Rookie truck driver's first winter in the mountains! Trucking Life. 

You can go down a hill too slow as many times as you want; you can only go down too fast once.

That’s right Dave, you do you! Won’t be long before one of those guys screams by you and then 10 mi down the road you see him in the ditch or sideways across the road lol Happens all the time! Always drive at a speed you are comfortable with and you’ll live to tell about it!

What helped me when driving an automatic was to set the cruise control at the desired speed, then turn on jakes. Your jakes may have a “cruise control speed” that will be about 5mph lower. This may help you. Remember if you do start to jackknife, never hit the break. Give it some throttle, counter steer and try to get back under it. Keep up the good content!!

14 min in and we see why those other truckers where chaining up lol

You go at your own comfortable pace, you'll get there , just keep going these other guys passing you you will see down the road at the next truck stop-- it's the turtle and the hare effect, great job!

Just remember if the road looks wet but you see no water spray off tires it could be frozen.

On some automatics, you have to tap the brake to activate jakes after you turn it on in manuel mode.

I would not stop unless I have to. Your driving was good enough to keep going in those conditions.

Stab Braking, going down mountain grades, press and hold the brake pedal for a long 5 sec., slow the truck down 5-10 mph. Let off the brake and the let the truck speed back up, then repeat the process. I didn't find to many videos on stab braking. And if you have stop, then stop. Press and hold.

Dude you have such a great personality I feel like I've known you for years.

Love your videos man! Love that you focus on safety and not being a super trucker that ain’t a rookie move that’s a true truck driver there

Thank you for your content. I've just enrolled in a CDL school, so by the time I've passed and hired on, it will be winter time. I'm originally from Alaska so I know a bit about driving on ice but surely a semi truck is a whole different game. This helps. Appreciate you!

My first year of driving I trucked like a maniac, Sorry drivers. By five years later I take it nice and slow. No load worth my life or the end of my career.

You have many years of driving through that shit. Just stay safe out there and never get to comfortable or go outside of what you're comfortable with bc that's when you'll screw up.

Forgot to mention, less weight on drives more chances of jackknifing . Heavier you are the more grip you have , but you stopping distance increases especially in snow

Regarding the question of whether to pull over or keep going. Think of it like this. What if you where driving in the summer and had 35 miles of road construction poking along at 15 miles per hour. You have a rest stop along the way. What would you do? Keep going or stop? You said yourself that conditions wouldn't get better by morning. So if your good on your clock and can make safe progress ( even if it's slow) that's more progress than you'll make sitting for ten hrs. Pull over if conditions get unsafe. Otherwise any speed moving forward is better than sitting still watching your deadline get closer. But safety always takes priority. I grew up in north idaho. Haven't done much truck driving there but I know snow. You don't want to be on the road at night unless you really know the area. These guys blowing past you are either very comfortable with the area because they run it all the time or they are stupid. If your new to an area, don't know the road then always take it easy. Because you don't know what's around the next corner. Drive safe.

I used to drive over the road, been pretty much every where in the USA. I always go with my gut feeling when it comes to snow and ice, don’t push you limit ever. Take it slow create tons of space and you’ll be alright.

You're the driver,you drive where you feel comfortable. Don't worry about what others say or do.

Do what makes you comfortable. If you feel unsafe pull over/off. Don’t let someone else’s ego, or opinion make your decisions.

I tell ya I felt the same way about automatics when I first started using them. However once you get used to using them they really aren't that bad. I've been able to handle any weather with the auto just as well as a manual. Stay safe driver A tip I've always followed with mountain driving is go down a gear lower than you went up

If you put your transmission on Manuel and say you have a gear that your comfortable with going down hill push the button again and hold it. An L will appear next to the gear its locked

I have 30 years mountain and winter driving under my belt. Only thing I can tell you is do what youre comfortable with , you do learn what your truck will do and wont do. Also, it is FAR better to chain before you need to than to try to get out of a situation where you should have chained up. Some guys just stay south, but winter isnt terrible , a few big storms a year. Watch for black ice, if road looks wet but you arent kicking up any spray thats a big flag youre on ice and slow down.

