Caught Kearsey Live Feed! It Was Cool!

The Dungeon was my guess!

Was in Jersey City blehhhhh you can keep it!! Roads suck etc lol got 4 points on critical braking.....safety gunna get it removed..

Some Idiot couldn't decide at a Y split on I9 stops dead in front of me partly turning to left of the fork in road,,,I brake, then they start to come back to right, inmy path. I brake again and veer right to keep from hitting them n shoving em right into the center pointed barricade!!!.....

whewwww short check moment....Happened all within mere second or 2 like so dang close!!.....Good thing I was on hyper alert hahaha Add Joisey to list of places I dont wanna visit often if ever again!!!

Stevo shares his first Noth Jousie experience...

Was in Jersey City blehhhhh you can keep it!! Roads suck etc lol got 4 points on critical braking.....safety gunna get it removed..

Some Idiot couldn't decide at a Y split on I9 stops dead in front of me partly turning to left of the fork in road,,,I brake, then they start to come back to right, inmy path. I brake again and veer right to keep from hitting them n shoving em right into the center pointed barricade!!!.....

whewwww short check moment....Happened all within mere second or 2 like so dang close!!.....Good thing I was on hyper alert hahaha Add Joisey to list of places I dont wanna visit often if ever again!!!

Indeed. Driving in this part of the country can be described as treacherous. Roads like 9, 22, 18 (to name just a few). ..all of them are rolling lines of continuous traffic. You must always be mindful that the majority of the vehicles in your vicinity are being operated by drivers who are at least one of these things; distracted, impatient, aggressive, hurried, high and also many times no clue where they are going.

My first experience up there was going from the Walmart in Saddlebrook to the Walmart in Garfield, in the rain, during rush hour with no GPS. Yup. I eventually figured it out, but not without an elevated level of angst and fear.

So here is the thing...most of us cannot avoid areas like this. North Jersey is a huge hub of commerce. Naturally trucking companies will send us to places like this...repeatedly. There are about 25 Walmart’s and 3 backhaul vendors in this area, including Tropicana in Stevo’s beloved Jersey City. I’m dispatched to this area regularly.

Steve this was your first experience driving in this area in a CMV. How will you prepare yourself for the second time and how will you adjust your approach? Because...it’s inevitable, you will return there.

Be safe everyone.

G-Town same as always in anytime of vehicle lol be on extra look out for everyone around me

Haven't had an accident in 45 years of driving and really dont plan to especially in a cmv where, things can get nasty really fast!

Probably luckier we weren't under load or a trailer @ the time. Were headed to grab the preloaded trailer.

Stevo's reply...

G-Town same as always in anytime of vehicle lol be on extra look out for everyone around me

Haven't had an accident in 45 years of driving and really dont plan to especially in a cmv where, things can get nasty really fast!

Probably luckier we weren't under load or a trailer @ the time. Were headed to grab the preloaded trailer.

I like that, good, common-sense approach. 45 years and no accidents, not too shabby!

I'd like to offer some additional things/details I (still) apply when I know I am going to enter the NY Metro/North Jersey (or any urban/metro like Philly) area:

- Rule 1 for me is never rush. Never. Take your time.

- Know where you are going, know the routes. My GPS regularly goes Wonky in N-NJ. Likely because of the confluence of numerous crisscrossing roads and interstates, congestion of wireless and cellular communication signals. Boggles the mind and the technology. I always have a backup plan on a sticky-note and alternate routes if I need to get around any blockage. For those of you who do not frequent any urban area, this is vitally important. I've got most of the roads I use in North Jersey memorized, it happens over time. Even so, I always have primary and alternate routes written down for easy reference in a short-notice need.

- I drive up there as if every day is a snowstorm. Probably sounds funny, right? I know the spot Stevo described, there are many areas like that. Anticipate issues as you approach such a "feature". Give yourself lots and lots of extra space, and drop your speed below that of the flow of traffic. If they are doing 15, do 10, etc, etc. Speed limit of 35, do 30. Adjust accordingly in real-time.

- Once I get into that area, cruise control is turned off,...completely. Low or Medium Jake is on if I am under a load and the roads are dry. This way, it automatically kicks in as soon as you take your foot off the throttle. Finesse' with an increase in control of the truck in areas of; high congestion, bad drivers, confusing roads and subtle signage.

