@@LucidSoundz Just an interesting number to know. I don’t think they’re saying it that the price is to high so they’re shutting this ramps down or anything. They simply just wanted to let us know of the number.
@@lujerex lmao whelp, guess once they get rid of them, the truck drivers will just ram into a passenger car and crush them in the process better than using a costly ramp right? like holy moly what lawmaker actually thinks like this
I learned from old hands how to come down mountains on I-70 when fully loaded. And I just went down it last week. You keep yourself in a lower gear, like 8th or 7th speed if you’re a 10 speed, and put the engine break on the highest setting. If the speed limit for semis is 40 or 35 miles per hour, keep it keep it 5 or 10 mph below it. As the downgrade forces you to go faster, bring it back down 5 or 10 mph beneath the speed limit. This way, you’ll never burn your brakes out. It’s a LOT easier to slow 40k lbs down 5 mph, than it is to slow it down 50 or even 30 mph. And before people correct me, automatic semis do have a manual transmission toggle. I shake my head when I see semis coming down the mountains 15 or 20 mph faster than me. They’re really playing with fire. It’s certainly not as sexy to sit there with your flashers on in the slow lane moving like a pregnant sow, but you will come down safely that way. My dad gave me a piece of advice when he was teaching me how drive a car that I have never forgot: “you have all the time in the world compared to getting into an accident.”
im currently studying for CDL school and i really appreciate comments like this because so far, the only thing that intimidates me is driving uphill & downhill safely.
Pay close attention to instruction concerning daily vehicle inspection. Learn how to adjust you brakes and DO SO before going down a long steep grade. As a rule of thumb, go down a grade in the same gear or a lower gear than you would have to use to climb it. @@terrorform242
I drive an old Tacoma, so not a truck that I have a problem controlling downhill. Going down I-80 into Sacramento (which I've done only twice in the last 16 years) years, I've kept the Tacoma down to 65 mph in the right lane and watched everything pass me on the left. I see semis coming up behind me in the right lane and move over to the left so that they don't have to negotiate a lane change at the same time they're concerned about controlling their speed. I hope I'm doing the right thing. My idea is that the cars and I can change lanes around me easier than a semi and I can change back into the right lane when it's safe. I would, however, be agreeable to adopting a different tactic calmly presented.
@@johnjacobs6234 I would rather have to work my way backup from the bottom then to accidentally kill someone so I'm still happy for a runaway truck ramps.
The tow truck owner gets paid by the state? No. The tow truck driver has his own business, towing cars and trucks. He isn't the only one around, he is just the only one the news station got on.
Do you really expect the tow truck company to work for free? Here in NYC the FDNY are charging you for ambulance and fire trucks even if you call 911. I got hit by a car and while in the hospital I was getting phone calls to pay up. I referred them to my lawyer because NY is a no fault insurance state.
$4,000 is nothing compared to a pile up. If its proved a trucker missed a ramp, then caused an accident, they can be held responsible for all the damage caused to all vehicles and all injuries. So yeah $4,000 is actually pretty cheap compared with that.
@@richardsolomon5375 ??? 4000$ to tow my truck out of a safety area made by the state. Non sense. Next thing, you will have to pay for clean Oxygen because the state plant trees. Smh
Even better, stop making trucks with outdated drum brakes and use disc brakes which are better at cooling down and don't have brake fade problems. It should be mandated for new trucks to come with disc brakes.
Trucker here, let me explain how this works. We have two different braking systems, the normal pedal brake on the floor like a car and something called Jake brake switch, it's a device on the engine that will cause a diesel engine to slow the truck down if you take your foot off the gas like a car, except with even more braking power than your average gasoline car. A diesel engine normally does not do much engine braking, not near as much as a gasoline engine. We have three settings on the Jakes: high, medium and low. We normally run 6-cylinder engines so each setting adds two more cylinders to the Jake. The slower we go and the lower our gear the better the Jakes work. The Jakes alone are not good enough on a long 6% grade. Not if we're fully loaded close to 80,000lbs. And if we try to use the main pedal brake to do everything, they will melt. We have to carefully combine the Jakes with the normal break. So at the start of a big hill I would set a typical truck to somewhere around 7th gear, around 35 miles an hour and around 1,700RPM. Motors and transmissions will vary but that's ballpark. It will slowly speed up to about 40mph and maybe 2,100RPM. At that point I will give it some pedal brake and bring it down to 35 miles per hour and 1,700RPM. By the time it creeps back up to 40 the pedal brake will have rested long enough for me to safely bring it back down to 35. Rinse and repeat to the bottom of the hill. The Jake is on the entire way because it cannot overheat. It's fairly weak compared to the pedal brakes when they're in good shape, but Jakes cannot overheat. I have to balance the actions of both brakes to get down the hill safely. If a guy goes too fast causing the Jakes to be overloaded, or he picks the wrong gear and doesn't know how to get into the right gear in this situation which isn't easy, he can get screwed if he doesn't recognize the danger quickly enough. If he does realize he's screwed up before the main brakes overheat, he's got a pretty good chance of pulling it over to the side of the road, coming to a dead stop, letting the brakes rest and then do it right. Note: "Jakes" is short for Jacobs, the company that invented this concept. The patents have long run out and now there's other companies making engine brakes that are not called Jakes.
@@1jimmarch Great, comprehensive answer! I've never knew about runaway truck ramps when I got onto this video because we don't have them in Germany. After reading your comment I got to know a whole lot about the braking system of a truck, thanks for sharing!
If you live in europe you get a working enigne brake they will slow you the fuck down even with 40ton loads but you murcians are lacking in power comfort and in brake power lol
DUTCH DUTCHIE uh. No. American trucks are far more powerful in terms of engine brake, and horsepower. The only difference is maintenance. And luck. Also, American truckers go far more miles than any European trucker. So wear is going to be a lot worse.
@@jasminegreene8159 The driver is innocent too, dont forget that, they are just doing a 8-10 work day. Truck brakes fail a lot, however the driver sentenced to 110 yrs did miss the option to use the ramp, some ppl just panic
@@DiamondCrushIvory nobody knows how they'll react in a situation like that,specially if they've never driven a rig. Some people just are stuck on stupid and parked on dumb.
Funny that they're so focused on the costs involved. Few thousand dollars vs... likely multiple fatalities when that truck plows into a few family wagons.
Also, assuming somehow no injuries... are you aware how CHEAP $4000 is compared to replacing a semi? Forget about all other costs, go to google and look up used semi prices.
They didn’t mention the government charges you 10 to 15 grand for having to use it. Plus the tow fee and break repairs your looking at 20 to 30 grand if your breaks fail.
That’s a big ass ramp compared to the ones in mountains around here. Around here they maybe like 100feet long but they get got these big ass bumps in them.
I can answer your statement about the bumps! Different ramps have different surfaces! Like the bumps seen on certain ramps! Those bumps help slow down the truck! But the gravel and sand actually pull the truck in causing the truck to slow down even quicker! Cars normally don’t use them buts it’s rare!
As a 14.5 year Greyhound vet, the key is to establish your down coasting speed ahead of the curve. All the cars and trucks behind my bus would get mad, but I would Jake down to about 60, then do a combination of Jake and service breaks to get down to 55. And I would never let my bus go higher than 60 until almost the end of mountain then I would let it run free. The problem is a lot of truck drivers are arrogant and want to be seen so they fly down the mountains at the speed of light. You have to get control before the downgrade.
@@ZeeZee9 Jake is engine brake, so using engine braking instead of petal to hold or decrease speed. If you're descending at your climb speed the Jake provides all the braking you need.
i spent a large chunk of my 40 year old life living in denver and have travelled many a time on i70. never once did i see one of the ramps in use, but on multiple occasions i saw nearly fresh tracks from it having been used. i always pictured of how legitimately frightening it must be for the driver to have to use one.
Eyyyy Tokin! Love you man. Watched you all the time way back in the day and infact am still subscribed. Hope all is well with you. Stay safe out there friend! ✌️
it seems the gravel was compacted from no use, where as it should be “fluffed” up and topped up regularly. When they hit the Pea gravel, they should plow through it, slowing them down in a shorter distance.
My grandfather was a trucker and he lost breaks completely on a steep hill with cars parked at a red light at the bottom. Without any room or ramps he quickly decided to cut the wheel and crashed the whole truck on its side. So it slid down the the hill, somewhat slower, causing much chaos and giving the cars just enough time ignore the lights and peel off. The truck slid to the bottom and gently bumped one car that hadnt moved, which had a very freaked out young mother and baby in it. He wasn't hurt but the trucking company tried to blame him for destroying the load and wouldnt admit their truck had bad breaks. He quit that job, good work papa.
my husband had to use a runaway ramp once, he was standing on the running board just in case he had to jump if the truck wouldn't stop, a story he would tell up to his passing ...he never forgot the terror he felt even after driving a rig for 40 yrs...
May he rest in peace. Standing on the running board riding up one of those. I bet he was scared. My uncle drove trucks for 40 yrs. He used a ramp twice. He is a big burly tough guy. He says he is not afraid of anything except the first time he had to use one of those .
Hey if they did ban engine breaks I guess I won’t be going anywhere northwest or west or East and anywhere where there might be mountain I guess those people will have to starve
I always saw that same exact runaway ramp (coming out of the tunnel) as kid growing up and always wonder what that was for, lol. Also, I almost died being caught in a blizzard, but the same exact tunnel saved my life. I put my car in park in the middle of the tunnel with no pull of lanes, but you can see miles ahead of you if a cars coming. It gave me a chance to breath and take off all the snow that my wipers couldn’t keep up with. I had the whole tunnel to myself. It was something out of a movie. Once I got down the mountains to Denver everyone was wearing T-shirts and shorts lol this was around 11pm.
@@robertlucyksr667 What I mean by almost died is I came out the tunnel could not see anything cuz of the snow and there’s a huge decline and my car started to slide even easing on the breaks. You probably never been in that tunnel, and it goes for almost two miles so you can clearly see ahead of you if a car is coming. Not only that, cars were driving really slow due to the snow, but guess what there were not cars cuz it was almost midnight during a blizzard. I had my car in park so if happened to see a car I can right away get in and put it drive. I also had my hazards on. You have no idea what your talking about.
I am a retired truck driver in BC Canada. There are runaway ramps in quite a few areas. With the engine brake systems now the ramps are not used as much, but here you learn damn quick not to go down hills too fast. The stupidest thig I have seen in 40 years was a middle aged couple who had parked their camper at the bottom of the runaway having their lunch. I held my air horn on for over a minute and man did they move fast. They left a few spots where they were sitting too. As Ron White says' "You can't fix stupid."
Also in BC. I tow a 20' landscaping trailer, not a big rig, but even I know to downgrade rather than riding my brakes. I don't even like to ride the brakes on my car (which I see almost everyone else doing). The extra gears are there for a reason.
@@BlackEpyon - My Dad's instructor when he learned to drive tanks used to say "Gears are for slowing down, brakes are for parking". He passed it on to me and I've always been mindful of it, whatever size of vehicle. Even in my car it saves me money on brake linings. I had a short assessment once as I drove about 5 miles through urban traffic between depots with a full load (44t here in the UK at the time), and the examiner's only comment was that I relied too heavily on the gears to slow down, and should be using the brakes more. When I shared my Dad's instructor's theory with him, and politely suggested several roads around the UK that he might like to test it on (the ones with runaway lanes for the most part, coincidentally), it transpired that he was a car instructor who'd recently passed the HGV test, but only in order to 'assess' and he'd never actually driven one with any load whatsoever. I've no idea whether my 'fault' was detailed in his final assessment - I just got on with the next 20 years of driving around, with loads onboard, using primarily the gears for slowing down.
@@otterspocket2826 Indeed. Not so much in the car unless I'm on a hill, but in the truck, even without my 20' trailer, it's just become a habit to downshift whenever I approach an intersection I may need to stop at. It also helps to start easier, since OD really isn't good for towing unless you're already at speed.
you guys have some crazy steep mountains in BC canada. in the US, they are pretty much limited to 7% on the interstate. i was going from edmonton to seattle and i think it was a 9% grade for like 5 miles.
