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Mountain driving is a lot like a roller coaster. It works really hard going up a long, long uphill, and then on the long downhill, gravity takes it and it goes like a rocket.

If a cop catches you smoking a truck's brakes down a grade, he'll pull you over and not let you drive further, easier for him than scraping your body off a cliff.

Enter the gears you never use on your shifter - P R N D 3 2 1, those. You have noticed when you lift off the gas on your car, the car "feels a little bit draggy", like it's actively being slowed down. If you select a lower gear (and you can select them while moving), it will become more draggy. Quite a lot more draggy the lower you go. That is for descending long hills.

The way I explain this is to downshift enough that you don't need to use your brakes at all. You're in the zone when you need to use a little bit of gas to keep the vehicle at desired speed. That keeps you safe.

Going uphill is hard too

So you have to keep a close eye on your "Engine temp" gauge. First, you must know what "normal" looks like, so you must learn to watch it ordinarily. Then, on up-hill sections, keep an eye for it. If it climbs a little bit, no big deal, but if it climbs any more, turn off the A/C immediately -- most likely the overheat will cure itself.

Different deal going downhill, blast the A/C, it's free and helps slow the vehicle.

Mountain driving is a lot like a roller coaster. The truck works really hard going up a long, long uphill, and then on the long downhill, gravity takes it and it goes like a rocket. Mountain driving is all about controlling this.

If a cop catches you smoking a truck's brakes down a grade, he'll pull you over and find a way to stop you from driving further. For him, it's easier than spending all night at a fatal accident.

Enter the gears you never use on your shifter - P R N D 3 2 1, those. You have noticed when you lift off the gas on your car, the car "feels a little bit draggy", like it's actively being slowed down. If you select a lower gear (and you can select them while moving), it will become more draggy. Quite a lot more draggy the lower you go. That is for descending long hills.

The way I explain this is to downshift enough that you don't need to use your brakes at all. When you need to use a little bit of accelerator pedal to keep the vehicle at desired speed, you're in the zone. That keeps you safe.

Since you're trying to spin the engine to slow the car, this is a great time to blast the A/C on full, as this is "free" and won't overheat the engine.

Going uphill also has a trick

So you have to keep a close eye on your "Engine temp" gauge. First, you must know what "normal" looks like, so you must learn to watch it ordinarily. Then, on up-hill sections, keep an eye on it. If it climbs a little bit, no big deal, but if it climbs any more, turn off the A/C immediately -- most likely the overheat will cure itself.

In a pinch, it also helps to blast the heater and open windows (thanks Saaru). This heat comes from the engine and gives it a small bit of additional cooling. Don't get heatstroke!

Don't drive drowsy

Utah is the loudest about this, but other states agree: they really don't want you driving drowsy, and they hate cleaning up fatal accidents. If you are starting to nod off, pull over somewhere reasonable and safe, and take a catnap... often an hour will suffice, your body knows. Cops who see you asleep will be happy to see it.

The way I explain this is to downshift enough that you don't need to use your brakes at all. Just use a little bit of gas to keep the car moving. That keeps you safe.

Continue west on I-80 via the Wasatch range, paralleling the Union Pacific the entire way. It's the best route, but it's flatter, which is why UP chose it.

The way I explain this is to downshift enough that you don't need to use your brakes at all. You're in the zone when you need to use a little bit of gas to keep the vehicle at desired speed. That keeps you safe.

Continue west on I-80 via the Wasatch range, paralleling the Union Pacific the entire way. It's the best route, and it's flatter, which is why UP chose it.

The way I explain this is to downshift enough that you don't need to use your brakes at all. You use a little bit of gas to keep the car moving. That keeps you safe.

The way I explain this is to downshift enough that you don't need to use your brakes at all. Just use a little bit of gas to keep the car moving. That keeps you safe.