Mountain Grades East Vs West

Hey guys, I don't really post much anymore but had a question. For you guys and gals that run all 48 or coast to coast, which interstates have the most challenging grades and hills? I run east coast myself so I'm always in WV, NC, TN OH and PA. I ran across i68 today in Maryland, was interesting to say the least. How do these grades compare to the rockies?

All hills are trouble when icy but I find dealing with crossing the Rockies and the NW mountains more challenging than the eastern mountains.

Of course some of those twisties in WV are in a category of their own, but I haven't hauled freight through them.

Hey guys, I don't really post much anymore but had a question. For you guys and gals that run all 48 or coast to coast, which interstates have the most challenging grades and hills? I run east coast myself so I'm always in WV, NC, TN OH and PA. I ran across i68 today in Maryland, was interesting to say the least. How do these grades compare to the rockies?

I'm usually loaded pretty heavy, rarely under 46-38k. My tractors Jakes are amazing but my old truck made it a test on every hill. Probably wouldn't make it down Donner or grapevine.

The Colorado hills are even worse than those CA hills due to being not only steep but really long. I crossed that state on 70 just today so it's fresh in my mind...special truck speed limit of 35mph for long stretches gives a good clue as to how steep it gets. Once, a few months ago, I was headed east toward Denver and the highway was completely closed for several hours due to an accident. They had a recommended bypass route posted so I took it and man I had never seen hills so steep....peak of the mess was over 13,000 and well over 10% grade, plus switchbacks ala WV only worse. It was no place for a 78k gross, that is for sure. I am sure that I made a lot of 4 wheel drivers angry but did the best that the Freightshaker could do.

To me, the biggest problem with Donnor and Grapevine is that they require chain up early and often, frequently without good reason, and the chain up areas are at much lower elevation than the problem, so often you're out there chaining up in rain and then driving a long way to the snow or ice, then driving down a ways and removing chains in the rain...sometimes having to repeat this process a couple times or more to get the heck out of that awful state. I spend far more time in CA than I'd like (especially since I'd like to be there never), but if you're an OTR reefer guy you're certainly going to be in CA a lot. My current tour has been from NJ to Indy back to NJ then to WI and now out to SoCal. Next will be to SLC...gotta get the expiring IFTA etc. updated and a PM. After that, who knows...I'm just a ping pong ball :-)

I carry both chains and socks. The socks are tough to use in CA due to the chain up locations but they are great in most states where you can stop and stick 'em on real quickly right at the start of the need and then get them off quickly after you're over the hill...mighty handy in Idaho, Oregon, etc.

I'll be glad when winter is over and the hills are fun again (for the great scenery).

I'm usually loaded pretty heavy, rarely under 46-38k. My tractors Jakes are amazing but my old truck made it a test on every hill. Probably wouldn't make it down Donner or grapevine.

If you can handle the worst mountains in the East you can handle the worst mountains in the West. The mountains out West do tend to be a bit longer and straighter where the ones in the East tend to be a bit steeper and they have tighter curves.

The weather is quite a bit different because of the elevation difference. The weather can change extremely fast out West and the winds tend to be much faster and blow more frequently. The roads out West never seem to get down to the pavement very often, especially in Wyoming, because the temperatures stay so low and the winds are always blowing snow back onto the highway.

Not sure about the western grades, but some grades out here give little to no warning that you're approaching one. The route I usually take to get home on us25 down to Greenville SC is a good example. About 6% for a few miles, and the sign is posted as you start the decent.

Eastern grades? Steeper, but shorter. Once off the Interstares in Northern PA (80 & 81 in particular), the local roads both state and US highways and secondaries are very steep and circuitous.

When I was still in a 10 speed manual I recall numerous times skip-shifting on very steep upgrades when close to 80k gross weight.

We backhaul from a potato farm off I-81 called Sterman Masser. The trip loaded back to I-81 on PA 25 requires an 8mph assault to climb out of the Pine Creek valley. 7th to 3rd in the blink of an eye.

I hate pa with a passion. It's not as bad with my 18 Cascadia. If possible I try to stay on the interstate. Texas is my favorite.

I hate pa with a passion. It's not as bad with my 18 Cascadia. If possible I try to stay on the interstate. Texas is my favorite.

I don't.

I live in PA, work in PA, etc.

The challenge of driving PA secondaries and the reward of scenic beauty is worth it. My skills are sharp, likely from experience gained frequently negotiating rural PA and NJ roads.

At least for me, the appeal of driving a variety of roads reduces both monotony and boredom.

Never been any further west than Erie, PA in my life, but have been to every part of every state east of there, north or south. New Hampshire-Vermont have brutal grades. 3/4 mile long 13% grade with a sharp end at the bottom at one point, very short 14% with an even sharper curve at the bottom. Both of these were in NH, but VT is brutal as well.