Should I Go With An OTR Trainer???

@michael I understand and I didn't take it the wrong way. My trainer said the mountains were named "black mountain".(I think it was in Asheville,NC) Probably nothing like the mountains you guys who've done it before for so long have come across in the Midwest and all, but it was pretty hairy for me!lol but I didn't panic. And I've thought about what you said all day. I've advised my advocate to put me with a otr trainer because of the very things you mentioned. I'm not trying to rush it at all, I want to be safe and efficient. I do want my own truck but I'm not in a rush to get there.

That's a real mountain you went down man! Used to live in Asheville. That one is 9 percent grade I think. I've drove it in car but not yet a semi.

Black mountain is a 6%. I was putting a lot of emphasis on the mountains being I got comfortable on a 8% grade. First time down it was around 78k, the second time down it I was at 79,998 and if I would have used my head I would not have been in the situation I was in. That was 15 years ago and I have no problem remembering that night. I second guessed myself on the gearing that night and instead of going one lower thought i'll be fine, 30 seconds in and I was not fine. I just consider myself very lucky to still be here.

It's just a stupid mistake on my part, because I lost respect for the down grade and wound up second guessing myself.