Edit: I delete the original comment because I got corrected. Thanks for correcting me and although there was a moment of embarrassment, I learned something new.
@@CrypticSnow bro your iq must be so high. you must be so smart bro. bro that's so cool how smart you are, i bet you can even watch rick and morty. r/iamverysmart bro
I have a vivid memory of my own parents having to use a runaway truck ramp when our brakes started acting up in the middle of the highway. Our car wasn’t going too fast, so we didn’t make it even a fourth up the ramp before we came to a halt. As a kid, I thought my parents were just having a little bit of fun and they were even looking back at me and my siblings with smiles and laughter after everything was okay, but they were probably absolutely terrified inside.
Yes I remember seeing a couple of cars having to use it as well back in the 70's and 80's ,when that was more frequent,even for cars, especially in the very steep mountains in Puerto Rico. I had a friend that had to use one as well and it was a very frightening experience for them but he was glad it was there.
Susan Kay Well insurance does pay, if you actually have it. Roughly 16% of trucks on the highway aren’t insured or insured correctly, which does violate law. Commercial insurance is different, filing claims for things like a run away truck are definitely going to raise a carriers rates. It’s not an accident, almost all brake failures on trucks in mountains are driver preventable. It’s around 4% are determined non preventable. It’s not an accident when someone just won’t do their job correctly.
@@mattmoschkau2831 agree..This company has had several violation's including brake issues.What in incompressible is that this man has a CDL license and can't speak English,let alone read road signs that are in English.So much tragity could have been avoided if this man took the "run away" truck ramp.
Susan Kay It’s commercial insurance. A carrier can not be issued motor carrier authority without insurance and they must keep insurance, but that’s only primary liability which covers the public. We must on our own choose to purchase physical damage insurance which would cover any damages to our own vehicles, that is not a legal requirement. You can use physical damage insurance to cover a run away truck, but because it’s almost exclusively driver error it will increase your rates a lot. Insurance isn’t a payment plan for stupidity! It’s also not an accident, police issue a private property incident report. It’s literally the equivalent of calling your insurance and telling them you took a baseball bat to your car and asking them to fix it.
I knew a trucker that had to use a runaway ramp once. He said when the rescue team got there, the first thing they asked him was to breathe into a breathalyzer. Next they had him do a litany of field sobriety tests. After it was determined it was an honest mistake, they then sent him a bill for $3,000, had points deducted from his license and his company had him sit at a rest area for about a week after the fact to launch their own internal investigation, and after it was determined he didn't do anything to get fired over, they still gave him a write up because he cost his company a lot of money.
That's just crazy to me. These are put in place for safety of everyone so when a trucker has to use one why are the trucker's getting penalized for using it? Doesn't make any sense at all.
@@camogirlkm Because they are expensive to set up, and even more expensive to bring interstate traffic to a halt to pull down a semi and any spilt cargo from the escape ramp.
@@razor3106 Oh I completely understand the recovery cost I get it that yes they have to pay. I just don't think that trucker's should have points deducted from their license for using a ramp that is basically put in place to save lives. It's like getting penalized for using something for the safety of others.
You need to be brave and think fast in this situation. When brakes fail it’s no one’s fault but what you choose to do the next second it’s either going to be a frightening solution or a catastrophe
i agree, even if an accident that was unbelievably preventable kills several innocent people, there should be no consequences whatsoever. As long as someone CLAIMS their quadruple negligent homicide was accidental, we simply cannot punish them in any way
@@willplays7954 every trucker who actually examined the specifics of the investigation knows for a fact this was a deliberate murder. He avoided 2 emergency ramps. Even avoiding one is a serious red flag that woud raise doubt in any sane person...but 2? not even up for debate if this was an accident or not. It wasn't
@@liviaadams5802 Ive looked it over pretty good and I drove for 40 years, put over 4 million miles on a truck, but Im far from being convinced its a Deliberate Murder? He made mistakes but mistakes dont constitute Deliberate Murder. You also have to ask yourself, why did he make mistakes? Was it Inexperience that led to Vehicle Failures? Was it Bad Training that led to Vehicle Failures? From what Ive seen and heard, its a combination of both. The Driver was not on Drugs or Alcohol. Its unfortunate that people died and were injured but there's no murder there.
I congratulate all truckers that have used those ramps. They definitely safe lives every time they do. Many blessings to all of them, and their families.
@@secret5. if companies were not forcing them to drive long hours for pennies on the dollar you wouldn't have to complain about us driving like irresponsible dicks. Also the biggest hazard on the road to a trucker is people in cars cutting them off, tailgating them, and slamming on their brakes with total disregard for what may be behind them.
“Hey you did the right thing and put your out of control high speed 18 wheeler off the highway and away from potential accidents. Here’s a tow fee for $4k that insurance won’t ever cover.”
Doing the "right thing" would entail: ensure the truck is in good mechanical condition pre-trip, not hauling too much weight on a mountain-run, keeping your speed down (well-lower than the limit if you are heavy) and under control at all times, and using lower gears to control your speed. Even a passenger car should be following similar protocols to avoid loss of control, or overheating your brakes: I use lower gears all the time while mountain driving; the strips around Floyd Hill and The Tunnel are pretty steep, and there are state-highway areas which are quite steep. Your brakes should be used sparingly while driving on the highway in any event: particularly in the mountains. If a trucker overheats his brakes, it's likely his own fault due to inexperience or oversight.
@Cribbs Hey, thanks man! I've only lived in Colorado for over forty years and I do have my Class B. I don't know about 'expert', but I do have experience in these things. Thanks for dropping by!
J Steiner4791 I have never been to Colorado or anywhere rocky with snow etc. I have never seen or heard of this before, so that is weird to you that I have no knowledge of something that I’ve never seen or heard of before? Think about that.
This all goes back to training and experience. Runaway Ramps are feared by most truckers for many reasons. "LOOK AT THEM", they are frightening looking as crap and when you are going 80 to 90mph with anywhere upwards of 80,000lbs, it is a nightmare. The amount of fear that comes over you is unexplainable. I had an out of brake incident on 23 South coming out of Erwin TN, towards Asheville, NC. I was legitimately terrified, paralyzed from fear. If you value your life, in no way wish to die a horrific death, this will scare you in ways I cannot describe. You are not only in fear for your life, but if you crash, the people you could kill or injure. Its not just you fearing for your life. Your brain is also telling you, "you can make it, you can make it", if you can just get to the bottom. There are a whole host of things going through your mind. You don't want to lose your job, embarrassment, fear, everything you can think of. Your entire life passes before your eyes, I am not even kidding. I popped both my buttons on the brakes and I was gaining speed. You couldn't see anyone behind me due to the amount of smoke the brakes were producing. I was extremely lucky that where my brakes failed I was close enough to the bottom that no one got hurt. I will never forget that as long as I live. I was hauling bags of landscaping rocks out or WV I believe. Training, training, and more training. Proper gear, Jake Brake, and controlled braking will save your life so long as you do not have an equipment failure. I am still not sure what happened that day? I am not sure if I improperly estimated the grade and descended in the wrong gear, or what? Still not sure to this day. But I can assure you one thing, it will only happen to you once.... I also want to add that I have seen trucks in runaway ramps totally destroyed. Its isn't all pretty and cool to see those trucks taking the runaway ramp always. I've seen the cabs of trucks ripped off and thrown off the frame. I've seen the windshields busted out and the drivers seat sitting in the gravel or whatever in the ramps. Steel Coils plowed over the Cab of trucks smashed so badly you won't even recognize the driver. Trucks engulfed in flames. These are the things you will see if you drive in the mountains a lot. It is so frightening you have no idea.
Best post Ever🤗🤗🤗....I am not a trucker but I'm sure at times that some truckers are thinking what you just said, "I can make it, these brakes will start working" and throw all their trucking school training out the window. Looks terrifying as hell. This driver that got 110 yrs in prison experience, I bet, is getting a LOT of drivers to tighten up their speed racing and they are doing more pre & intra inspections, especially before driving in hilly regions. Kudos to you for writing this post
I know exactly what you mean. I live here in the tri-cities. I used to cross over from TN into Asheville several times a week hauling containers full of heavy shit out of Eastman chemical to to southern ports. Every time, I’d be passed by at least one truck driver lighting them up. Several times I’d even seen trucks not take the ramps, then have to lay them over to avoid cars. Have you ever seen the runaway ramps on Black Mountain going east? Those look like a rough ride.
@@Iamsmallfry Oh yeah, I ran Black Mountain a lot. I used to pick up loads of wood there at that plant by the candle factory right after Black Mountain.
@@Iamsmallfry Columbia Forest Products in Old Fort, NC after going across black mountain. I can smell the candle factory or whatever it was close to there.
Best yet scary comment. My husband has been trucking now for alittle over a year . He goes all over the U.S and I just learned about these ramps not too long ago. I worry so much about him daily. I have so much respect for truck drivers than I ever have. God bless yall ❤❤ happy you are okay!
Yep yep, sad that the reporters repeatedly pointed out the cost or how many times they are used, when that does not matter. Saving lives is what matters.
I grew up on a “hill”. The main (very steep) road off has 2 ramps filled with gavel. They come in handy except when a car mistakenly thinks they are right turn lanes (no you can’t just back out) 🙄 Probably has saved countless lives. At the bottom of the hill is a busy intersection with Pacific Coast Hwy.
Imagine finding a truck ramp, hitting it, thinking you're safe, and then going over the top of the ramp and tipping over, OR rolling backwards down the ramp.
@RT 87 That's interesting! I've never seen the cables for a truck, but you gave a pretty good explanation so I can picture it. Thanks for the information. I learned something new today.✊
Heard a story of one guy doing exactly that he realized he was going to quick in a cabover went in the bunk and braced for impact. guy lived cause he went into the bunk. and walked away truck sat in the covert for a few weeks though
Compared to the cost of the load, the truck...let alone who would die and other property damage if not having the ramp, $4,000 in cost isn't even worthy of discussion. Inam sure the owner pays more than that for insurance annually
Trucker here. I almost had to use one of these when I was in training, my Jake Brake quit on the descent and I started picking up speed and about halfway down toward one of those ramps I got it working and didnt have to use it. I was probably doing okay with just the normal brakes on the rig but I was ready to take the ramp if I needed it.
Any time your jake gives out on a hill, depending on the slope...you're pretty much screwed. unless you can either grab the right gear to help you slow down, or find a place to pull off on the shoulder and stop. Glad you got out of that situation safely.
He said Eisenhower Tunnel, which means that runaway ramp and downhill slope is more likely to be for travel heading West, into Utah... (I drove an old '97 Peterbilt through that tunnel, twice, almost 20 years ago. Never wrecked, nor had to use the ramp, but that thing [and the steep slope, on the other side] are seared into my brain. It's a bit of a white-knuckler, to be sure)
When my truck ran away from home I found it on one of those ramps! I'm so glad they built them! I was so worried about my truck. It was scared and alone... But it made it to the ramp!
A shout out to all the men and women out there delivering our food and goods everyday. Thank you for your hard work. Stay safe , keep on Trucking and God Bless y'all 🇺🇸💋👍🏼❤️🇺🇸
Also thank the people cooking/restaurants as well. Most of them are closing because of loss of customers. Meats and some ingredients are pricier. The popular restaurants are overloaded with customers and while despite that, some of them get little tips. I’m saying this as an ubereats driver.
@@kylerabend7 I mean they do technically work. They aren't supposed to be easy to just reverse out of however. Once you have made the decision to use the runaway ramp its all over you need to be towed out.
Don't go down a hill any faster than you can go up it. Crest the hill at the speed you want to go down. Use your Jake Brake. It's easier to control if you start slow. Rather than try to slow once you are on the down slope.
Yep!!! That's what my truck driving teachers said. Everything they taught me about downshifting, snub braking, and lane control on sharp curves----I use on a daily basis running my northern New Mexico route. Nothing vaguely approaching an accident, even when dealing with lousy weather! The ramps are there for the bonehead supertruckers when they 1) didn't pretrip their trucks to make damn sure they got good brakes or 2) find out the hard way that they cannot alter the laws of physics to drive however they damn well please.
