Why not continue on down the other side?
Will their engines cool too quickly?
Wouldn't cooling system regulate eveything?
Thank you,
Robert
Will their engines cool too quickly?
Wouldn't cooling system regulate eveything?
Thank you,
Robert
Why do semis stop at the top of mountain passes?
- Thread starter Robert_Gift
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Brake check?
brake check would be my guess.
I seldom stopped. Possible reasons abound for those who do stop.
Take a leak. Never understood this vernacular. I always leave a leak, not take one.
Weigh station and/or port of entry may be open ahead and the log book is way off.
Enjoying the view.
Shoot the breeze with others truckers.
Take a nap.
In the "old days," toke alone or with others to relax a bit before harassing the 4-wheelers. Might still be doing it.
And a whole bunch more.
Most truckers, from my experience, adjusted brakes while at a truck stop. Regular route company drivers sometimes have mechanics at terminals to do the brakes.
If a trucker is ahead of schedule, with plenty of time to reach a destination, and the destination has a hot climate, some truckers will stay at higher elevations to enjoy the cooler climate. For example, it's Friday. I unload in Phoenix AZ Monday. Phoenix is a bazillion degrees in the shade. I stay in Flagstaff where it's 30 degrees cooler, maybe more. Even if I am only a few hours early I would, at times, do the sleep thing atop the mountain where it was cooler then awake in time to drive into the searing heat to be there for the delivery.
Why dontcha' stop and ask some time? Just don't call the drivers "good buddy."
Keep the greasy side down.
Fly by Night/Greasy Kid Stuff told yah' that.
/old CB radio code names
//noticed that "handles" ain't used nearly as much as they were waay back when
///truckin' ain't what it used to be
////hammer down!!!!!!!!!!!
Take a leak. Never understood this vernacular. I always leave a leak, not take one.
Weigh station and/or port of entry may be open ahead and the log book is way off.
Enjoying the view.
Shoot the breeze with others truckers.
Take a nap.
In the "old days," toke alone or with others to relax a bit before harassing the 4-wheelers. Might still be doing it.
And a whole bunch more.
Most truckers, from my experience, adjusted brakes while at a truck stop. Regular route company drivers sometimes have mechanics at terminals to do the brakes.
If a trucker is ahead of schedule, with plenty of time to reach a destination, and the destination has a hot climate, some truckers will stay at higher elevations to enjoy the cooler climate. For example, it's Friday. I unload in Phoenix AZ Monday. Phoenix is a bazillion degrees in the shade. I stay in Flagstaff where it's 30 degrees cooler, maybe more. Even if I am only a few hours early I would, at times, do the sleep thing atop the mountain where it was cooler then awake in time to drive into the searing heat to be there for the delivery.
Why dontcha' stop and ask some time? Just don't call the drivers "good buddy."
Keep the greasy side down.
Fly by Night/Greasy Kid Stuff told yah' that.
/old CB radio code names
//noticed that "handles" ain't used nearly as much as they were waay back when
///truckin' ain't what it used to be
////hammer down!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm going with brake check too.
I used to licensed. Its for brake check. A runaway truck gets you a ticket if you are lucky. There are some pretty high and steep hills in the west.
Don
Don
Ya most big hills have a place to pull over and check your brakes.
I'd venture to say that 99% of the drivers on the road today couldn't tell you if a brake was adjusted correctly or not.
I'd venture to say that 99% of the drivers on the road today couldn't tell you if a brake was adjusted correctly or not.
Brake check and also so they can start out from a dead stop and not build up as much speed and fry the brakes. A car will recover from that, in a semi that would be a bad thing.
You don't read or see news about many runaway trucks nowadays.
Doesn't happen often.
Most downhill runs aren't that bad on the major highways.
Donner pass is a breeze. The "Cabbage Patch" on I-84 east of Pendleton Oregon looks like a toughy but it's nuthin'.
The "Grapevine" on I-5 north of Los Angeles with its 35-mph speed limit and heavy patrolling by the highway patrol isn't much of a worry.
