I had an auto today. I was ■■■■■■■ about with it, trying to see what worked best. I got a lot more wheel spin in auto than in manual, and i used manual when slowing down on hills (on back roads that dont get gritted). From what i can gather today, manual is the better option.
Just dont do what i did and coast up to the toll booth at Dartford in manual, wait for dart tag to kick in while still rolling, then try and pull off in 12th, the lorry doesn’t like it 
Suedehead:
Suprised there hasnt been any comments from the old timers . . .
“Snowed in for 3 weeks on Shap” blah blah
no internet there and they dont realize it had thawed probably next time they look out the window it will be thick snow again just think of the overtime and night out payments 
just browsing the drivers manual for the MAN wagon and drag (auto)that im using…it says the automatic exhaust brake should be switched OFF in ice/snow or slippery conditions.
last year i was driving an actros unit in the RAIN…not ice or snow and the exhaust brake would lock the rear wheels if i was not careful!!!
ex brakes ONLY SLOW THE DRIVE WHEELS…jacknifes occur when you loose traction on the drive wheels and the trailer keeps pushing?..foorbrake slows ALL wheels so is less likely to cause jacknifing?
Snow curtains are the best answer. If you look outa the window and it is all snowy pull them closed and go back to bed
When all else fails use your snow curtains, best way to avoid an accident that I know, If you aint movin’ you aint crashin’. 
C-Kay:
So, use the exhaust brake, but keep it switched off all the time, and use the diff lock when you’re moving, but only if you’re stationary.Got it
clear as mud eh?
the problem with switching the diff lock on while moving is that if one of your drive wheels is spinning it can cause severe damage, if you’ve got a good feel for your truck you’ll know whether or not that’s the case, it’s perfectly safe to switch it on while moving but in this day and age we’re not trusted to use our judgement as proffesionals so many drivers will have been told not to use it while moving.
doing farm work gives you plenty of opportunity to practice on the slippy stuff (mud) before dealing with the white stuff!
Yeah, i think that last bit will do me some favours.
Had my first go in the snow today, even if it was only a light dusting. Didn’t seem too bad really. I’m off work tomorrow and friday, when it’s supposed to be heavier, so i’ll probably get the slush/frozen snow on saturday. Joy!
i got to my first farm to find the yard was pretty much all ice, and trying to blind side reverse between 2 barns, with the entire tractor unit sliding when i had the wheels turned wasn’t fun
No you will not here any of that stuff from the old timers we just got on with when I was younger winter came once ayear just like it does now
fuse:
No you will not here any of that stuff from the old timers we just got on with when I was younger winter came once ayear just like it does now
not quite, we used to have real winters! and most cars were rear wheel drive, we didn’t have abs never mind ebs!
it all depends on you being very smooth, we said that earlier, if you want to learn not to make sudden movements and learn to relax, try riding a motorbike through a snowdrift
Fastrantiger:
Never use your exhaust brake/retarder in slippery conditions, it’s the worse thing you can possibly do.Tiger.
Haven’t we been here before? This past few days has been pure winter. Some snow, freezing rain down through Kansas, compacted snow everywhere north of Oklahoma…
The only time I have shut the jake off is in towns where you are not allowed to use them. And I am running capped and light. 5 tonnes in a 53’ box. I have not needed the diff lock and am back in one piece, although the freezing rain did call for some snowbank braking in a rest area simply because it was a sheet of ice and nothing would have stopped it other than that.
As I said yesterday,jakes/exhaust are ok to use on snow,compacted or otherwise but not on ice.Feel free to try using them at other times,have fun.
Bob,you need to come back to Gods country,temps are back up to above average,sun has come back,and no white stuff forecast for the next week(unless you live near Portage/The Peg.T’is like a spring day.
I do live near the Peg so normal is non existant…lol Got home weds evening then out to Calgary again tomorrow…
I use the jake on ice too. I was taught that up north… You just have to be careful is all.