Well said. The sad truth is the whiny posts here complaining that they charge the driver are liked in the thousands, while this one gets a couple hundred. Over heated brakes are 99.9% the driver's fault.
One of the most horrifying things I've ever seen was here on RUclips. It was a video taken by a truck driver who saw in his mirror another big rig coming up behind him much too fast for the steep mountain he was descending. He flipped his dash cam on just in time to catch the other truck fly by him in the left lane and seconds later crash through the guard rail and go tumbling down the mountain side. I believe the truck was driven by a student who's trainer was in the sleeper and unaware the student was descending a steep grade. Both were killed. I get knots in my gut thinking of the sheer terror that poor driver must have been in in the last moments of his life. Unfortunately, any mouth-breather with a year of driving experience can be a trainer in most of the companies that hire drivers straight out of truck driving school. I've been a truck driver, and I've hauled the legal weight limit through mountains....it doesn't take a genius to know that when you crest a peak and start going down hill you're going to get pulled down by gravity and you need to not up-shift. You were in a low gear to get up that mountain....all you have to do is stay in that low gear and flip your engine brake on. You don't have to "know the terrain" you just have to look out your damn windshield and use your brain.
In North Carolina we have 3 mountain Ranges. The Appalachian, The Blue Ridge, and The Great Smoky Mountains. There are very steep grade's. But N. C. Makes truckers pull into an information area and they have to stop and read and look at the diagram and look and see how I-40 is routed down that grade and how far apart the runaway ramps are. And when they leave they start out very slow and keeping it in a lower gear to begin with and using the Jake brake. It's the best system I've seen. I turned a truck over year's ago in Virginia.
@@richardmiseljr2413 I don't understand what these things are,I've never seen or heard of one in my life. You mind explaining what these "truck ramps" are?
I’m a truck driver and let me tell you there are signs as your climbing the uphill side of a mountain letting you know to be in the correct gear when you break over the crest and to stop at the top and check your truck out before proceeding and even then an accident can still happen or a mechanical failure but I’m gonna tell you 9 times out of 10 it’s driver failure for thinking he’s the man and can handle it or he’s just to inexperienced which a lot of the time that is the case INEXPERIENCE
One time I saw some stupid family sitting and having a picnic in the middle of a runaway lane. EDIT: It wasn't in the States, it was in Canada in the Rockies. They were just some bums and creeps from out east that have never seen a real mountain before.
because in the news there was BigSteve Company mentioned, and since there was other Steve (news guy) the anchor referred to him as Medium Steve, as a added fun to the whole situation. You gotta admit it was compliment compared to what naturally comes to anyones mind in that situation, and that would probably be Small Steve, which would be rude
It was actually invented by a CHP officer named Bill Nelson. An idea he had after seeing so many semi truck crashes due to loss of brake control. He worked the I-80 Sierra Nevada mountains back in the day. I clean house for his wife. He's passed away now. RIP, Bill.
@@Andreas4696 His wife has all his CHP accommodations and awards and paper work for it. He was employed by CHP so he didn't receive any monetary benefits but, I assure you, he came up with it.
Well it's a nickname given to people who work with people of the same name or have a kid with the same name. It isn't that rare, you just are not that social I guess.
Well yes.. But Some old fart okies apply the nickname to themselves in thier local communities when they are the watchdogs of the aged neighborhood and slightly above average height. Lmfao
Drivers get charged with a “preventable accident” if they use a runaway ramp, and the towing fee is often thousands of dollars, plus damage to,the rig and maybe the cargo. The load is late, and the rig is often out of service for repairs. Not all trucks have Jake brakes, and some mountain grades are really long and curvy, requiring more use of brakes than others. There is no magic formula for gear choice, so occasionally some drivers are going to smoke brakes a little. That doesn’t mean they are terrible drivers. Sadly, sometimes it’s more than a little, which is why we have those ramps.
Kinda a perverse incentive to prosecute a driver for using the ramp. It's there for a reason and I'd prefer a driver use it than not and end up a runaway.
@@itsbigal92 Absolutely right. Technically, a driver using a runaway ramp has "lost control of his vehicle," which is the source of the ticket and chastisement from employers. But, yes, the states should not give tickets for this. By using the ramp, the driver is preventing his own death and much destruction and the possible deaths of others. However, some states focus heavily on fining truckers (particularly out of state truckers) for as much revenue as they can get.
@Just some Commie lol, you think it's capitalism... the tickets, my friend, are from the government, they are NOT a free market issue. If anything they come as a result of government abusing their power, which is a primary problem with communism.
Yep insane even the truckers said they’ve never seen or know anyone who used it in years so I can’t imagine in a situation either passing them or just not knowing what to expect barreling towards one. I hate this happened for the man and the victims
he could have literally just turned the car off at any moment. This is like 1st grade stuff. I guess his legal team wants us to believe that he's just the dumbest guy on earth?
@@liviaadams5802 i guess you've never driven a semi before. Even for regular cars its never advised to turn off a vehicle because it locks up the steering wheel. Driving a semi is never just simple. There is a reason why you have to go through more training the getting a drivers license. Air brakes work on a compressor but if your constantly using it going down hill the air runs out. That what happened to that guy. It was his first time driving by himself and he only drove in the city so didnt have much experience with mountains. That part i completely blame the company.
@@Ramos407 I assume you saw the video of him literally in the runaway truck ramp lane, then getting out of it at the last minute. Do you think the company made him do that too?
@@Ramos407 He also broke the brakes because he was driving too fast to begin with. He was going over 80mph, then he hit the brakes and they broke. Obviously the company made him drive like a lunatic in a 25 ton vehicle. That darn company, what will they do next!
We were in our van pulling a 6 foot full trailer because we were moving back from Maryland to Utah. We were in Colorado near Vail pass, were the road was very steep and we had to take the truck ramp or we would have rear ended a semi. It was raining very badly. Our brakes were gone. We found out later that whoever fixed our brakes( right before we left) did not fix them correctly ( the new mechanic telling us this). Our van jumped in the air right before we hit the gravel of the truck ramp. We had to be towed down very slowly on the bike trail. Very scary! The mechanic and tow truck people were so kind to us and charged us very little. The cop who saw all this knew who to call to give us a good deal. We felt very blessed and that truck ramp was there at the exact place we needed it to be. We should have had our brakes re-checked because my husband said they didn’t feel right. We could have been killed.
Ppl are shitty!!! I was very badly mangled at 21yrs old in a motorcycle crash and my older brother loves motorcycles. He bought a bike over 10hours, 2 provinces away and flew in to drive it home. When he showed up with a helmet the seller became very nervous. He asked my brother if he was really going to ride it home and my brother said yes. He called my brother 30min after he left until my brother LUCKILY pulled over to answer and told him the breaks fail after 110k. My brother easily would have been road meat. I wanted to fly down there and cripple strangle that man lol.
I've seen hundreds of runaway truck ramps as I travel alot. In all my years I've only seen one used. Great job to the person operating and containing the beast.
Came down Monteagle hill for 1st and Last time...didn't know about it...It's scary..you're dealing with the hill...people unfamiliar with area..like me...someone braking in front of you unexpectedly on way down...
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Being a driver in 1979-1980 I can tell you driving in the mountains is a whole new animal. You have to know what you’re doing, be educated about the terrain. God bless our truckers
Edward Morley I had a look at one in b.c. Canada. It was full of rounded rocks about 2" or 3" in diameter. Our highways dept tested it, and both the tractor and 53ft trailer made it about 2/3 of the way before sitting on the frames buried in gravel. Impressive to me...
Nobody got into this. I was wondering what would happen when they stopped on a steep slope without brakes. Time for Tesla semi's. They won't apply brakes much.
@@199724 a decent driver with a diesel truck wouldn't either. Thing is, I've done that exact hill in the video and even steeper ones than that while heavily loaded and rarely touch the brake pedal. It's all about picking the right gear and using the engine brake. Like my trainer said years ago: "no brake, just Jake"
Dude had a ton of experience on the road. A+ decision making, reaction and reaction time (whatever prior mistake they said he made aside, hes got the skills to pay the bills). Smooth af.
fallingbed Nope! You'd have shat yourself long before you got to the runaway lane. It all happens in slow motion, as you keep picking up speed, and you start to see smoke in your mirrors... and you realize that now you CAN'T slow down because you missed the sign that said for trucks to use a lower gear, 6% grade ahead.
I've been on car rides to Breckenridge, Steamboat, Copper, Glenwood Springs, Aspen and Grand Junction and we would pretty much always pass that runaway ramp on I-70. I always wondered if there has been an incident where a truck needed that ramp, and it looks like I found out. It's pretty cool finding out how the ramps work.
I heard that they have a high chance of getting fired for using one. Kind of sucks, almost losing your life, then getting a bill upwards of $3,000, and having your employer fire you. All while trying to make a living and put food on the table and keep the lights on for your kids and spouse. (I say that because most truckers have kids and are married)
If you have to use a runaway ramp, chances are you made at least one grave mistake to get to that point. I'm a truck driver and have done this pass many, many times and have never gotten close to needing a ramp. If you read signs, respect the downgrades, and keep the truck properly maintained, the chances of ever needing one are extremely slim.
its nerve racking as hell when you hit the ramp my brakes went out in north carolina mountain roads i hit the ramp i was black and blue for a few days i hit it hard .it saved my life the police guided me to the ramp made sure no one got infront of my truck.
@@BMWI-gk9wh its for run away trucks that has lost its brakes going down the mountain some trucks never get lucky enought to hit the ramp and go down the mountian side have lost there breaks at the top there pushing 80 tons or more on the 18 wheelers
@@skibbityb1 Sounds like a porno where the guy opens up a woman butthole getting her unstuck from ever being able to hold her shit in without a butt plug 😂
Training is important, but you never really know, or can imagine what your reaction will be until that moment of truth happens. A true professional will do his best to keep a potentially bad situation from becoming worse. For a prime example, just take a look at the miracle on the Hudson River with the US Airways airliner's emergency water landing. The captain knew what he had to do based on his experience and training.
Never had to take a runaway ramp. Thank You Jesus. It would be one heck of a scary experience, but if it take the ramp or lose control and die, you have no choice.
Old timer rule for mountain driving at the last peak before your descend down the mountain the gear you're in to top the mountain is the gear you come down the mountain. You're Fighting gravity and the weight of the load dragging you down that mountain.
Hey, they're just reporting the facts. It is what it is. But with that being said, maybe it would've been a good idea for them to also report on whether the cost is covered by insurance, and if not, then perhaps interview a state legislator about whether it might be a good idea to pass a law requiring that such coverage be included in future commercial truck policies.
It's not just the bill to get your truck out of those ramps but theres a shit load of damage caused to the truck because of the deep gravel that helps to stop the truck. Alot of times the truck gets totalled out by insurance as a result. I'm a truck driver and drive from Las Vegas to Denver almost every week, and drive through the Rockies alot. I've seen alot of veteran drivers make some dangerous mistakes because they are complacent. I've never seen a driver use those ramps but I've seen alot of smoking brakes and a couple trailer brakes burst into flames. I've seen alot of roll overs driving through the Rockies because a driver took a turn too fast. You have to be very alert. Especially new drivers.
I guess the ramp design varies a little. The ones I remember when I lived in Oregon included deep pea gravel (maybe 3/4" - 1"). Round gravel remains loose. It does not pack into a hard road bed like crushed rock does. When the truck hits that ramp of gravel the wheels dig in. The drag is huge and the truck comes to a stop in a fairly short distance. In the video, I was surprised to see how far up the ramp that truck went before coming to a stop.
they also will have arresting steel cables across the ramp or runout area..i used to go over ashland pass on a very regular basis. It quite knarly to watch a truck go thru that.
Yes looks easy going into that runaway ramp but when you've lost the brakes and you are going 70 or 80 miles an hour down the hill and you have slower trucks on the right lane near the ramp you might not be able to go off and that's when the Accidents happen
I-70 mountains are the #1 reason companies will pay out of route miles to the driver to avoid I-70. I know of 3 food grade companies that do this and do not allow their drivers to travel this road through CO.
