Gravel Dust

[Dracula]

Not on my current route, lol. Still wouldn’t go that fast on gravel . It’s just me I guess.

The only time I wouldn’t do 50-55 on gravel was just after it had been graded. It was soft and spongy until some tracks got worn into it. Your truck had a tendency to drift, slightly. It was unsettling, to say the least.

 

[Mycow]

20 mph tops on most of the dirt roads. When ever you go from pavement to dirt there's a city sign not maintained by city

 

[rod]

Although those masks worked well, they were hot as hell in the summer. If that route had paved roads, I probably wouldn’t have gone to feeders. I could’ve retired on that route.

I have to laugh at that. I bet 95 % of the old dirt/gravel roads I used to have to suffer through daily have all been paved now. There was nothing like pounding down miles and miles of dusty washboard roads a day to get you in the mood for a cold one or two or 3... after work.

 

[rod]

What a bunch of replies. This is a serious question and deserves a serious reply. Yes gravel road dust can lead to lung cancer. Protect your self and wear a dusk mask. everyone that looks at you strange for covering your mouth and nose!

How the hell would I have been able to smoke a cigarette flying down a gravel road with a mask on?

 

[clean hairy]

Could the dust do damage to the eyes?
Anyone ever have excessive eye irritation from it that seems not as bad when on vacation, for example?

 

[Dracula]

I have to laugh at that. I bet 95 % of the old dirt/gravel roads I used to have to suffer through daily have all been paved now. There was nothing like pounding down miles and miles of dusty washboard roads a day to get you in the mood for a cold one or two or 3... after work.

This was the second wealthiest county in the state and they all complained about those crappy roads. But, boy they would raise Cain if anyone talked about their taxes!

Can’t have it both ways.

 

[Dracula]

There was nothing like pounding down miles and miles of dusty washboard roads a day to get you in the mood for a cold one or two or 3... after work.

My route was in a real hilly area. It was always the worst coming down a hill towards a stop sign. BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! If I didn’t hold my cup down, it would bounce out the cup holder and spill all over the cab.

The absolute worst!

 

[Wally]

Are there any long term health concerns from breathing it in. My truck looks like a smoke bomb went off in the back everyday.

If you look at rock dust under a microscope, you will notice a rough jagged appearance. This is what can cause problems as this material is harder for the lungs to clear. I cringe when I see guys cutting cement block with zero breathing protection.

A dust mask might not be bad to use on those long dusty roads if you are really worried about it.

 

[rod]

I was blasting down a LONG farm driveway in an old P400 doing about 50 mph years ago when I hit some washboard. Next thing I know I'm all most sideways in the road hanging onto the steering wheel halfway out the door (this was the days before the trucks had seatbelts). I still don't know how I managed to not roll that truck, fall out or BOTH. After that I slowed down in that driveway (for awhile)

 

[clarnzz]

Just remember if you wreck above the speed limit, particularly a wreck with injuries, you’re done here.

Yes, I’ve been there 25 years and know they will look for anything to put it on you. I imagine if you had a serious accident even going 56 in a 55 you would be fighting for your job. Those guys who do 70 gravel are nuts, one of them is circle of honor.

Recently they showed us a video of the safety guy doing an observation on a Circle of Honor driver about 2 hours away. He was nosing into resi driveways, backing out in neutral to avoid back firsts and had his seatbelt attached behind him the entire time.

 

[Brownslave688]

Really? They have never told us to drive slow on gravel and the speed limit is 55. Some guys in our center run 70 mph all day.

I’ve never seen a gravel road over 35. I used to run 50 on gravel and that was entirely too fast. If anything happens that you need to slow down for you don’t stand a chance.

 

[Dracula]

Yes, I’ve been there 25 years and know they will look for anything to put it on you. I imagine if you had a serious accident even going 56 in a 55 you would be fighting for your job. Those guys who do 70 gravel are nuts, one of them is circle of honor.

Recently they showed us a video of the safety guy doing an observation on a Circle of Honor driver about 2 hours away. He was nosing into resi driveways, backing out in neutral to avoid back firsts and had his seatbelt attached behind him the entire time.

That’s why we refer to the Circle of Honor, The Liars Club.

 

[Brownslave688]

You don’t get out of city much, do you?