Just remember Dave, you can go down the hill to slow hundreds of times. But it only takes once going to fast. Drive the speed you feel safe with. If the other drivers want to go faster, they will go around. Just watch out for the ones that want to creep down the hills. And make sure to keep Adequate following distance. Stay safe, stay healthy, and keep on truckin..

Dave! Good job! You'll go down icy hills a million times too slow, but you'll only go down an icy hill once TOO FAST!!!!!

best way to get down safely .is take your time. don't be rushed by someone behind you. if he wants to pass he must do it. but don't let him or she decide how to drive you down. follow your gut feeling and take your time.... you are doing great

Nice driving Dave for your first time in the mountains during winter season. If you were nervous you did a great job not showing it. Stay safe !!!!!

We drive Freightliner automatics, if we're in top gear it won't let us put them in manual mode. You have to be in a gear lower to put it in manual mode. Don't ever use the lever called a trailer brake if you have one, your trailer brakes will catch on fire. I've seen it almost have done it. As far as braking goes, stab braking works the best, try to find videos on it.

You set my GPS off when you did voice command. hahaha

19 degrees faranheit is cold enough for black ice. But it doesn't look like it rained. And traffic is moderate. You could watch cars in front of you for ice. Sure is a beautiful drive through there.

I’m so glad I have my 18 speed for the mountains I go through daily. It’s so much safer and easier . And yes stay in 7 high when going down those mountains. I go through a 6% grade as well.

Make sure your cruise control is off! Not just disconnected but turned off.

Wooo got to learn some winter driving stuff from Dave. Weird stuff though, my instructor told me to never use Jake brake in icy conditions yet I see videos of people doing it. Good stuff though. Funny as hell dude.

Never compare your driving to others if they are going faster or slower than you doesn’t matter drive at your comfort and skill level if you have a wreck it’s on you

Thanks for your videos is giving me more confidence to drive in the snow it will be my first winter driving a semi

That's fun everyone can enjoy. Nice driving Dave! And thank you for sharing.

Pretty normal winter conditions for Lookout Pass. Don't use more than position 2 on the Jakes on potentially slippery roads. And keep the engine rpm below 1600. If you hit a slick spot on a curve with the full jakes on you can easily lose it. If possible, brake on the straight road before a curve. If you need to brake in a curve use gentle even pressure.

That’s gonna be me. Lol I’m gonna start trucking soon and I’m so scared to drive in the snow. I’ll be going so slow and probably pissing people off but I care more about my life and others than their feelings lol

Hey truckie so far I have seen just one video and it's look so amazing like your commentary

Engine brakes work best in the 1800 to 2100 rpm range. On a automated transmission select L when going down grade. Also if you can turn you engine fan on it will also help

I think you are awesome! I enjoy watching your videos. I will start training in a week with Prime. Stay safe and follow your gut!

If you lost control ensure your truck alone do not use your truck to bump into other peoples or other vehicle on public Hwy. That the reason keep more room a part and drive local speed 50 to 25 mph. Or 20 mph to 0 mph. No rush and no appointments because the season problems.

Automatics Cruise control are actually really good for going down hill at low speeds. Set it 3 miles under the speed you want and kick back

Loving this blog, learning a lot from you man keep it up man.

Hey I'm a big fan of you channel 😁

I'm used to driving in the snow. I drive where they do the tv show, " Highway through hell ". I do the night shift. Love the mountains. It's not that dangerous. When you pull your trailer you mainly have a good control, but when you're going downhill, depending, how much you weigh. The more you weigh, the less fast you go. A good truck driver needs to be in complete control of the truck that's why we have to learn to moderate. If you drive on snow and it's cold you can do 55m/hr. If you drive on sluch you go 45 and on ice not faster than 40 or 45. Truckers that jackknife its because they maintain there foot on the brakes. They panic. The way to brake in winter time, if doing an emergency brake is to pump the brakes 3 or 4 times. It reduces the speed very fast. Drivers who panic and maintain their foot on the brake go into a sliding mode until the truck is stopped. You must never lose control of the truck, that's why you need to pump, just a little.