Yeah, it’s been extremely bad this year too. So many avalanches and up until literally now if you didn’t have 4wd or chains you weren’t aloud through there.
If I choose the "short" run (I- 70) I'm 2 hours, at least, behind and 15-20 gallons of fuel waisted. I've crossed Vail several times but never heavier than 18 000 lb load. I couldn't imagine what will be the waisted time and fuel if you pull heavy load.
A LOT of drivers get hurt when they're forced to use these ramps . So if hou see a truck with his brakes on fire call the Highway Patrol. You may just save his/her life .
@@robertgift they are talking about helping the driver after he's already used the ramp and maybe tipped over or something. Not coming to help the driver maneuver the truck. Don't be a smartass when you are the one who didn't get it.
@@Biggiiful _"So if hou see a truck with his brakes on fire call the Highway Patrol. You may just save his/her life ."_ *You think the trucker does not know? What will the highway patrol do? Come from miles away to "save" the trucker?* ThEisenhower Tunnel personneknowhen a vehiclenters the runaway truck ramps. If there is a fire in the ramps, theyvill dispatch the fire department. A firetruck istationed athe Tunnels. (Unknown if it is just for the tunnels or would respond to a fire in the ramps.) There are two rampseveral miles apart.
Here in France caravan owners use them as picnic areas! But then caravan owners think everywhere in France within three feet of a busy road is a picnic area! 😂😂
My friends were hit head on by a runaway truck in Colorado. The trucker was trying to get to the ramp which was just a short distance away, but didn't make it in time. My friends had several operations and had to stay there in the hospital for quite a while before being able to transfer back to Oklahoma City. He worked at my church. Thankfully, their two kids were in another couples car behind them, so they were not in the accident. The trucker was also hospitalized. Their children would spend time sitting with and praying with the trucker, as well as, with their parents. All recovered, but it was a horrendous accident.
![[MSFS 2024 ] GAINING MY PPL LICENCE IN MSFS 2024 | Career Mode Episode #1](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4BAh8O8Ygpg/mqdefault.jpg)
100% of us didn’t search this but 100% of us enjoyed learning something new
Edit- Damn, y’all mad asf 🤬
Alright 99% crybaby mfs 😭🤡
100% are experts though.
I did
I did
I did
You watched similar videos, that's why you got it
Good thing it was just a Bud Lite Truck. It could have been Beer or something.
@Kermit Snakmann piss*
No cargo of any value was lost that day fortunately.
LMAO!!
Shit I’ll take a pallet of Bud Light. Make some furniture out of it too.
@your mom Bud light, the McDonalds of beer, the Walmart of beer. Black pints matter, drink Guinness!
No matter how expensive the repairs, still cheaper than someone's life.
for real. why is price repair even a discussion?
@@LucidSoundz Just an interesting number to know. I don’t think they’re saying it that the price is to high so they’re shutting this ramps down or anything. They simply just wanted to let us know of the number.
@@lujerex lmao whelp, guess once they get rid of them, the truck drivers will just ram into a passenger car and crush them in the process
better than using a costly ramp right? like holy moly what lawmaker actually thinks like this
Totally unfair game for us truck drivers ... Simple as it is ... Everything means money
Yep
I learned from old hands how to come down mountains on I-70 when fully loaded. And I just went down it last week. You keep yourself in a lower gear, like 8th or 7th speed if you’re a 10 speed, and put the engine break on the highest setting. If the speed limit for semis is 40 or 35 miles per hour, keep it keep it 5 or 10 mph below it. As the downgrade forces you to go faster, bring it back down 5 or 10 mph beneath the speed limit. This way, you’ll never burn your brakes out. It’s a LOT easier to slow 40k lbs down 5 mph, than it is to slow it down 50 or even 30 mph. And before people correct me, automatic semis do have a manual transmission toggle.
I shake my head when I see semis coming down the mountains 15 or 20 mph faster than me. They’re really playing with fire. It’s certainly not as sexy to sit there with your flashers on in the slow lane moving like a pregnant sow, but you will come down safely that way. My dad gave me a piece of advice when he was teaching me how drive a car that I have never forgot: “you have all the time in the world compared to getting into an accident.”
im currently studying for CDL school and i really appreciate comments like this because so far, the only thing that intimidates me is driving uphill & downhill safely.
Pay close attention to instruction concerning daily vehicle inspection. Learn how to adjust you brakes and DO SO before going down a long steep grade. As a rule of thumb, go down a grade in the same gear or a lower gear than you would have to use to climb it. @@terrorform242
I drive an old Tacoma, so not a truck that I have a problem controlling downhill. Going down I-80 into Sacramento (which I've done only twice in the last 16 years) years, I've kept the Tacoma down to 65 mph in the right lane and watched everything pass me on the left. I see semis coming up behind me in the right lane and move over to the left so that they don't have to negotiate a lane change at the same time they're concerned about controlling their speed. I hope I'm doing the right thing. My idea is that the cars and I can change lanes around me easier than a semi and I can change back into the right lane when it's safe. I would, however, be agreeable to adopting a different tactic calmly presented.
@@Jack_Russell_Brown you should not go slower than a semi. At least follow one so you do not impede trucks and force them change lanes without brakes.
you got the answer spot on!!
$4000 is a small price to pay on a human's life I think the runaway truck ramps are priceless
The load of the truck is usually worth a lot more than that, not even speaking of the truck itself.
@@fisherking7798 Touche
They'll lose their job because of capitalism.
Then they can't feed their family or provide healthcare for their kids.
@@johnjacobs6234 I would rather have to work my way backup from the bottom then to accidentally kill someone so I'm still happy for a runaway truck ramps.
@@reneebevere7590 Sure if you want your kids to starve to death.
They shouldn't get charged at all its Tax payers Money and the driver is saving lives .
The tow truck owner gets paid by the state? No. The tow truck driver has his own business, towing cars and trucks. He isn't the only one around, he is just the only one the news station got on.
It would be ideal. Plus a driver might skip using it in the heat of the moment because the 3,000 bill that he can't afford flashed in front of him.
Was the truck in the correct gear for the grade and at the speed limit? If not? Guess what happens.
Do you really expect the tow truck company to work for free? Here in NYC the FDNY are charging you for ambulance and fire trucks even if you call 911. I got hit by a car and while in the hospital I was getting phone calls to pay up. I referred them to my lawyer because NY is a no fault insurance state.
@@ricardomolina4605 DOT should write them a check Since its funded by Tax Payers money, that ramp was made for Public safety its not a call to 911.
I’d rather pay the $4,000 than have the injury or death of other drivers hanging over me.
@@antoniojmonetti that's why Peter would rather pay $4,000 than have the injury or death of other drivers hanging over him.
Surely the Driver would be insured by the company and the company pick up the bill?
$4,000 is nothing compared to a pile up. If its proved a trucker missed a ramp, then caused an accident, they can be held responsible for all the damage caused to all vehicles and all injuries. So yeah $4,000 is actually pretty cheap compared with that.
@@richardsolomon5375 ??? 4000$ to tow my truck out of a safety area made by the state. Non sense. Next thing, you will have to pay for clean Oxygen because the state plant trees. Smh
Even better, stop making trucks with outdated drum brakes and use disc brakes which are better at cooling down and don't have brake fade problems.
It should be mandated for new trucks to come with disc brakes.
Those ramps need to be on every mountain highway in the United States. They will definitely save lives.
Not if the truck driver chosses not to use it
Did you not watch the video?
I think they are. At least I never seen a downhill road without one.
@@spudbot69
I hope you're right.
they are pretty much on every steep pass, just many are stupid and dont use it when needed.
Today I learned that runaway truck ramps are a thing that exist.
Howdy Folks! Gaming finally you ve learn something. Good job!
Trucker here, let me explain how this works.
We have two different braking systems, the normal pedal brake on the floor like a car and something called Jake brake switch, it's a device on the engine that will cause a diesel engine to slow the truck down if you take your foot off the gas like a car, except with even more braking power than your average gasoline car.
A diesel engine normally does not do much engine braking, not near as much as a gasoline engine.
We have three settings on the Jakes: high, medium and low. We normally run 6-cylinder engines so each setting adds two more cylinders to the Jake. The slower we go and the lower our gear the better the Jakes work.
The Jakes alone are not good enough on a long 6% grade. Not if we're fully loaded close to 80,000lbs. And if we try to use the main pedal brake to do everything, they will melt.
We have to carefully combine the Jakes with the normal break.
So at the start of a big hill I would set a typical truck to somewhere around 7th gear, around 35 miles an hour and around 1,700RPM. Motors and transmissions will vary but that's ballpark. It will slowly speed up to about 40mph and maybe 2,100RPM. At that point I will give it some pedal brake and bring it down to 35 miles per hour and 1,700RPM.
By the time it creeps back up to 40 the pedal brake will have rested long enough for me to safely bring it back down to 35. Rinse and repeat to the bottom of the hill. The Jake is on the entire way because it cannot overheat. It's fairly weak compared to the pedal brakes when they're in good shape, but Jakes cannot overheat.
I have to balance the actions of both brakes to get down the hill safely.
If a guy goes too fast causing the Jakes to be overloaded, or he picks the wrong gear and doesn't know how to get into the right gear in this situation which isn't easy, he can get screwed if he doesn't recognize the danger quickly enough. If he does realize he's screwed up before the main brakes overheat, he's got a pretty good chance of pulling it over to the side of the road, coming to a dead stop, letting the brakes rest and then do it right.
Note: "Jakes" is short for Jacobs, the company that invented this concept. The patents have long run out and now there's other companies making engine brakes that are not called Jakes.
Stab brake. Can’t ride them brake driver.
@@1jimmarch Great, comprehensive answer! I've never knew about runaway truck ramps when I got onto this video because we don't have them in Germany. After reading your comment I got to know a whole lot about the braking system of a truck, thanks for sharing!
Same
Old saying, I'd rather have and not need, then to need and not have.
than
This guy doesn’t pay taxes and it shows
Why I carry a pee bottle with me EVERYWHERE.
its a good sign they aren't used more often, anything else would be ban news.
@@skylinesranches2 this guy lives in kansas and it shows
I’ve always been curious about that.
It must be terrifying to drive a loaded rig in the mountains and realize you’re losing your brakes.
I thought the truck slams into the hill
If you live in europe you get a working enigne brake they will slow you the fuck down even with 40ton loads but you murcians are lacking in power comfort and in brake power lol
DUTCH DUTCHIE ?
Deep pea gravel slows it down smoothly
DUTCH DUTCHIE uh. No. American trucks are far more powerful in terms of engine brake, and horsepower. The only difference is maintenance. And luck. Also, American truckers go far more miles than any European trucker. So wear is going to be a lot worse.
I’ve witnessed a runaway ramp be used by a truck before. It was the loudest, scariest thing ever! I cannot imagine what the drivers go through.
sometimes using the ramps can kill the truck driver it is a violent risky thing to do
@@jaysilverheals4445 rather the driver die doing his job than innocent people on the road…
@@jasminegreene8159 The driver is innocent too, dont forget that, they are just doing a 8-10 work day. Truck brakes fail a lot, however the driver sentenced to 110 yrs did miss the option to use the ramp, some ppl just panic
@@DiamondCrushIvory nobody knows how they'll react in a situation like that,specially if they've never driven a rig. Some people just are stuck on stupid and parked on dumb.
@@kushedout419 Tip Jar💃🏿💃🏿💃🏿
Funny that they're so focused on the costs involved. Few thousand dollars vs... likely multiple fatalities when that truck plows into a few family wagons.
Also, assuming somehow no injuries... are you aware how CHEAP $4000 is compared to replacing a semi? Forget about all other costs, go to google and look up used semi prices.
They didn’t mention the government charges you 10 to 15 grand for having to use it. Plus the tow fee and break repairs your looking at 20 to 30 grand if your breaks fail.
@@NuclearWinter69 that doesn't sound like something that truckers can readily afford
It's all about the money, follow the money
@@aj3751 if they own their own rigs we have to. Credits a good thing sometimes
That’s a big ass ramp compared to the ones in mountains around here. Around here they maybe like 100feet long but they get got these big ass bumps in them.
