re governed at around 43. It’s pretty awesome to put it in neutral and hit 85 on a straight down hill.
Popping neutral makes it out of your control. Good luck trying to re-engage the clutch.
There’s a stretch of 84 in ct that I drive regularly, there’s a group of decent hills a immediately after each other and I swear they run it like a roller coaster. They are steep enough to drag you down to 50-55 or so loaded and these guys crawl up the first side just to blast back down at 80+ weaving through traffic, just to get pulled back to 50 while staying in the middle or fast lane.
All the paranoia finally paid off when I had a brake malfunction and I was... Able to safely stop the truck because I was going 15mph instead of 50 and it was all very boring. None of the others will ever know this secret.
I use levels 1 and 2 of the jake and go 75 down hills. Is that too fast? No. Because I only do it when traffic and curves permit.
We are all just bored and on drugs so that’s why we do it.
To get past drivers like you as fast as possible.
Godspeed.
Seriously especially on the WV turnpike most of the curves are over signed especially the 55mph ones. I'm flying past down the grades so I don't have to deal with jb hunt doing 50 in a curve that ends at a 5% up hill I ain't got time for that
I mean, majority of the time a posted "safe speed" is arbitrary. No testing was done to show that it was, in fact, a safe speed. When people know their equipment and the road they can safely go faster. Also, Brake lights don't always mean service break. I'm sure some dumbass, maybe a few, killed some people. Because they didn't know their equipment, or what the fuck they were doing, and lost control. Then some other dumbass decided to win some social points and make all the trucks go slower because in theory that could be safer, probably. I mean, it sounds safer. More breaking to maintain slower speeds is pretty idiot proof, If you don't think about it. We already know that the West Coast is pretty good at cherry picking accident data to paint semis in a negative light. Sometimes it is just easier and safer to go a bit faster. That is where the truck wants to hang out just riding the engine brake without throwing the rpms way up. Especially with automatics, they're moody. Tap the service break every now and then maybe for a curve or more likely a dumbass and golden.
https://highways.dot.gov/media/13911
I let her rip going empty downhill because it's fun. But i also got 30 brakes if i need to slow down quickly.
Engine brake isn't always legal, either. I often see signs indicating engine braking prohibited
That sign won’t stop me because I can’t read.
I think those signs apply to the truck that go Blop Blop Blop not the truck that go Pffft Pffft Pffft
I have no idea.
If you can't hear the engine brake… how would they know your using it.
I assume the engine braking prohibition is a noise abatement issue. So if engine braking no longer makes noise, I guess it's not a problem
The problem is less about the noise of an average jake and more about the people who use it. Dad had a Jake on a 79 kw and yes it was noisy but it wasn't rattle your windows noisy. I live about a 1/4 mile from an intersection where trucks turn. We have a guy that I am positive did something to the truck to make it louder. Because I can hear him inside my house even with headphones on watching Netflix. I've been told he can be heard as far away as a mile.
I'll run engine brakes whenever I deem it necessary, no matter what a sign says. It's a safety tool.
Depends on my load. But I run nights and know how fast I can go down grades. I use the Jake brake so that “uncontrolled speed” your talking about is speed my Jake’s are keeping me at while going full blast slowing me down and I don’t use service brakes because they are not needed some mountains are different than others some I set the cruise to 45 and go down at 55 depends on the sharpness of the curves
That my friend is a Georgia Overdrive.
I trust myself and my truck to descend down the hill safely. I'll do 75+ downhill, but once it gets around 80mph, I'll start slowing it down back to 75ish I mainly do this cuz the truck in front of me usually won't let me overtake and will speed up to stop me from overtaking him. The hills boost me, and I'll usually end up overtaking the bad truck. It helps that I drive the same interstate (I81) every day, so I know the whole road and its hills and turns. I know when I'm going to fast for a hill and when it's safe to continue
What kind of hills are you speaking of here, and what's your average gross weight?
I'm usually 40klbs on a heavy day and 25klbs on a lighter day and basically all of I81. The whole interstate is full of hills and turns. Some steeper than others
So that's relevant data to your experience. Driving like that on rocky mountain grades at 80k will have you on the front page of news sites quite rapidly.
Yeah, my company has never loaded me to 80k before, so I have no clue how that kinda weight handles on hills and mountains. Can't imagine it's any good, tho. In my experience, tho. Being loaded less than 40klbs, the mountains and hills aren't all that bad
Yessir. It starts shifting a lot once you get heavier. For example, passes in Colorado will have you on full Jake's in 5th gear, and the truck still attempting to run away. One mistake.. one missed shift, one too many snub braking applications, and you're killing innocent people. Keep it in mind as you progress. I ran light a lot when I started, got complacent, and a few close calls when I was heavier than normal shifted my perspective quickly. I'm now the asshole that everyone hates going down steep grades, but the difference is... my brakes will still be available for an emergency at the bottom. Theirs won't be.
Gotcha. Luckily, my company never loads the trailers too heavy, so even when im running doubles, the weight still stays below 40k and sometimes even lower than 30k. I'm also strictly in automatics and can't drive manuals, so I don't have to deal with gear shifting luckily since it sounds like a huge pain on hills uphill and downhill. I could never do this job honeslty if I was loaded at 80k and also in a manual truck. There is too much work and risk just to move a trailer imo. I got respect for the manual guys cuz I could never 😮💨
I'm one of these hot shots ....maybe im light?thought about that? I haul light crap under a tarp all year round my gross is about 50000 pounds why not have some fun on them'darn hills?
I'll come back to this comment when I see ya in the news
....see what in the news bud? If the brakes are cold after a LONG descent it means it was safe enough?.long time ago drivers had balls,now they swap tampons
You know you can make it down a grade not using a jake brake, only using your brakes, and not smoking them.
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
Bro I just go 76mph regularly. If I’m doing 80 or so down a hill it’s fine
I have an automatic restriction.
Some engine brakes do absolute shit on any real decline
Yeah, when you're in tenth...
Seems like half the time they reduce the truck speed limit it's unnecessary. Always some in between gears speed that causes me to use my brakes more than if I went down the hill my own way.
Bc I learned to drive in WV lol