Nice job man! Idaho is pretty sketchy driving through in the winter. Especially those tall mountain passes! You handled it very well!

You did good, Dave. Stay super safe:)

Let all the super truckers roll down the hill fast !!!! You will see them in the ditch sooner than later!!! You did fine!!! There is no race to the bottom of the mountain!!! Slow, easy and in control get the job done safely !!!! Be careful and we will see you on the next one 😎✌️

Dave you can come down the mountain to slow ioo times , but you'll only come down it once to fast ! Don't worry about the other drivers they are the ones that don't make it home !

Thank you for posting this video. Your getting the experience you need driving in the winter snow .

Careful using Jakes in Winter! If you have too high of RPMS and those kick in and try and stop you , the trailer pushes the tractor and that's how the tractor jack knives

Nothing wrong with adjusting speeds to the conditions! Drive safe.

Your a truck driver you know everything

It's a judgement call man. If you feel unsafe then shut it down and let dispatch know. They'll respect your position. Also- chew a piece of gum and then roll it up into a ball about 1/4" diameter and let it dry. After dry use it to cover up the hole on the bottom left of your GPS screen. Do that and it'll stop asking for voice commands.

Watch a you tube channel called Riding Shotgun. He does winter mountain driving. Write him comments. Those conditions are normal for there. That's why some of those guys were driving faster than you. They're there all the time. Need to stop when it's snowing so bad you can't see and snow just builds on your wipers and you have to stop every 10 miles to knock the snow off your wipers.

Jake brakes, in the snow and ice, going down a mountain???? ur nuts

Videos are always "LIT" always. Just "IMPRESSIVE" Love your videos 😍💗👌 Love from INDIA 💯

I was getting ready to get off youtube and it showed you just uploaded lol I hate autos they suck when you're heavy and when you're going up hill. My 10 speed manual picks up speed faster and can maintain my speed when driving through PA.

FedEx on the fly by in the downhill covered #1 lane. Never saw that before. 🤪 Never saw them twisted up with parcels laying all over the median, either.

That’s nothing, you’ll know when you need to stop, when you see no trucks on the road

I drive a mack anthem, i find the Jake works better in automatic. I run west Virginia every night mostly 7 percent where i run. I usually keep it in auto, I'll just tap the plus or minus button when the truck takes to long to shift.

thanks for the info and how important is try to learn the, most you can before you get in that type of situations ,and drive the way you feels confortable , and safe

I'm not a trucker but you make these videos interesting, keep it up man!

Knew it was fedex blowing by before i saw the logo. They always go 90 with triples in the mountains with snow or ice.

Dang! My brother in-law drove slow! He’s a slow driver anyway. Truckers are ripping it, at least snow will keep them safe

Always better to play it safe no trucker has the right to get mad at you for going slow in winter

Always lean towards being safe good luck, also if you ever think you need to chain up.... That means you shouldn't be in the road pull over

If you had it in 7th gear going up the grade reset the cruise with the Jake on that’s called Jake cruise and it will hold you at that speed going down the grade 😉🐝

If you're going to change lanes do so real slow in the snow. In the snow you want to look out of the mirrors alot more. If you're going to use the break pedal tap on it lightly. If a 4 wheeler cuts in front of you in the snow don't slam the breaks let go of the gas to get distance. If the conditions look like that with wind go ahead and just pull over it's not worth it

I'm in a school right now, and they recommend you go down a grade one gear lower then you went up.

Looks like the hammer lane is in a lot better shape anyway!