"around here"????? IN British Columbia we have short, bump type ramps. It's a last resort, but use it. Or you're dead, and maybe others.
Appalachian mountains is where i live
@ŚparrowYT
Yeah, I live in app mountains too and I agree. Big ass fucking bumps!
I can answer your statement about the bumps! Different ramps have different surfaces! Like the bumps seen on certain ramps! Those bumps help slow down the truck! But the gravel and sand actually pull the truck in causing the truck to slow down even quicker! Cars normally don’t use them buts it’s rare!
IT? 1:28
Far better to have it and not need it rather then to not have it when you desperately need it.
john palagonia are you stupid or just playing
Like condoms
Or toilet paper
@Hate Hustle Flow
True!
You might not get what you wa-ah-aaahnt, but if you try sometimes.. YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED!
As a 14.5 year Greyhound vet, the key is to establish your down coasting speed ahead of the curve. All the cars and trucks behind my bus would get mad, but I would Jake down to about 60, then do a combination of Jake and service breaks to get down to 55. And I would never let my bus go higher than 60 until almost the end of mountain then I would let it run free. The problem is a lot of truck drivers are arrogant and want to be seen so they fly down the mountains at the speed of light. You have to get control before the downgrade.
Yep. Well noticible those 14.5 of experience. Excellent advice. Thanks
Good man
What is Jake down? :)
@@ZeeZee9 Jake is engine brake, so using engine braking instead of petal to hold or decrease speed. If you're descending at your climb speed the Jake provides all the braking you need.
@@ttww1590 Ok thanks! Is that when the truck makes the hissing sounds?
i spent a large chunk of my 40 year old life living in denver and have travelled many a time on i70. never once did i see one of the ramps in use, but on multiple occasions i saw nearly fresh tracks from it having been used. i always pictured of how legitimately frightening it must be for the driver to have to use one.
Thar's definitely a "E" ticket ride! 🥺
Eyyyy Tokin! Love you man. Watched you all the time way back in the day and infact am still subscribed. Hope all is well with you. Stay safe out there friend! ✌️
@@UndergroundUncle chairs my dude!
It looks like Wolf Creek😀
What are the odds tokindaily boy!!!
I’ve never seen a runaway truck ramp in my entire life
Darren 23 there’s a ton in the south as you head into NC from Virginia
I first saw them when I drove from philly to Pittsburgh
You must live in flat country...? They don't have runaway truck ramps on flat highways lol.
Drive through the mountains. You especially see a lot of them in the West Virginia and Tennessee areas
Keith Eifler I haven’t seen one in Southern California
That truck went so far up the ramp. The energy behind it was unreal
Thats what im thinking
Gross weight for tractor trailers is 80,000 pounds or about 40 tons. The sheer momentum of the trucks is really incredible.
it seems the gravel was compacted from no use, where as it should be “fluffed” up and topped up regularly. When they hit the Pea gravel, they should plow through it, slowing them down in a shorter distance.
@@blueman5924 possibly due to sunlight and weathering also the gravel has compacted and not worked.
The gravel definitely wasn't loose enough
Even if it is used only once, it is still worth it. The value of a human life is priceless
...except FJB's...
@@jmb1666ur both made in the image of the same God, so nah
My grandfather was a trucker and he lost breaks completely on a steep hill with cars parked at a red light at the bottom. Without any room or ramps he quickly decided to cut the wheel and crashed the whole truck on its side. So it slid down the the hill, somewhat slower, causing much chaos and giving the cars just enough time ignore the lights and peel off. The truck slid to the bottom and gently bumped one car that hadnt moved, which had a very freaked out young mother and baby in it. He wasn't hurt but the trucking company tried to blame him for destroying the load and wouldnt admit their truck had bad breaks. He quit that job, good work papa.
A HERO! Good job to your grandpa
WOW
Good work, indeed!
my husband had to use a runaway ramp once, he was standing on the running board just in case he had to jump if the truck wouldn't stop, a story he would tell up to his passing ...he never forgot the terror he felt even after driving a rig for 40 yrs...
Great story. Rest in peace to your husband
Crazy that’s true terror!
May he rest in peace. Standing on the running board riding up one of those. I bet he was scared. My uncle drove trucks for 40 yrs. He used a ramp twice. He is a big burly tough guy. He says he is not afraid of anything except the first time he had to use one of those .
Why are you guys saying rip to her ???
@@hudanassiri she said her husband told that story until his death
This is EXACTLY why banning engine breaking is massively dangerous, engine breaks save lives, period!
Paul Buchanan banning engine braking would be a time-consuming way to please idiotic liberals. smh
Hey if they did ban engine breaks I guess I won’t be going anywhere northwest or west or East and anywhere where there might be mountain I guess those people will have to starve
Who wants to ban engine braking? What do they think they're achieving?
But is there anyone actually wanting engine breaking banned? It is needed for safer driving in some specific situations, I see no reason to ban it.
@Reel-Lentless then the solution might be banning loud exhasts shouldn't it?
I always saw that same exact runaway ramp (coming out of the tunnel) as kid growing up and always wonder what that was for, lol. Also, I almost died being caught in a blizzard, but the same exact tunnel saved my life. I put my car in park in the middle of the tunnel with no pull of lanes, but you can see miles ahead of you if a cars coming. It gave me a chance to breath and take off all the snow that my wipers couldn’t keep up with. I had the whole tunnel to myself. It was something out of a movie. Once I got down the mountains to Denver everyone was wearing T-shirts and shorts lol this was around 11pm.
So you almost died? Huh parking in a tunnel will sure get you dead. You are the type that gets other people killed.
@@robertlucyksr667 What I mean by almost died is I came out the tunnel could not see anything cuz of the snow and there’s a huge decline and my car started to slide even easing on the breaks. You probably never been in that tunnel, and it goes for almost two miles so you can clearly see ahead of you if a car is coming. Not only that, cars were driving really slow due to the snow, but guess what there were not cars cuz it was almost midnight during a blizzard. I had my car in park so if happened to see a car I can right away get in and put it drive. I also had my hazards on. You have no idea what your talking about.
These ramps are crucial for saving lives
Im from europe i dont unerstand what and for what this is? Can you tell me?
why r u everywhere
Ray Mak only with 3 likes is something I haven't seen before.
I had a feeling you were here. Lol.
Fuk u
a wise old man once told me: you can go down a mountain a million times *too slow* but only once going *too fast*
Old man shuld learn how to do some canyon runs
I appreciate you sharing a good strategy for those who are not professional drivers. Take care.
Everyone should follow that advice
@@88marome this gave me flashbacks of a dream of driving off a cliff to fast. Brrr..
@@jennydelaflor2087 can you drive off a cliff too slow?
I am a retired truck driver in BC Canada. There are runaway ramps in quite a few areas. With the engine brake systems now the ramps are not used as much, but here you learn damn quick not to go down hills too fast. The stupidest thig I have seen in 40 years was a middle aged couple who had parked their camper at the bottom of the runaway having their lunch. I held my air horn on for over a minute and man did they move fast. They left a few spots where they were sitting too. As Ron White says' "You can't fix stupid."
Also in BC. I tow a 20' landscaping trailer, not a big rig, but even I know to downgrade rather than riding my brakes. I don't even like to ride the brakes on my car (which I see almost everyone else doing). The extra gears are there for a reason.
@@BlackEpyon - My Dad's instructor when he learned to drive tanks used to say "Gears are for slowing down, brakes are for parking". He passed it on to me and I've always been mindful of it, whatever size of vehicle. Even in my car it saves me money on brake linings.
I had a short assessment once as I drove about 5 miles through urban traffic between depots with a full load (44t here in the UK at the time), and the examiner's only comment was that I relied too heavily on the gears to slow down, and should be using the brakes more. When I shared my Dad's instructor's theory with him, and politely suggested several roads around the UK that he might like to test it on (the ones with runaway lanes for the most part, coincidentally), it transpired that he was a car instructor who'd recently passed the HGV test, but only in order to 'assess' and he'd never actually driven one with any load whatsoever.
I've no idea whether my 'fault' was detailed in his final assessment - I just got on with the next 20 years of driving around, with loads onboard, using primarily the gears for slowing down.
@@otterspocket2826 Indeed. Not so much in the car unless I'm on a hill, but in the truck, even without my 20' trailer, it's just become a habit to downshift whenever I approach an intersection I may need to stop at. It also helps to start easier, since OD really isn't good for towing unless you're already at speed.
you guys have some crazy steep mountains in BC canada. in the US, they are pretty much limited to 7% on the interstate. i was going from edmonton to seattle and i think it was a 9% grade for like 5 miles.
@@spencerphilippinedream3706 What is a 9% incline? Same thing as 9°?
Thankful they even provide these life saving ramps, even if ONE person uses it, it was worth it's weight in gold!!!
1:25 - I know some people who would clear this rig for free
UNDERRATED COMENT
My dad
i take it u must be Canadian
Lol
@JJ Ferary - Nope! Just thirsty
I saw a semi full of Top Ramen caught on fire. I heard there was over $14 worth of damage!
Original
HAHAAHAHAHA. THIS IS SO FUNNY OH MY GOD HAHAHAHA -.-
$14 wow thats cheep. i seen one one that was a penny
And the smell !!!
Lol!
I'm surprised about how hight he went.
Edit: I delete the original comment because I got corrected. Thanks for correcting me and although there was a moment of embarrassment, I learned something new.
Gravity and motion ain't no joke.
@lol bad kid well, given the way you type, he comes off a lot smarter than you. This comment is me being mean, by the way.
@@CrypticSnow bro your iq must be so high. you must be so smart bro. bro that's so cool how smart you are, i bet you can even watch rick and morty. r/iamverysmart bro
Kinetic power bruh
Posted 3 years ago and the fact there’s a pile of Bud Light on the ground is epic. Lol
I have a vivid memory of my own parents having to use a runaway truck ramp when our brakes started acting up in the middle of the highway. Our car wasn’t going too fast, so we didn’t make it even a fourth up the ramp before we came to a halt. As a kid, I thought my parents were just having a little bit of fun and they were even looking back at me and my siblings with smiles and laughter after everything was okay, but they were probably absolutely terrified inside.
Parents have a way of making their kids feel safe even when they're not!
W parents
They were probably laughing with relief.
I didnt know cars could use run away truck ramps
Yes I remember seeing a couple of cars having to use it as well back in the 70's and 80's ,when that was more frequent,even for cars, especially in the very steep mountains in Puerto Rico. I had a friend that had to use one as well and it was a very frightening experience for them but he was glad it was there.
2500 plus is money well spent in order to save countless lives...
Susan Kay
Well insurance does pay, if you actually have it. Roughly 16% of trucks on the highway aren’t insured or insured correctly, which does violate law. Commercial insurance is different, filing claims for things like a run away truck are definitely going to raise a carriers rates.
It’s not an accident, almost all brake failures on trucks in mountains are driver preventable. It’s around 4% are determined non preventable. It’s not an accident when someone just won’t do their job correctly.
@@mattmoschkau2831 agree..This company has had several violation's including brake issues.What in incompressible is that this man has a CDL license and can't speak English,let alone read road signs that are in English.So much tragity could have been avoided if this man took the "run away" truck ramp.
Susan Kay
It’s commercial insurance. A carrier can not be issued motor carrier authority without insurance and they must keep insurance, but that’s only primary liability which covers the public. We must on our own choose to purchase physical damage insurance which would cover any damages to our own vehicles, that is not a legal requirement.
You can use physical damage insurance to cover a run away truck, but because it’s almost exclusively driver error it will increase your rates a lot.
Insurance isn’t a payment plan for stupidity!
It’s also not an accident, police issue a private property incident report. It’s literally the equivalent of calling your insurance and telling them you took a baseball bat to your car and asking them to fix it.
@@mattmoschkau2831 finally someone with common sense
Still to expensive
I knew a trucker that had to use a runaway ramp once. He said when the rescue team got there, the first thing they asked him was to breathe into a breathalyzer. Next they had him do a litany of field sobriety tests.
