Just wanted to share a funny story with ya... about how I "smoked my brakes" on a steep downgrade. This grade wasn't that long, I could see the bottom of the hill as I started my descent, but being in the Allegheny Mountains of Pensylvania, the grade was steep. I was still pretty green, a rookie solo truck driver fresh out of school and additional team training, so I thought, "Meh, doesn't look that bad."
Well, my rig was pushing gross, or 80,000 lbs. (40 tons), and I didn't select the proper gear for the grade: next thing ya know, I'm careening down the grade like a runaway train, thankfully there wasn't much traffic present, 10-4? Started laying on my service brakes to slow the rig down, and before I hit the bottom of the hill, I looked into my West Coast mirror to see smoke pouring out from under my 53' wagon. Luckily, there was no real damage done, and I should've just kept rolling to let the brakes cool down...
Being a rookie, I pulled over at the first opportunity, using an extra-wide shoulder for the purpose, and I got out to check the wagon & brakes up close. Climbing back into my tractor, I settled into my seat to relax for a moment before pulling onto the road again. It was a USX rig, or U.S. Xpress, and smoke was still rolling out from under the wagon, though not quite as much. As I sat there, the CB crackled and some older hand asked a question which I still think was pretty darned funny. He said:
"WHATCHA DOIN', U.S., HAVIN' A BBQ???"
Now, age is not necessarily an indication of knowledge or experience in the trucking industry, some older hands just started driving and they know relatively little, while some younger hands hail from families with generations of truck drivers, and they started driving hay trucks or whatever on the family farm or ranch when they were 14 years old. But this hand sounded like he'd been driving since dinosaurs roamed the earth, and his question was pretty darned funny.
I told him I had smoked my brakes on the hill, first time it had ever happened to me... meh, no worries, the incident may have been embarrassing, but I learned from it and I was always careful about dropping down grades afterward. Sometimes, it takes a little mishap for a driver to learn... just be careful, avoid distractions, remain focused, and you'll be alright. Someday, I'll tell ya how I learned to cut the radio and roll down the window before backing, but THAT is another story, lol. Cheers!!!