The Downgrades Frighten Me

I'm very, very familiar with the Cajon Pass and have also traveled Donner Pass and have driven a piece of s**t RV down Highway 395 around Mono Lake at night in a snowstorm. However, thinking of doing such in a rig makes me queasy. I've read many forum posts on the subject and have studied what the CDL manual says about driving down hill and I'm sure I'll be able to do it, but still. What are some if the gnarlier downgrades across the US that you have traveled and have you ever had to use a runaway truck ramp?

I've never had to use a runaway ramp but I have burnt my brakes one time because my engine brake stopped working.

Your trainer will teach you how to do downgrades properly and safely. Downgrades are very easy if you're in the right gear. Just make sure to take your time and don't rush. Remember, you can go down a grade a million times slowly, but only once can you go down a grade too fast.

A general rule is to use a gear 1-2 lower than the gear you used to climb the hill. Honestly if you do that you'll always be safe.

Try not to stress it too much.

Cajon Pass, Donner Pass, and 395 into Mono Lake don't bother me much, really. Now coming down Cabbage hill into Pendleton, or Siskiyou into Ashland, those will make your butthole clench on a good day, much less when the weather and roads are nasty. Lookout Pass between Idaho and Montana gets a dishonorable mention as well. Call me finicky, but there's just something I hate about a steep hill that's almost nothing but switchbacks.

Most current trucks have engine retarder/Jake brakes now, which will take up must of the braking work. In California, I believe the truck speed limit is posted at 35mph, forcing you to use lower gears. Just continue to use the stab/jab braking and you'll roll out onto the flat in style.

Just continue to use the stab/jab braking and you'll roll out onto the flat in style.

I think you meant snub braking.

Stab braking is by definition a technique for emergency braking where you are braking hard and then releasing.

Snub uses the 5-3 rule ( brake for only 3 seconds to reach 5 mph below safe speed, rinse and repeat).

Snub uses the 5-3 rule ( brake for only 3 seconds to reach 5 mph below safe speed, rinse and repeat).

Yeah ... That!

Thanks.

Ill submit that if you don't have some fear of big downgrades then there's something wrong with you.

Phil

I'll submit that if you don't have some fear of big downgrades then there's something wrong with you.

Phil

You submitted right, Phil. But let's call it respect*. Respect the downgrade, know what it can do, and drive accordingly.

* That's like the phrase in the Bible: "Fear the Lord" is King James English for what we would say "Respect the Lord".

If heavy haul trucks can do it weighing between 150 and 200k then you can do it at 80k.

The key here is to be cautious, not frightened. When you are scared, mistakes can be made easily. Be confident in your training, cautious in the application of that training and you will be just fine.

Thanks for the replies everyone. Just jumpin' the gun with the ole n00b jitters. Just yesterday I saw a CR England driver coming down Cajon right before the 15, 215 split. His rear trailer brakes were smokin' like a mother f'er. All the cars in the vicinity were like screw this noise and scrambling to get as far away from him as possible lol.