After it was determined it was an honest mistake, they then sent him a bill for $3,000, had points deducted from his license and his company had him sit at a rest area for about a week after the fact to launch their own internal investigation, and after it was determined he didn't do anything to get fired over, they still gave him a write up because he cost his company a lot of money.
That's just crazy to me. These are put in place for safety of everyone so when a trucker has to use one why are the trucker's getting penalized for using it? Doesn't make any sense at all.
Wow. But I guess at the very least, he or someone else didn’t die in a horrible crash.
@@camogirlkm Because they are expensive to set up, and even more expensive to bring interstate traffic to a halt to pull down a semi and any spilt cargo from the escape ramp.
@@razor3106 Oh I completely understand the recovery cost I get it that yes they have to pay. I just don't think that trucker's should have points deducted from their license for using a ramp that is basically put in place to save lives. It's like getting penalized for using something for the safety of others.
@@camogirlkm Now you understand a small part of why truckers feel so under appreciated.
You need to be brave and think fast in this situation. When brakes fail it’s no one’s fault but what you choose to do the next second it’s either going to be a frightening solution or a catastrophe
hahahahahhahhahahahahahhahahahahaahaha!
i agree, even if an accident that was unbelievably preventable kills several innocent people, there should be no consequences whatsoever. As long as someone CLAIMS their quadruple negligent homicide was accidental, we simply cannot punish them in any way
@@liviaadams5802 most truckers agree he was a rookie & panicked. Like you’re perfect
@@willplays7954 every trucker who actually examined the specifics of the investigation knows for a fact this was a deliberate murder. He avoided 2 emergency ramps. Even avoiding one is a serious red flag that woud raise doubt in any sane person...but 2? not even up for debate if this was an accident or not. It wasn't
@@liviaadams5802 Ive looked it over pretty good and I drove for 40 years, put over 4 million miles on a truck, but Im far from being convinced its a Deliberate Murder? He made mistakes but mistakes dont constitute Deliberate Murder. You also have to ask yourself, why did he make mistakes? Was it Inexperience that led to Vehicle Failures? Was it Bad Training that led to Vehicle Failures? From what Ive seen and heard, its a combination of both. The Driver was not on Drugs or Alcohol. Its unfortunate that people died and were injured but there's no murder there.
I congratulate all truckers that have used those ramps. They definitely safe lives every time they do.
Many blessings to all of them, and their families.
Yeah we need more trucks speeding off the top of steep hills and more safety ramps
If they didn't drive like irresponsible dicks they wouldn't have to.
@@secret5. if companies were not forcing them to drive long hours for pennies on the dollar you wouldn't have to complain about us driving like irresponsible dicks. Also the biggest hazard on the road to a trucker is people in cars cutting them off, tailgating them, and slamming on their brakes with total disregard for what may be behind them.
@@justinkooker1460 That's your job, deal with it. If you can't do your job properly, get a new one or file a complaint with the DOT/NHTSA
@@secret5. Who said he can't do his job properly? I think you need to learn how to read so deal with it. Lmfao!
“Hey you did the right thing and put your out of control high speed 18 wheeler off the highway and away from potential accidents. Here’s a tow fee for $4k that insurance won’t ever cover.”
Exactly
Doing the "right thing" would entail: ensure the truck is in good mechanical condition pre-trip, not hauling too much weight on a mountain-run, keeping your speed down (well-lower than the limit if you are heavy) and under control at all times, and using lower gears to control your speed. Even a passenger car should be following similar protocols to avoid loss of control, or overheating your brakes: I use lower gears all the time while mountain driving; the strips around Floyd Hill and The Tunnel are pretty steep, and there are state-highway areas which are quite steep. Your brakes should be used sparingly while driving on the highway in any event: particularly in the mountains. If a trucker overheats his brakes, it's likely his own fault due to inexperience or oversight.
@Cribbs Hey, thanks man! I've only lived in Colorado for over forty years and I do have my Class B. I don't know about 'expert', but I do have experience in these things. Thanks for dropping by!
@Cribbs So where was your loser ass for the original comment bud?
As Spartacus said
the vast majority of the time, that situation was still the result of the driver's negligence, and therefore it's their fault.
As someone who has lived most of their life near these ramps, it's weird to see how many people in the comments have never heard of one.
J Steiner4791 I’ve been on that exact highway
J Steiner4791 It’s weird to see people that have never heard of a concept before?
@@itr0863 Is that what I said? No, it clearly isn't.
J Steiner4791 I have never been to Colorado or anywhere rocky with snow etc. I have never seen or heard of this before, so that is weird to you that I have no knowledge of something that I’ve never seen or heard of before? Think about that.
@@itr0863 Why are you telling me this? What are you expecting me to do with this information?
This all goes back to training and experience. Runaway Ramps are feared by most truckers for many reasons. "LOOK AT THEM", they are frightening looking as crap and when you are going 80 to 90mph with anywhere upwards of 80,000lbs, it is a nightmare. The amount of fear that comes over you is unexplainable. I had an out of brake incident on 23 South coming out of Erwin TN, towards Asheville, NC. I was legitimately terrified, paralyzed from fear. If you value your life, in no way wish to die a horrific death, this will scare you in ways I cannot describe. You are not only in fear for your life, but if you crash, the people you could kill or injure. Its not just you fearing for your life. Your brain is also telling you, "you can make it, you can make it", if you can just get to the bottom. There are a whole host of things going through your mind. You don't want to lose your job, embarrassment, fear, everything you can think of. Your entire life passes before your eyes, I am not even kidding. I popped both my buttons on the brakes and I was gaining speed. You couldn't see anyone behind me due to the amount of smoke the brakes were producing. I was extremely lucky that where my brakes failed I was close enough to the bottom that no one got hurt. I will never forget that as long as I live. I was hauling bags of landscaping rocks out or WV I believe. Training, training, and more training. Proper gear, Jake Brake, and controlled braking will save your life so long as you do not have an equipment failure. I am still not sure what happened that day? I am not sure if I improperly estimated the grade and descended in the wrong gear, or what? Still not sure to this day. But I can assure you one thing, it will only happen to you once.... I also want to add that I have seen trucks in runaway ramps totally destroyed. Its isn't all pretty and cool to see those trucks taking the runaway ramp always. I've seen the cabs of trucks ripped off and thrown off the frame. I've seen the windshields busted out and the drivers seat sitting in the gravel or whatever in the ramps. Steel Coils plowed over the Cab of trucks smashed so badly you won't even recognize the driver. Trucks engulfed in flames. These are the things you will see if you drive in the mountains a lot. It is so frightening you have no idea.
Best post Ever🤗🤗🤗....I am not a trucker but I'm sure at times that some truckers are thinking what you just said, "I can make it, these brakes will start working" and throw all their trucking school training out the window. Looks terrifying as hell. This driver that got 110 yrs in prison experience, I bet, is getting a LOT of drivers to tighten up their speed racing and they are doing more pre & intra inspections, especially before driving in hilly regions. Kudos to you for writing this post
I know exactly what you mean. I live here in the tri-cities. I used to cross over from TN into Asheville several times a week hauling containers full of heavy shit out of Eastman chemical to to southern ports. Every time, I’d be passed by at least one truck driver lighting them up. Several times I’d even seen trucks not take the ramps, then have to lay them over to avoid cars. Have you ever seen the runaway ramps on Black Mountain going east? Those look like a rough ride.
@@Iamsmallfry Oh yeah, I ran Black Mountain a lot. I used to pick up loads of wood there at that plant by the candle factory right after Black Mountain.
@@Iamsmallfry Columbia Forest Products in Old Fort, NC after going across black mountain. I can smell the candle factory or whatever it was close to there.
Best yet scary comment. My husband has been trucking now for alittle over a year . He goes all over the U.S and I just learned about these ramps not too long ago. I worry so much about him daily. I have so much respect for truck drivers than I ever have. God bless yall ❤❤ happy you are okay!
I thought a car driver drove on one of those ramps on those kinds of trucks and flew in the air
Any run away vehicle can use these...your car, your truck, a semi truck. These ramps save lives
Same here
Same im dissapointed
Same
Laggy Duck I lost brain cells reading this lmfaooo
Refers to cost of tow truck repeatedly, nothing about the lives saved. ;(
Artie VanDelayo sorry
It's society people care about money than others lives lol
That goes without saying and there's no way to know that, goofball.
Conspiracy Theorista you seem nice
@@deletedleaf2688 Just pointing out the facts, princess...
4 lives vs the cost of using a run away ramp easy choice of a trucker
Real easy
Yep yep, sad that the reporters repeatedly pointed out the cost or how many times they are used, when that does not matter. Saving lives is what matters.
Yup that is way too much money, sorry people
@@huey1153 haha
Martin Morris the 4 lives
I grew up on a “hill”. The main (very steep) road off has 2 ramps filled with gavel. They come in handy except when a car mistakenly thinks they are right turn lanes (no you can’t just back out) 🙄 Probably has saved countless lives. At the bottom of the hill is a busy intersection with Pacific Coast Hwy.
Imagine finding a truck ramp, hitting it, thinking you're safe, and then going over the top of the ramp and tipping over, OR rolling backwards down the ramp.
@RT 87 That's interesting! I've never seen the cables for a truck, but you gave a pretty good explanation so I can picture it. Thanks for the information. I learned something new today.✊
No.
Or comming to a safe stop then sliding back down without a smidgen of control . It did not end well!
Heard a story of one guy doing exactly that he realized he was going to quick in a cabover went in the bunk and braced for impact. guy lived cause he went into the bunk. and walked away truck sat in the covert for a few weeks though
The truck I was in started rolling backwards. Brakes still didn't work, I had to jump out and watch it jackknife to a complete stop.
But even 4k is nothing compared to the cost of an accident with injuries...
Yeah, 4K isn’t Jack shit. You hit anything going over 45mph in a semi and you’re looking at 100K minimum.
That's why safer road construction and brake checkups are so important.
Compared to the cost of the load, the truck...let alone who would die and other property damage if not having the ramp, $4,000 in cost isn't even worthy of discussion. Inam sure the owner pays more than that for insurance annually
Yup, just in hospital costs it can be several times that amount.
Going that fast it's fatalities
I love that big Steve is not only the tow operator, he’s the mayor as well
Wonder if he and his brother the sherrif run an auto repair.
Colorado baby it's not who you know it's who you blow
@@kenshafer4788 is the marijuana great over there?
Town Selectman used to plow my yard.
He even only did it when it was late & clear my husband [ at the time] wasnt home yet
@@bobbarclay3203 and eat people
Trucker here. I almost had to use one of these when I was in training, my Jake Brake quit on the descent and I started picking up speed and about halfway down toward one of those ramps I got it working and didnt have to use it.
I was probably doing okay with just the normal brakes on the rig but I was ready to take the ramp if I needed it.
Any time your jake gives out on a hill, depending on the slope...you're pretty much screwed. unless you can either grab the right gear to help you slow down, or find a place to pull off on the shoulder and stop. Glad you got out of that situation safely.
Coors Light sabotaged the brakes. They can’t have Bud Light entering Colorado
It's that because Colorado banned all thin water disappointing drinks?
Ive got bad news for you, they have a production plant of Budweiser in Colorado just outside of Denver.
He said Eisenhower Tunnel, which means that runaway ramp and downhill slope is more likely to be for travel heading West, into Utah...
(I drove an old '97 Peterbilt through that tunnel, twice, almost 20 years ago. Never wrecked, nor had to use the ramp, but that thing [and the steep slope, on the other side] are seared into my brain. It's a bit of a white-knuckler, to be sure)
I have passed this ramp around 10 times because I visit the mountains every year
LMAO
When my truck ran away from home I found it on one of those ramps! I'm so glad they built them! I was so worried about my truck. It was scared and alone... But it made it to the ramp!
A shout out to all the men and women out there delivering our food and goods everyday.
Thank you for your hard work.
Stay safe , keep on Trucking and God Bless y'all 🇺🇸💋👍🏼❤️🇺🇸
Also thank the people cooking/restaurants as well. Most of them are closing because of loss of customers. Meats and some ingredients are pricier. The popular restaurants are overloaded with customers and while despite that, some of them get little tips. I’m saying this as an ubereats driver.