Thank you for the video. I have been driving rigs since 2016, still a newbie in some cases. You did correctly in staying within your zone of comfort. Better to be careful than experience sorrow. In our trade, we must be vigilant for ourselves and for others. Stay well and safe --- never be in a hurry, mostly in California where {opportunistic and merciless) troppers, county mounties, and local LEOs LOVE to dish out speeding summonses to truckers... Just as if they are blameless and never made a slight mistake, but they must discharge their anger and vengeance on us who work for a living, a thankless living might I add.

I was always told whatever you go up the mountain and come down the mountain one gear lower

I live in wv and we see snow all the time but i wont run my jake in the snow just to avoid a skid slow down and use my gears appropriately

Nervous as hell to leave my job I've had for 10 years to get into trucking. I'm in SoCal so hopefully I don't see ice.

You’re good my man, safety first.

Next time your heading down a long steep grade pop on your engine fan to cause more of a drag on the motor to have the jakes hold your speed better

He just exposed mega carriers training 🤣

In the situation that your jakes cant slow you down enough, put as much stress on the engine as possible. that means turn on the AC and some other things to make the truck slow down more.

The auto transmissions put themselves in a coast mode when going downhill or even right after you've been pulling a hill and you reach the top it will coast as the hill levels out. The coast overrides your jake and even cruise control. The levels of this can be different depending on the tune of the transmission. My freightliner does it non stop.

I was with my Cousin he was going 75mp on route 70 nuthing but up and down mountains and it was scary 😳.

Jake, thank you for your content. I have a few things to finish up and then I will attend truck driving school at the local technical college. This hands on demonstration of using the automatic with the jake brake will give me a lot of confidence when I get out there in the winter.

Just keep on doing what u doing be safe then sorry my brother

Wait why are you using your Jack brake? Those conditions you shouldn't be using it

I like this young fella. He's willing to learn and absorb information. He doesn't think he already knows it all.. because none of us do. He respects the industry. I think he's gonna make it... When you feel as if you're wasting your our time going slow you have to look at how far you need to go to get out of it vs how long you'll have to sit for the weather to clear it some. At 19°.. prob won't happen today. @Dave... you may have done it already, but how is the pay since you are getting established? Is it to your satisfaction.. hours vs reward ?

Dave i was having a cow watching ya on those roads. Not what we south states appreciate. You be safe!!

Its totally up to you Dave if you feel safe keep up if you don't then you can pull over

Snow ball fight and that view looks nice dave you have a good since of humor I needed a good laugh

Flip the selector to manual and shift manually. All you need to do is get your rpms down. Touch your brake for no more than 5 seconds at a time

I think about how the jake is stopping with mainly the tractor, but the service brake is stopping with ALL the wheels including the trailer. I would use some jake when going straight but mostly service brake in snow/ice- especially before a curve. I gave up fighting with the transmission a while ago.

Hope you see this, It may save your life. Remember Murphy's Law! Jake brakes are a mechanical device. They do and have gone out. Take it from me 10' flames are no fun!!! I learned mountain trucking with no Jake. Then I got one it took yrs before I trusted it. Then one night going down Eisenhower she stopped working. Was the 3rd most scariest thing I had to experience in 34 yrs of trucking.

Some parts looked icy!!! 🧊 hey man I’m lucky we see ice and a lot of snow ⛄️ we shut down about 65% of the time of not we use d-ice the wings and engine outer mouth!!!!!!

That’s good pulling off is the best thing to do.

Up here in Canada that is considered a very nice day. Unless your driving an automatic of course

Im a trucker from finland and in school they taught us that in winter time what is like 70% from the year. Manual is better, especially uphill. Automatic is dumb, it does not know the situation ur in and does not shift correctly.

How do the super truckers not lose control going that fast

13:15 Dave where all that white road come from.. remember u said they were chaining up.. geez I’d be all nerves.. I’d definitely stop and call.. “I’m a whole baby in these streets “ lol

Thanks a lot and if you can show us how your are controlling your steering wheel during a left or right curve

Remember jake brakes can lock up on icy roads just all of a sudden

They will get their load when they get it drive how ever u feel is comfortable