We run under 20 routes some days. It’s almost all rural. There’s ZERO chance I’m ever doing 50 on gravel. There are some routes with roads so bad if you go over 25 you’re just beating yourself to hell and likely dumping half of your load

 

[Brownslave688]

My route was in a real hilly area. It was always the worst coming down a hill towards a stop sign. BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! If I didn’t hold my cup down, it would bounce out the cup holder and spill all over the cab.

The absolute worst!

Lmao. Than you were driving way too fast

 

[Dracula]

I’ve never seen a gravel road over 35. I used to run 50 on gravel and that was entirely too fast. If anything happens that you need to slow down for you don’t stand a chance.

Most of mine were long and straight. A lot of hills, but I knew which hills had intersections and entrances to properties, so I never got caught off guard by other vehicles. Nothing but farms and big, big houses on big plots of land.

I always kept it under the speed limit, because whenever someone wrecked out there, gravel or asphalt, it usually involved serious injuries or fatalities.

When I first got on that route, the paved roads were the scariest part. Most of the time, the speed limit on those were 65 MPH. Like said earlier, this was a pretty wealthy area. Most of the homes were well off the road, if you could see them at all. All I had to go on were the numbers on the mailboxes.

And the paved roads were always busier than the gravel ones. So I’m going about 50-55MPH, trying to see small numbers on a mailbox. And out in the sticks, the addresses never seemed to run in any logical order. 9900, 9910, 9970, 9972...crap like that.

So until I gained some area knowledge, it was super stressful trying to find an address at 50 MPH, while a line of cars were on my bumper, trying to get around me.

Those first few weeks, I’d either pull into the wrong driveway, pass the right one and have to drive a few miles down the road to turn around, or get lucky and guess right. I don’t think my brain ever worked harder, trying to memorize mailboxes and landmarks.

Great route, though, once I got my bearings. Those country folks were just a lot more easy going and friendly than us city folks.

But that gravel was a dealbreaker for me.

 

[Brownslave688]

Most of mine were long and straight. A lot of hills, but I knew which hills had intersections and entrances to properties, so I never got caught off guard by other vehicles. Nothing but farms and big, big houses on big plots of land.

I always kept it under the speed limit, because whenever someone wrecked out there, gravel or asphalt, it usually involved serious injuries or fatalities.

When I first got on that route, the paved roads were the scariest part. Most of the time, the speed limit on those were 65 MPH. Like said earlier, this was a pretty wealthy area. Most of the homes were well off the road, if you could see them at all. All I had to go on were the numbers on the mailboxes.

And the paved roads were always busier than the gravel ones. So I’m going about 50-55MPH, trying to see small numbers on a mailbox. And out in the sticks, the addresses never seemed to run in any logical order. 9900, 9910, 9970, 9972...crap like that.

So until I gained some area knowledge, it was super stressful trying to find an address at 50 MPH, while a line of cars were on my bumper, trying to get around me.

Those first few weeks, I’d either pull into the wrong driveway, pass the right one and have to drive a few miles down the road to turn around, or get lucky and guess right. I don’t think my brain ever worked harder, trying to memorize mailboxes and landmarks.

Great route, though, once I got my bearings. Those country folks were just a lot more easy going and friendly than us city folks.

But that gravel was a dealbreaker for me.

I had a route for 2 years. All flat farm land county roads all straight as can be perfect grid system. Speed limit was 35 so I drove 30-35. States with 55 mph gravel are crazy

 

[clarnzz]

I’ve never seen a gravel road over 35. I used to run 50 on gravel and that was entirely too fast. If anything happens that you need to slow down for you don’t stand a chance.

It’s funny how different things can be other places. Gravel speed limit is 55 here and most everyone speeds around on them without even a question. When I was new I googled to see the speed limit on gravel hoping it was 35 something.

 

[Dracula]

Lmao. Than you were driving way too fast

Haha. These were in braking zones. I learned real quick to hold my cup down even going 20 mph.

 

[cosmo1]

Are there any long term health concerns from breathing it in. My truck looks like a smoke bomb went off in the back everyday.

You need to get a rural route in Amish country.

The gravel they use (limestone around here) gets ground to powder from the horseshoes and steel wheels. Now, that’s dust.

 

[Midwestcyclist]

How the hell would I have been able to smoke a cigarette flying down a gravel road with a mask on?

Have your cig when you pull over and piss out of the passenger side door