@D90Girl Thanks! 👍
Road Rumbler you are very welcome, sir 💋
Thank you! I appreciate you too!
D90Girl You’re welcome. Happy to do it, too.
One of these saved my Dad's life decades ago! 🙏
I only know about these ramps because of American Truck Simulator
And they don't work at all in ATS
I haven't noticed them. Gotta keep an eye out, thanks for the hint ☺
@@kylerabend7 I mean they do technically work. They aren't supposed to be easy to just reverse out of however. Once you have made the decision to use the runaway ramp its all over you need to be towed out.
What are these ramps.?
in the US, they are common in the rocky mountains. im not sure that i ever saw one in the eastern states.
You can go down a hill too slow as many times as you want, but you can only go down a hill too fast once.
Trucker Life That’s right and why speed signs and use low gear signs should mean something
Don't go down a hill any faster than you can go up it. Crest the hill at the speed you want to go down. Use your Jake Brake.
It's easier to control if you start slow. Rather than try to slow once you are on the down slope.
Perfect.
Yep!!! That's what my truck driving teachers said. Everything they taught me about downshifting, snub braking, and lane control on sharp curves----I use on a daily basis running my northern New Mexico route. Nothing vaguely approaching an accident, even when dealing with lousy weather! The ramps are there for the bonehead supertruckers when they 1) didn't pretrip their trucks to make damn sure they got good brakes or 2) find out the hard way that they cannot alter the laws of physics to drive however they damn well please.
Well said. The sad truth is the whiny posts here complaining that they charge the driver are liked in the thousands, while this one gets a couple hundred. Over heated brakes are 99.9% the driver's fault.
One of the most horrifying things I've ever seen was here on RUclips. It was a video taken by a truck driver who saw in his mirror another big rig coming up behind him much too fast for the steep mountain he was descending. He flipped his dash cam on just in time to catch the other truck fly by him in the left lane and seconds later crash through the guard rail and go tumbling down the mountain side. I believe the truck was driven by a student who's trainer was in the sleeper and unaware the student was descending a steep grade. Both were killed. I get knots in my gut thinking of the sheer terror that poor driver must have been in in the last moments of his life. Unfortunately, any mouth-breather with a year of driving experience can be a trainer in most of the companies that hire drivers straight out of truck driving school.
I've been a truck driver, and I've hauled the legal weight limit through mountains....it doesn't take a genius to know that when you crest a peak and start going down hill you're going to get pulled down by gravity and you need to not up-shift. You were in a low gear to get up that mountain....all you have to do is stay in that low gear and flip your engine brake on. You don't have to "know the terrain" you just have to look out your damn windshield and use your brain.
I have never nor will I ever drive a lorry but even I know that! Good advice!
The Rogers' Pass in BC claims a lot of drivers that learned in Saskatchewan and Arabia. FLAT forever.
Where is the link?????
@@kbotah2023 I looked but couldn't find the video...this was several years ago so it may not be there anymore.
Yeah not to mention all the warning signs that tell truckers to stay geared down because the steep grades continue!
In North Carolina we have 3 mountain Ranges. The Appalachian, The Blue Ridge, and The Great Smoky Mountains. There are very steep grade's. But N. C. Makes truckers pull into an information area and they have to stop and read and look at the diagram and look and see how I-40 is routed down that grade and how far apart the runaway ramps are. And when they leave they start out very slow and keeping it in a lower gear to begin with and using the Jake brake. It's the best system I've seen. I turned a truck over year's ago in Virginia.
I’m a truck driver and it starts with the driver trying to go to fast, need to pick a lower gear and ease down
You only come off the top fast once. I drove too and that is one of the first things my uncle Chuck told when he was training me.
@@richardmiseljr2413 I don't understand what these things are,I've never seen or heard of one in my life. You mind explaining what these "truck ramps" are?
@@ironduke5058 Its for when truck brakes blow out. It's just a strip to stop them so they don't kill people in traffic
@@ironduke5058 They are self explanatory.
@@SM-iy9nm well do they destroy the truck? Because I see people commenting they'd rather "repair damages than take someone else's life"
“Big Steve”. Son of “Large Marge”.
That clarifies things. I was wondering what the “medium Steve was about“. Local lore I guess. 🤣
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
LOL!!!!!!! 😂 I actually never a very hefty woman in high school named Margaret..... aka Large Marge aAka (also ALSO known as) “La-Marge” 😭😂😭😂😭😂
Tell 'em large marge sent ya
And also the mayor of Gypsum, CO.
Dude's got cred.
They should have a red metal box at the end of each ramp with a pair of pants in it.
And a prybar, to pry the seat out of your ass!!
Joe Masello yeah , in case they 💩 them😆😳🤣🤪😩👍
@@jasonallen2060 Yes... That was the joke..
In case of emergency, bust ass.
I mean, break glass 💩
@@jasonallen2060 ok, boomer
glad to see it was a shipment of bight light that spilled.
,,How would you like your Steak John?“
2:55
was machst du hier haha
Simon Desue Hahaha!😂
was machst du hier
Medium Steve thank you
*"
1:29 look pennywise wants to see a truck
That’s spooky man, random red balloon 🎈
Uff
Not a balloon for those wondering. Signal marker on a wire crossing the canyon as a warning to aerial vehicles
@@windwaik3r689 Wow I didn't know what it was.
Octotron Etienne BEAT ME TO IT
Never even knew there was such a thing.
They are only around mountains.
Me neither and I live around the Alps.
A couple in an RV decided it was a nice place to stop and make a meal. Then came a trucker late to the coveted camping spot. It is fact.
I live in California. I think I might've seen a Prop 65 warning on one of them before 🤔
@@veronikamaier3605 Those aren't usually a thing in Europe. Mandatory brake checkups are a thing in Europe...
I’m a truck driver and let me tell you there are signs as your climbing the uphill side of a mountain letting you know to be in the correct gear when you break over the crest and to stop at the top and check your truck out before proceeding and even then an accident can still happen or a mechanical failure but I’m gonna tell you 9 times out of 10 it’s driver failure for thinking he’s the man and can handle it or he’s just to inexperienced which a lot of the time that is the case INEXPERIENCE
One time I saw some stupid family sitting and having a picnic in the middle of a runaway lane.
EDIT: It wasn't in the States, it was in Canada in the Rockies. They were just some bums and creeps from out east that have never seen a real mountain before.
Lol i would have had to pull over and say something or at least call highway patrols. Not to be mean but because that's really dangerous.
Only in us. Dumbest people ever.
News never reported that there was an RV parking on the side of the road.. they should be fined too
😬
Considering they're used so rarely you'd have a higher chance of dying getting stuck with lightning
Can we all take a moment to appreciate the “medium Steve” joke at the end there?
Yes
Lol i just noticed after u said nice one
I was like did he just call Steve medium or the story?
I heard it. Didn’t understand it then. Still don’t understand it now.
because in the news there was BigSteve Company mentioned, and since there was other Steve (news guy) the anchor referred to him as Medium Steve, as a added fun to the whole situation.
You gotta admit it was compliment compared to what naturally comes to anyones mind in that situation, and that would probably be Small Steve, which would be rude
One of the more smartest things that Engineers came up with they have saved many many life
It was actually invented by a CHP officer named Bill Nelson. An idea he had after seeing so many semi truck crashes due to loss of brake control. He worked the I-80 Sierra Nevada mountains back in the day. I clean house for his wife. He's passed away now. RIP, Bill.
@@nikkibest5010 Any proof for that?
@@Andreas4696 His wife has all his CHP accommodations and awards and paper work for it. He was employed by CHP so he didn't receive any monetary benefits but, I assure you, he came up with it.
Just trying to dump the Bud Light, lol
Talk about a guy that gave himself his own nickname....BIG Steve.
Your profile pic doesn't work anymore. Google profiles don't look like that anymore.
Look at my profile pic
It’s his company
Well it's a nickname given to people who work with people of the same name or have a kid with the same name. It isn't that rare, you just are not that social I guess.
Well yes.. But Some old fart okies apply the nickname to themselves in thier local communities when they are the watchdogs of the aged neighborhood and slightly above average height. Lmfao
hi mcdouche2
why charge for a safety feature ???
Is this an american thing because it seems backwards
Yes it is Americans love their 💰
You're not paying for the ramp you're paying for the private tow company to come and get your truck.
😂
Lord Kiza that’s a stupid comment, and you’re an idiot.
Welcome to america...
Drivers get charged with a “preventable accident” if they use a runaway ramp, and the towing fee is often thousands of dollars, plus damage to,the rig and maybe the cargo. The load is late, and the rig is often out of service for repairs. Not all trucks have Jake brakes, and some mountain grades are really long and curvy, requiring more use of brakes than others. There is no magic formula for gear choice, so occasionally some drivers are going to smoke brakes a little. That doesn’t mean they are terrible drivers. Sadly, sometimes it’s more than a little, which is why we have those ramps.
Kinda a perverse incentive to prosecute a driver for using the ramp. It's there for a reason and I'd prefer a driver use it than not and end up a runaway.
@@itsbigal92 Absolutely right. Technically, a driver using a runaway ramp has "lost control of his vehicle," which is the source of the ticket and chastisement from employers. But, yes, the states should not give tickets for this. By using the ramp, the driver is preventing his own death and much destruction and the possible deaths of others. However, some states focus heavily on fining truckers (particularly out of state truckers) for as much revenue as they can get.
This was one day after a driver was actually charged (and eventually convicted) of causing a deadly crash because he didn't take the runaway ramp.
Capitalism101: Where you get charged for using a ramp, preventing a possibly fatal accident.... All for some cargo being late lmfao...
@Just some Commie lol, you think it's capitalism... the tickets, my friend, are from the government, they are NOT a free market issue. If anything they come as a result of government abusing their power, which is a primary problem with communism.
We give him "Kudos", but someone makes a mistake and didn't use it, and now had a 110 year sentence for death. Smh. It's obviously terrifying!
Yep insane even the truckers said they’ve never seen or know anyone who used it in years so I can’t imagine in a situation either passing them or just not knowing what to expect barreling towards one. I hate this happened for the man and the victims
he could have literally just turned the car off at any moment. This is like 1st grade stuff. I guess his legal team wants us to believe that he's just the dumbest guy on earth?
@@liviaadams5802 i guess you've never driven a semi before. Even for regular cars its never advised to turn off a vehicle because it locks up the steering wheel. Driving a semi is never just simple. There is a reason why you have to go through more training the getting a drivers license. Air brakes work on a compressor but if your constantly using it going down hill the air runs out. That what happened to that guy. It was his first time driving by himself and he only drove in the city so didnt have much experience with mountains. That part i completely blame the company.
@@Ramos407 I assume you saw the video of him literally in the runaway truck ramp lane, then getting out of it at the last minute. Do you think the company made him do that too?
@@Ramos407 He also broke the brakes because he was driving too fast to begin with. He was going over 80mph, then he hit the brakes and they broke. Obviously the company made him drive like a lunatic in a 25 ton vehicle. That darn company, what will they do next!
We were in our van pulling a 6 foot full trailer because we were moving back from Maryland to Utah. We were in Colorado near Vail pass, were the road was very steep and we had to take the truck ramp or we would have rear ended a semi. It was raining very badly. Our brakes were gone. We found out later that whoever fixed our brakes( right before we left) did not fix them correctly ( the new mechanic telling us this). Our van jumped in the air right before we hit the gravel of the truck ramp. We had to be towed down very slowly on the bike trail. Very scary! The mechanic and tow truck people were so kind to us and charged us very little. The cop who saw all this knew who to call to give us a good deal. We felt very blessed and that truck ramp was there at the exact place we needed it to be. We should have had our brakes re-checked because my husband said they didn’t feel right. We could have been killed.
