Mountain Driving Scares The #### Out Of Me

The Shiva, man you sure do back down easy!

Remember, this is why you are with a trainer. This is the time you want to be exposed to new and challenging things. If you're too scared to try to ride the bike with training wheels on it what in the world are ya going to do when they're gone?

Ok, forgive me, but this career will not allow you to stay in the comfort zone of your own choosing. Everyday is a new challenge and a new experience. It's a never ending journey in the exploration of pushing all your limits.

There is nothing to fear about those mountains. A smart truck driver allows the truck to do all the work, and beside an occasional and brief small amount of pressure on the brake pedal from you, it will. It's not like your foot on the brakes is holding back all those downward forces of gravity. The truck is designed to do it all. Slow and easy in the proper gear with that Jake doing its thing, and it's a walk in the park.

I'm not quitting, but the mountains are scary to me. I went up and down the 3 sisters, and that big one in Tennessee. It's that big one on the way to Los Angeles that really scares me. But I will be in a low gear, using the Jake brake and stabbing the brakes. My trainer just told me I'm gonna drive down that mountain to get it over with.

Respect the mountain, but don't fear it. Just remember to not let other drivers dictate how fast you go down a mountain. You will see other drivers almost trying to bully you down a mountain by riding right on your tail. Either tell them to get off your tail or slow down even more and maybe they will get the hint.

Todays trucks do very well and as long as your truck is in good mechanical condition and your trainer is awake, which he better be (if not pull over and make him get up before going down) then you will be just fine. Just take it slow and easy and do not panic and listen to your trainer because I can assure you that he doesn't want to die any more than you do. You'll get the hang of it and before you know it you'll be helping someone else down a mountain. It really is no big deal, you'll do just fine.

Mountain driving is just something that you get used to. I'm the guy who is going to be the rookie again after being OTR over 20 years ago. Do what the manuals tell you to do with controlled braking and never coasting and you'll be OK. In the 8 years I was OTR I smoked my brakes once. You never forget that experience, and you do make dam sure you prepare properly before heading down the downgrades after that. I think I lost about 5 lbs in pure sweat in a half hour. The bottom line is that what's in the manuals about mountain driving does work, if you do it.

Bad Bob

Thanks everyone for your support. I realize that to do this job, I will have to get over y fear. I told my trainer about it. So he told me not to worry. He'll be there with me. Thanks again

Thanks everyone for your support. I realize that to do this job, I will have to get over y fear. I told my trainer about it. So he told me not to worry. He'll be there with me. Thanks again

You will be back updating this post telling everyone how well you did soon. You got this

A couple of years ago I took an RV through the heart of Dallas. They drive insane there so that was a whole lot scarier than any mountain driving I ever did.

Bad Bob

The Shiva, I looked back over my first response to you and it may have sounded a little crass - if so, I apologize. Sometimes I jump in here to the forum after working hard for a nice sixteen hour day, and I may not always be in the best humor at that point in my day - I always try to be helpful, but occasionally I'll slip up a little. I understand about fears, and it is uncanny how one thing will frighten one person while the same issue doesn't bother another person - fears are just like that. If you are afraid of spiders, it doesn't make you any less of a person to the man whose only fear is alligators. Face those fears head on and you will be the better for it. I agree with everyone, you will be back in here one day telling other newbies how to descend those mountains one day, and the great thing about you is that you will have a real empathy for those who are sweating bullets over this issue.

Here's a couple of links to some older threads that just might help you see some of the positive things about travelling in the mountains. I thought you and some of the others following this thread might enjoy them.

Both of these threads were written after picking up some copper from some of the mines I used to pick up at during my first flat-bed job.

Copper mine trip number one

Copper mine trip number two

Thanks everyone for your support. I realize that to do this job, I will have to get over y fear. I told my trainer about it. So he told me not to worry. He'll be there with me. Thanks again

Shiva, being affraid is natural don't think you can't be affraid, just don't let it control you. Always think before you do things, have your plan made out ahead of time and trust your trainer and equpment. Something I aways plan for when I have new student on my truck that has expressed fear about mountains is I know the were I drive pretty well and will have the student sometimes pull over at a pull out or rest area and have them take a brake get out walk a bit and calm down. As other have said we won't to go home at the end of are trips to we will not let you endanger us or other people . Keep your head stay calm. Have fun.

The Shiva, Are you going to be driving the California Grape-Vine through the Tehachapi Mountains on I-5? I know it well.

Descending grades with your engine brake and gearing down is the easy part, just follow the guidelines you probably learned in school and the CDL manual. Learning how to descend WITHOUT your engine brake is what you should learn how to do. Because you're not gonna be using your engine brake during certain road conditions - at least you shouldn't be using your engine brake under certain conditions.

The Shiva, I looked back over my first response to you and it may have sounded a little crass - if so, I apologize. Sometimes I jump in here to the forum after working hard for a nice sixteen hour day, and I may not always be in the best humor at that point in my day - I always try to be helpful, but occasionally I'll slip up a little. I understand about fears, and it is uncanny how one thing will frighten one person while the same issue doesn't bother another person - fears are just like that. If you are afraid of spiders, it doesn't make you any less of a person to the man whose only fear is alligators. Face those fears head on and you will be the better for it. I agree with everyone, you will be back in here one day telling other newbies how to descend those mountains one day, and the great thing about you is that you will have a real empathy for those who are sweating bullets over this issue.

Here's a couple of links to some older threads that just might help you see some of the positive things about travelling in the mountains. I thought you and some of the others following this thread might enjoy them.

Both of these threads were written after picking up some copper from some of the mines I used to pick up at during my first flat-bed job.

Copper mine trip number one

Copper mine trip number two

Thank you OS