- Anticipate bad driving behavior. Anticipate stale lights. We sit up high, and can see everything. Look for any sign of erratic or abnormal driving behavior. Expect to be cut-off, ignored and a whole lot of other things that can cause an accident. We are a target for idiocy. If possibly make eye contact...especially with someone attempting to cross or enter your path from the left or right. If they aren't looking at you, be prepared for them to pull out in front of you. Hyper vigilance & hyper situational awareness is in order. Comes with experience...yes, but having this ultra defensive mindset day-1 will enable the awareness, the 6th sense of commercial driving to be developed faster.

- Plan any turns in advance by ensuring you are in the correct lane, eyeballing the target before getting "on top of it". Expect that you will be competing for available space. Stop lines mean nothing up there. Safely adjust accordingly.

- Expect that red lights will be "run". Look to make sure the path is clear and nothing approaches an intersection at high speed once the light has changed to green. T-bone accidents are common up there. Prevent it from being you. Look...and look hard before proceeding.

I hope this is helpful. Be safe everyone.

G-Town wrote:

"- Once I get into that area, cruise control is turned off,...completely. Low or Medium Jake is on if I am under a load and the roads are dry. This way, it automatically kicks in as soon as you take your foot off the throttle. Finesse' with an increase in control of the truck in areas of; high congestion, bad drivers, confusing roads and subtle signage. "

I just searched the Internet for info about how Jake brakes work after you wrote that, G-Town, having also seen recent reference to their use in managing winter road conditions. I guess by now I should think to search here first! By far the best link that popped up: Jake Brake - What is it and how do you use it?

Your thoughtful approach to driving a big rig in an urban area is appreciated. I learned to drive in NYC and most of my driving life has been in the metro area. Yet what you wrote is substantially different from how operating other vehicle types might be described, great fodder for thought.

Don't use the Jake Brake to scare bicyclists or small children. It's rude.

Don't use the Jake Brake to scare bicyclists or small children. It's rude.

Right? Once again, who needs the Internet with what we got in-house, lol

Our Jake Brakes on the company trucks are too quiet to scare anybody.

I read the link Doyenne posted. It's definitely good, but probably needs to be updated.

As such, operating the Jake for optimal and safe performance is different depending on whether driving a Manual transmission vs. an Auto-Shift transmission. Many of us are now in Auto Shift trucks, a trend that is likely to continue, proliferating adoption way beyond the major carriers. Remember Mack Trucks assembled the very last manually equipped Class 8 in Macungie PA before the end of last year. Not sure if it's even offered as an option (???).

I have been driving (happily) an Auto-Shift for about 3 years now; unlike the manually equipped truck, cruise control and the engine brake are progressively coupled through technology. For instance, when I set cruise at 65, and the truck begins to descend a grade, gaining speed, the Jake Brake will automatically kick in "hard" at 69 MPH. That said, I don't let that occur, I reduce the cruise setting by 3 or 4 MPH as I approach the beginning of the descent (especially if it's steep) so the truck will not approach 70 or greater MPH, thus kicking in the Jake at 65 to hold the hill at that speed. This technique also enables a more gradual, controlled application and will not over-rev the engine. It's rare (Stevo? you listening) that I use the service brake to control speed when cruise control is set and I am at highway speeds (50-65). This is how I drive in dry weather with light to no traffic.

If however there is heavy traffic, wet roads, I do not use cruise control and only invoke the Jake on the low setting (if loaded or partially loaded) to "kick-down" a gear or two to control speed. It's only on for a matter of seconds, and then I'll hold the gear by switching to manual mode. This is a judgement call...if dealing with a snow covered road, I am in full manual mode and using the "paddle" to control and shift gears. No Jake, no Cruise. Granted not all trucks are so equipped and have disabled the Auto override (I think Prime has done this, not sure of any other companies).

If the cruise is off, the Jake can be operated in a more conventional manor like you would with a manual transmission.

...and the noise thing...company truck's exhaust systems are dampened/muffled to the extent pulling the Jake even on "high", won't scare anyone. Trust me...doesn't even bother skittish wildlife.

Remember the Jake is a tool, an essential part of maintaining smooth control and safe speed. Although it will slow the truck, even to a crawl, it is designed to supplement/compliment the service brake. Not replace it.