Of course, a fully laden truck at 80,000 pounds has to take more care than a truck weighing less.
Air brakes (jake brakes) help but are not a substitute for being careful.
Drive a truck for awhile and you know to what extent you can go when it comes to the various downgrades.
It's when you come upon a new-to-you downgrade that you have to be more careful. Often, you can just emulate the other trucks and get down just fine.
One of the downgrades I respected was on I-17 leaving Flagstaff headed for Phoenix.
Only one scared me and I didn't even go down it. I went up. And up and up and up. Second gear. A loooong upgrade. Going the other way it would have been a loooong downgrade. Not a major road, though but it could be a mankiller. In fact, a couple weeks after going up it I read about a truck going down and losing its brakes, killing the 2 drivers inside.
US 82 in New Mexico between Alamogordo and Cloudcroft.
Eeeeeeeeek!!!!!! Scary!!!!!!
As for cooling brakes on TOP of the mountain.... well, the trucks have to climb up there and they don't use their brakes going up. No need to cool 'em.
You may read about how a truck involved in an accident had out-of-adjustment brakes. What you are typically not informed of is if that truck was a company truck or owned by the driver. Also, unless you are familiar with the trucking companies, you are also likely unaware if that truck was a long-haul truck that does tackle the mountains or a local truck that only confronts local conditions.
Here on the flatlands of Nebraska local truckers don't have to be as careful as those who go up and over those mountains. My last long-haul stint was in 8 western states. You quickly intimately learn of the mountain passes and know how to tackle them.
http://www.dailybulletin.com/opinions/ci_5381485
There's a news story about local drivers and runaway trucks. Too often, I have noticed that local drivers tend to be non-professionals. Not always!!! But, enough so that long-haul drivers tend to not include locals among the ranks of the "Kings of the road."
"A sheriff's deputy aided a semi truck that had used the runaway ramp at the bottom of Highway 431. The driver was uninjured and the case was turned over to the Nevada Highway Patrol."
Had to dig to find the above. Note the lack of information. However, from my own experience I would bet money it wasn't a long-haul trucker nor an owner/operator.
"In August 1995, truck driver Baljinder Singh and Burnaby resident Wayde Police were killed after Singh's brakes failed, sending his rig careening out of control down the Cut.
In 1990 the brakes failed on a truck driven by Singh Ubhi. Two tourists died at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal after their vehicle was struck."
Again, local drivers not atop a high mountain.
For those of you out there that have felt the "push" of multiple tons of weight behind you, you understand the physics involved and how to interact with the equipment carrying that weight.
Experience is crucial but so is attitude!!!!!! Too many locals are gear-headed buffoons in my humble opinion. There's a few long-haul idiots out there and too many over-the-road drivers tailgate but, when it's time to go down those long downhill grades........ as I said before... unlike the days of yore we just don't hear about nearly as many out-of-control trucks on those long downgrades as we did in the past.
One last bit of commentary, what I intend to be SOCIAL commentary, not politics!!!!!!!
From what I have observed.... recent "immigrants" appear to be involved in truck wrecks far out of proportion to their numbers. I expect mayhem when our below-the-border bretheren are allowed to drive all across the USA. And, if harmed by one of those trucks, good luck being indemnified by a foreign trucking firm with a foreign insurance firm... if that firm IS legitimitely insured.
Bye.
/condescending to 4-wheelers
//4-wheelers can't help it
///not ALL 4-wheelers are "4-wheelers," just the majority
////hammer down!!!!!!
Doesn't happen often.
Most downhill runs aren't that bad on the major highways.
Donner pass is a breeze. The "Cabbage Patch" on I-84 east of Pendleton Oregon looks like a toughy but it's nuthin'.
The "Grapevine" on I-5 north of Los Angeles with its 35-mph speed limit and heavy patrolling by the highway patrol isn't much of a worry.
Of course, a fully laden truck at 80,000 pounds has to take more care than a truck weighing less.
Air brakes (jake brakes) help but are not a substitute for being careful.
Drive a truck for awhile and you know to what extent you can go when it comes to the various downgrades.
