Steep Grades And Mega Traffic

The steep grade was yesterday. Heading east in I-24 toward Chattanooga, about milepost 135, is a four mile downhill run at a 5% grade with a sharp curve about one mile down. For truck traffic there is a place at the top where we have to stop and check our brakes. We are herded to a traffic light that lets one truck through at a time. There is enough road before the major downhill begins that we can shift up to 9th gear, for us, to be able to maintain 45 mph down the hill. Trucks that are fully loaded are restricted to 30 to 35 mph.

In late 2001, my first trip down this hill scared the jeezers out of me. There is a "run away truck" ramp and I was terrified I'd be the first to use it. The truck I had did not have an engine brake and I was in the highest gear (10th). At 55 mph I pushed the brake pedal hard till I slowed to 35 and let go, only to have to do it again a few minutes later. In my head was Joe's instruction " Don't ride the brakes down hill. You will lose them. Just stomp on the brakes and get slowed way down and get off of them. This will give the brakes time to cool for the next time".

So here I am, hurtling down the hill wild eyed and chanting "Don't ride the breaks" and adding an expletive or two. By the time I got to the bottom I begged to not go this way again. Fat chance.

Yesterday, it was raining when I got to this hill. At the truck inspection area I took a deep breath through my nose and said "I am" let the air out and said "ok". Got the green light and shifted my way to 9th gear, set the engine brake to high, and breathed and chanted "I am ok" all the way down the hill. The rain slick road, and wipers on medium for the heavy rain, scared me, if it had been dry I would not have been concerned.

Confidence comes from doing.

Today we are going through Atlanta, GA. This can be a nightmare of traffic and really strange exits that can be dangerous if you don't pay attention.

My first time through Atlanta was 30 minutes of shear terror and I changed "Oh s--t" the whole way through with my head swiveling left, right, and center checking my mirrors to make sure I'm in my lane and watching traffic ahead. I was a wreck by the time we got out of Atlanta.

Again, confidence comes by doing.


Posted with LifeCast