Ppl are shitty!!! I was very badly mangled at 21yrs old in a motorcycle crash and my older brother loves motorcycles. He bought a bike over 10hours, 2 provinces away and flew in to drive it home. When he showed up with a helmet the seller became very nervous. He asked my brother if he was really going to ride it home and my brother said yes. He called my brother 30min after he left until my brother LUCKILY pulled over to answer and told him the breaks fail after 110k. My brother easily would have been road meat. I wanted to fly down there and cripple strangle that man lol.
I've seen hundreds of runaway truck ramps as I travel alot. In all my years I've only seen one used. Great job to the person operating and containing the beast.
2:55 “medium steve , thank you😂🤣”
Carson Ryan i don’t get it?
Blayze Campos The two truck drivers name was big steve and the main guy called the new reporter medium steve because they’re both named steve
i’m actually weak😂😂
I think he meant to say "good meeting you Steve"
Hilarious! So witty. I'm glad you caught that
@1:25 see all the bud light wasted in the spill. 😂🤣
That “Medium Steve” joke at the end was actually funny
Bill Cosby i don’t get it
I don’t get it either
Shawn P the guy in the story was named Big Steve
Bill Cosby ok I just died of laughter now 😂
Bill Cosby yo bill.....how's it?
I thought it was too tall and long until I saw it go almost all the way
And then you hear that some of them go over the other end and topple off.
@@Cenentury0941 I've been driving for 19 years and I never seen one used, then he said that trucks go over the ramp!!!!DAMN!
Thats what she said
When i was Smashn it
Came down Monteagle hill for 1st and Last time...didn't know about it...It's scary..you're dealing with the hill...people unfamiliar with area..like me...someone braking in front of you unexpectedly on way down...
Wait till you see a run away truck take those ramps when it’s frozen solid with snow and ice! That’s when it gets UGLY!!
“Medium Steve, thank you” 😂
I can’t believe there are no comments about this yet!
Ikr! 😂
so disrepectful lol
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@@Raj-wf6ln what
"Well, my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle." Mal Reynolds
Being a driver in 1979-1980 I can tell you driving in the mountains is a whole new animal. You have to know what you’re doing, be educated about the terrain. God bless our truckers
Not something I would want to do, but basically the momentum of the truck is halted by plowing into loose rock 2 feet thick, on an uphill slope.
the ones round here are gravel, then sand, then little hills, then 1 foot berms (then a 75 foot drop)
Yeah, more resistance and hang on
Edward Morley I had a look at one in b.c. Canada. It was full of rounded rocks about 2" or 3" in diameter. Our highways dept tested it, and both the tractor and 53ft trailer made it about 2/3 of the way before sitting on the frames buried in gravel. Impressive to me...
Nobody got into this. I was wondering what would happen when they stopped on a steep slope without brakes. Time for Tesla semi's. They won't apply brakes much.
@@199724 a decent driver with a diesel truck wouldn't either. Thing is, I've done that exact hill in the video and even steeper ones than that while heavily loaded and rarely touch the brake pedal. It's all about picking the right gear and using the engine brake.
Like my trainer said years ago: "no brake, just Jake"
Dude had a ton of experience on the road. A+ decision making, reaction and reaction time (whatever prior mistake they said he made aside, hes got the skills to pay the bills). Smooth af.
I would’ve dumped all over my pants if I drove up that ramp
And went home that night to tell about it.. 👍
fallingbed Nope! You'd have shat yourself long before you got to the runaway lane. It all happens in slow motion, as you keep picking up speed, and you start to see smoke in your mirrors... and you realize that now you CAN'T slow down because you missed the sign that said for trucks to use a lower gear, 6% grade ahead.
I did that once, just for fun, and I have a curious mind. My car stopped right at the top without touching the brakes.
This would be the day that you were glad you had your brown pants on.
@@savage22bolt32 your car doesn't have a load of 50k lb behind like some trucks do
I've been on car rides to Breckenridge, Steamboat, Copper, Glenwood Springs, Aspen and Grand Junction and we would pretty much always pass that runaway ramp on I-70. I always wondered if there has been an incident where a truck needed that ramp, and it looks like I found out. It's pretty cool finding out how the ramps work.
I heard that they have a high chance of getting fired for using one. Kind of sucks, almost losing your life, then getting a bill upwards of $3,000, and having your employer fire you. All while trying to make a living and put food on the table and keep the lights on for your kids and spouse. (I say that because most truckers have kids and are married)
Most truckers drive too fast.
@@factsoverfiction7826 Most people drive too fast.
And getting charged with a preventable accident.
@@factsoverfiction7826 Most trucks are “governed.” Car drivers drive too fast.
If you have to use a runaway ramp, chances are you made at least one grave mistake to get to that point. I'm a truck driver and have done this pass many, many times and have never gotten close to needing a ramp. If you read signs, respect the downgrades, and keep the truck properly maintained, the chances of ever needing one are extremely slim.
its nerve racking as hell when you hit the ramp my brakes went out in north carolina mountain roads i hit the ramp i was black and blue for a few days i hit it hard .it saved my life the police guided me to the ramp made sure no one got infront of my truck.
So you roll till you can hit a lane like this? What's it for emergency when you need to stoo
@@BMWI-gk9wh its for run away trucks that has lost its brakes going down the mountain some trucks never get lucky enought to hit the ramp and go down the mountian side have lost there breaks at the top there pushing 80 tons or more on the 18 wheelers
@@jamieturnage4574 Thats scary glad your okay tho
@@ladyo8297 thank you but it happen about 10 years ago i was scared
So glad you’re ok buddy. God bless.
When you need info, a guy named "big Steve" is a good go-to.
Any guy named “Big Steve” probably knows how get things unstuck too.
I agree
@@skibbityb1 Sounds like a porno where the guy opens up a woman butthole getting her unstuck from ever being able to hold her shit in without a butt plug 😂
How could anyone, even an experienced truck driver, know EXACTLY how they would react in the event that their brakes failed while driving downhill???
It's called training
Jacob you are not a truck driver
Training is important, but you never really know, or can imagine what your reaction will be until that moment of truth happens. A true professional will do his best to keep a potentially bad situation from becoming worse. For a prime example, just take a look at the miracle on the Hudson River with the US Airways airliner's emergency water landing. The captain knew what he had to do based on his experience and training.
Never had to take a runaway ramp. Thank You Jesus. It would be one heck of a scary experience, but if it take the ramp or lose control and die, you have no choice.
Old timer rule for mountain driving at the last peak before your descend down the mountain the gear you're in to top the mountain is the gear you come down the mountain. You're Fighting gravity and the weight of the load dragging you down that mountain.
"Big Steve - who is also the mayor..."
Ahhh I love small towns!
Yeah they're great unless you're a minority, then they suck
@@carmengogeidnas9670 Ah, of course, some asshole always has to make it about race. Fuck off, will you?
@@noonedude101 your privaledge is showing
@@carmengogeidnas9670 Your 3rd grade education is showing.
@@noonedude101 ok boomer
1:24 *Up the ramp and out the top and roll over?!* 😱😱
Going ludicrous speed
Plaid. They've gone to plaid.
Nah, there’s 10 feet of sand deep there, it’s gots stop
Yup all while yelling yeeeehaaaw and waylon Jennings doing a voice over!
I'm a trucker and you'll see me going super slow down the mountains. The idea of using the ramp terrifies me.
If you’ve ever seen one up close you’ll see that they are “paved” with about 12 inches of gravel all the way to the top to help slow the truck.
Saw a truck go up a ramp on the Grapevine going down to Bakersfield.
Yeah keep talking about how much it's going to cost! less drivers are you going to use it!! Lol
Hey, they're just reporting the facts. It is what it is.
But with that being said, maybe it would've been a good idea for them to also report on whether the cost is covered by insurance, and if not, then perhaps interview a state legislator about whether it might be a good idea to pass a law requiring that such coverage be included in future commercial truck policies.
Still a lot cheaper than killing people at the bottom of the hill.
Small price to pay considering the worst case scenario.
In Australia there called arrester beds, these are useful, people saying they wanna get rid of them are just trying to cut corners fuck em
Mr Sausage ive had my brakes go out on soldier mountain and the grape vine with a full load and never even considered using one
It's not just the bill to get your truck out of those ramps but theres a shit load of damage caused to the truck because of the deep gravel that helps to stop the truck. Alot of times the truck gets totalled out by insurance as a result. I'm a truck driver and drive from Las Vegas to Denver almost every week, and drive through the Rockies alot. I've seen alot of veteran drivers make some dangerous mistakes because they are complacent. I've never seen a driver use those ramps but I've seen alot of smoking brakes and a couple trailer brakes burst into flames. I've seen alot of roll overs driving through the Rockies because a driver took a turn too fast. You have to be very alert. Especially new drivers.
I guess the ramp design varies a little. The ones I remember when I lived in Oregon included deep pea gravel (maybe 3/4" - 1"). Round gravel remains loose. It does not pack into a hard road bed like crushed rock does. When the truck hits that ramp of gravel the wheels dig in. The drag is huge and the truck comes to a stop in a fairly short distance. In the video, I was surprised to see how far up the ramp that truck went before coming to a stop.
That's bc Oregon mountains are tiny 🤣
they also will have arresting steel cables across the ramp or runout area..i used to go over ashland pass on a very regular basis. It quite knarly to watch a truck go thru that.
In Australia we call it "kitty litter!"
Saw one from South America somewhere where they had a permanent crane overtop of the graveltrap to make rescue and cleanup easier.
@@jacobwalls452 Take a heavy load down Cabbage Hill in winter.
Yes looks easy going into that runaway ramp but when you've lost the brakes and you are going 70 or 80 miles an hour down the hill and you have slower trucks on the right lane near the ramp you might not be able to go off and that's when the Accidents happen
Very good perspective
I-70 mountains are the #1 reason companies will pay out of route miles to the driver to avoid I-70. I know of 3 food grade companies that do this and do not allow their drivers to travel this road through CO.
Yeah, it’s been extremely bad this year too. So many avalanches and up until literally now if you didn’t have 4wd or chains you weren’t aloud through there.
If I choose the "short" run (I- 70) I'm 2 hours, at least, behind and 15-20 gallons of fuel waisted. I've crossed Vail several times but never heavier than 18 000 lb load. I couldn't imagine what will be the waisted time and fuel if you pull heavy load.
A LOT of drivers get hurt when they're forced to use these ramps . So if hou see a truck with his brakes on fire call the Highway Patrol. You may just save his/her life .
You think the trucker does not know? What will the highway patrol do? Come from miles away to "save" the trucker?
@@robertgift did you not hear the part of the video where they said sometimes a truck would go over the ramp and roll over?
@@robertgift they are talking about helping the driver after he's already used the ramp and maybe tipped over or something. Not coming to help the driver maneuver the truck. Don't be a smartass when you are the one who didn't get it.
@@Biggiiful _"So if hou see a truck with his brakes on fire call the Highway Patrol. You may just save his/her life ."_
*You think the trucker does not know? What will the highway patrol do? Come from miles away to "save" the trucker?*
ThEisenhower Tunnel personneknowhen a vehiclenters the runaway truck ramps. If there is a fire in the ramps, theyvill dispatch the fire department. A firetruck istationed athe Tunnels. (Unknown if it is just for the tunnels or would respond to a fire in the ramps.) There are two rampseveral miles apart.
I have signalled a truck that did have burning brakes, he did not know until I came alongside blowing my horn, pointing backwards.
I once saw a guy in a four-wheeler sitting at a run away ramp chilling, total death-wish
Not long ago I saw a pic of people skying on one of these. Pure stupidity.
Here in France caravan owners use them as picnic areas! But then caravan owners think everywhere in France within three feet of a busy road is a picnic area! 😂😂
@@nigelcarren 😆 🤣 😂
Maybe broke down waiting on a tow
@@trinityml sitting in the car is still a death wish
My friends were hit head on by a runaway truck in Colorado. The trucker was trying to get to the ramp which was just a short distance away, but didn't make it in time. My friends had several operations and had to stay there in the hospital for quite a while before being able to transfer back to Oklahoma City. He worked at my church. Thankfully, their two kids were in another couples car behind them, so they were not in the accident. The trucker was also hospitalized. Their children would spend time sitting with and praying with the trucker, as well as, with their parents. All recovered, but it was a horrendous accident.