It's when you come upon a new-to-you downgrade that you have to be more careful. Often, you can just emulate the other trucks and get down just fine.
One of the downgrades I respected was on I-17 leaving Flagstaff headed for Phoenix.
Only one scared me and I didn't even go down it. I went up. And up and up and up. Second gear. A loooong upgrade. Going the other way it would have been a loooong downgrade. Not a major road, though but it could be a mankiller. In fact, a couple weeks after going up it I read about a truck going down and losing its brakes, killing the 2 drivers inside.
US 82 in New Mexico between Alamogordo and Cloudcroft.
Eeeeeeeeek!!!!!! Scary!!!!!!
As for cooling brakes on TOP of the mountain.... well, the trucks have to climb up there and they don't use their brakes going up. No need to cool 'em.
You may read about how a truck involved in an accident had out-of-adjustment brakes. What you are typically not informed of is if that truck was a company truck or owned by the driver. Also, unless you are familiar with the trucking companies, you are also likely unaware if that truck was a long-haul truck that does tackle the mountains or a local truck that only confronts local conditions.
Here on the flatlands of Nebraska local truckers don't have to be as careful as those who go up and over those mountains. My last long-haul stint was in 8 western states. You quickly intimately learn of the mountain passes and know how to tackle them.
http://www.dailybulletin.com/opinions/ci_5381485
There's a news story about local drivers and runaway trucks. Too often, I have noticed that local drivers tend to be non-professionals. Not always!!! But, enough so that long-haul drivers tend to not include locals among the ranks of the "Kings of the road."
"A sheriff's deputy aided a semi truck that had used the runaway ramp at the bottom of Highway 431. The driver was uninjured and the case was turned over to the Nevada Highway Patrol."
Had to dig to find the above. Note the lack of information. However, from my own experience I would bet money it wasn't a long-haul trucker nor an owner/operator.
"In August 1995, truck driver Baljinder Singh and Burnaby resident Wayde Police were killed after Singh's brakes failed, sending his rig careening out of control down the Cut.
In 1990 the brakes failed on a truck driven by Singh Ubhi. Two tourists died at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal after their vehicle was struck."
Again, local drivers not atop a high mountain.
For those of you out there that have felt the "push" of multiple tons of weight behind you, you understand the physics involved and how to interact with the equipment carrying that weight.
Experience is crucial but so is attitude!!!!!! Too many locals are gear-headed buffoons in my humble opinion. There's a few long-haul idiots out there and too many over-the-road drivers tailgate but, when it's time to go down those long downhill grades........ as I said before... unlike the days of yore we just don't hear about nearly as many out-of-control trucks on those long downgrades as we did in the past.
One last bit of commentary, what I intend to be SOCIAL commentary, not politics!!!!!!!
From what I have observed.... recent "immigrants" appear to be involved in truck wrecks far out of proportion to their numbers. I expect mayhem when our below-the-border bretheren are allowed to drive all across the USA. And, if harmed by one of those trucks, good luck being indemnified by a foreign trucking firm with a foreign insurance firm... if that firm IS legitimitely insured.
Bye.
/condescending to 4-wheelers
//4-wheelers can't help it
///not ALL 4-wheelers are "4-wheelers," just the majority
////hammer down!!!!!!
"And, if harmed by one of those trucks, good luck being indemnified by a foreign trucking firm with a foreign insurance firm... if that firm IS legitimitely insured."
So then my uninsured motorist coverage will go up...and legal citizens will pay, as always.
John
So then my uninsured motorist coverage will go up...and legal citizens will pay, as always.
John
In Southern California you have to keep away from those trucks with Mexican plates. In many cases you don't have to see the plates, you can guess which ones are from south of the border. If one hits you you're in for problems. The drivers run and you can't take the truck to pay your bills because our visitors have rights. They are protected. If they don't run, they get free medical care and are then deported. The free medical care is good for them but now they have to go buy a new license before they can get their old job back. If you complain then you are labeled a racist. The police will do nothing. They won't investigate. The legislators that help cause the problems sure are not going to help you unless you outbid their last investor. And lawyers are no help unless you have a lot of money. Your car insurance is going to pay it's obligation because it's cheaper than fighting it out. Now you have a chargeable accident on your record and higher premiums. After all someone has to pay the bills. It's sure not our visitors from the south. Just remember, that cheap strawberry you just ate is the most expensive meal you will ever consume. And if it's a truck from south of the border that is stopped at the top of the hill, it's waiting until the coast is clear.
In the old days the driver had to (supposed to) check/adjust the brakes before every trip and stop at brake check areas to recheck the adjustment.
The shoes are readily visable and adjusting all 10 takes about 5 mins.
Today trucks use self adjusters but they like all mechanical things ocasionally fail to work correctly. Still supposed to check the brake adjustment daily.
The CDL schools are turning drivers out w/o proper brake training(IMO anyway). Brakes are pretty important when your loaded to 80,000 lbs or more.
I bet that if you went to a truckstop and asked drivers from any of the large companies to show you how to check for proper slack adjustment most couldn't.
Great thread, I would never think of them adjusting the brakes.
I just assumed, it wasn't their truck, they had a company service their fleet of trucks, and that was it.
The driver just drove, I assumed.
I see some real nice rigs on the road, then I see some real ragged ones also, that I want to call in the plate number to the local sheriff.
The worst I seen was up in NY, had alabama plate on it.
The guy must have blown a tire out, so instead of replacing it, he just removed the outer wheel from the truck, and he was driving with one wheel missing in the back.
It made me stay far away from that rig.
I had never seen anything like that before.
I just assumed, it wasn't their truck, they had a company service their fleet of trucks, and that was it.
The driver just drove, I assumed.
I see some real nice rigs on the road, then I see some real ragged ones also, that I want to call in the plate number to the local sheriff.
The worst I seen was up in NY, had alabama plate on it.
The guy must have blown a tire out, so instead of replacing it, he just removed the outer wheel from the truck, and he was driving with one wheel missing in the back.
It made me stay far away from that rig.
I had never seen anything like that before.
Part of the Pre-trip inspection that the D.O.T. makes drivers fill out daily has a part about brake adjustment. It's a Law that your supposed to check brakes every day.
Some of these guys stay out weeks or even months in the truck w/o being near the company terminal where they service the trucks.
Plus they swap trailers often. Who knows when it was last serviced?
Most drivers figure that the automatic adjusters work fine and there's no need to check the brake adjustment.
So lets assume that the tractor has a bad adjuster and he hooks to a trailer with 2 bad ones. Thats 3 out of 10 brakes that are not working properly.
It'l stop ok in normal driving but if he needs to stop fast or goes off a big hill in 13th gear bad things are gonna happen.
My junk has a cracked window, Primer, regrooved tires on the rear (this is legal but I'd prefer better ones)etc. My brakes must be manually adjusted and they are in spec.
Trucks stop at the top of hills to test the brakes. Most areas with the pull-off area also have a lower maximum speed for trucks on that grade. The reason you don't hear about run-away trucks that much any more is the wide spread purchase of the JACOBS "JAKE-" BRAKE. This dandy little device turns the engine into an energy absorbing air compressor upon release of the throttle. The newer ones, when working properly, provide about 80% of the engines full power as BRAKING power, thus greatly saving your brakes. It works by activating and de-activating the exhaust valve train. Quite a simple, yet GENIUS concept! Yes, these are available for gas engines too, but your brakes would last for-ever and we can't have that! When you're beside a big truck and hear a loud rattle, that is the application of the retarder. They are annoying when the O/O removes the mufflers as the extreme noise is rediculous. Many of your tonier upscale areas have banned their use because of this. On a diesel with the required muffler installed, you won't tell the difference.
It's amazing the drop and hook trailers I pick up w/o the brakes correctly adjusted. BTW I never make my adjustments in the truckstop because I don't like laying on my back in a urinal adjusting my brakes.
The urinal gets flushed whenever it rains. I'd rather adjust them on the side of the road or at the terminal before I leave.
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