DIFFICULT DRIVING

[Music] I want you men to watch some driving operations that you'll have to know if you get into a situation where the wheels are slipping and spinning any passengers should dismount immediately and push the vehicle [Music] there are enough men or other means available to pull the vehicle out of trouble do not attempt further forward or backward motion but use the pick mattock and shovel to clear away the dirt at the rear of the wheels prompt use of your Pioneer tools will often save you a lot of trouble when the wheels have been sufficiently cleared back up and select a new route if the mud was not too soft he could have used a matting or brush to increase his traction and prevent sinking in in crossing rough terrain or traversing country where the ground is not fully visible to the driver the leading vehicle of each column should always follow a man on foot who will pick a path to follow the duties of the guide are to remove obstacles if possible from the path of the vehicle which may be invisible to the driver on account of the high grass or brush the guide must also be on the lookout for deep holes or hidden [ __ ] narrow ditches such as this may be cost if the driver makes a no black approach first one front wheel than the other and each of the rear wheels in the same manner by using this method the driver is less likely to stall the shoulders of wide deep ditches should be broken down so that in passing over them the undercarriage of a vehicle will not be damaged the ditch should be approached squirrely and the descent should be made slowly and after reaching the bottom the engine should be accelerated in sufficient time to climb the opposite bank in approaching a mud hole which has been used recently the driver is justified in selecting a fairly high gear by accelerating on the approach to the mud hole the driver increases the momentum of the vehicle and can negotiate the shallow obstacle without danger of stalling this is the same technique to use in climbing short grave when you can see that a road has not been used recently you should approach all holes or obstacles with caution and in case of any doubt someone should investigate you must remember if these precautions are not taken disaster may result for the careless driver on any ground which is running deeply it is important for the driver to remember that he must keep the steering wheel at the straight ahead position if the front wheels are at an angle they will rub against the sides of the rut greatly increasing the effort necessary to progress [Music] the cumference of the steering wheel may be marked to indicate the location of the straight-ahead position of the front wheel motor vehicle drivers will at all times avoid driving and deep ruts if the vehicle is driven in deep ruts it has been in danger of hanging up on an axle in crossing boggy ground it is generally best not to follow in the tracks of other vehicles a heavy vehicle passing over boggy ground will probably break through the turf crust making it even less substantial footing for vehicles which follow in the same track [Music] wet or icy roads present a constant threat of skidding the driver must emphatically not turn the front wheels in the direction away from the skid a skip as seen in slow motion if the skid is unavoidable they must turn the wheel in the direction of the skid slowly decelerating the engine and he must refrain from using his brakes the expert driver realizes that skids may be decreased or avoided by slow careful driving when going up a steep slope vehicles should keep a safe distance apart if there is any danger of slipping back men should follow the truck with blocks ready to slip them back of the rear wheels in case the vehicle stalls and when approaching a long steady slope the driver must select the gear ratio most apt to pull him over the hill without forcing the engine to labor or run the risk of stalling the engine should not be raced it should be kept at or above the point of maximum torque [Music] if for any reason it is necessary to stop on a hill apply the foot and hand brake then shift to the correct gear for the climb use the hand throttle to increase the speed of the engine to a point where it is able to pick up the load without stalling do not release the brakes until the clutch is engaged enough to prevent the vehicle from moving backward as the engine picks up the load return the hand throttle to its normal position when coming down a hill the driver should select the same gear ratio that was proper for going up in this manner he can utilize the compression of the engine as a brake and apply his wheel brakes only intermittently as needed the driver of a vehicle with or without a towed load must be able to negotiate a hairpin turn with reasonable ease in approaching a hairpin turn on a one-way road the driver must swing his vehicle in his wide and arc as safety permits at this point in making the left-hand hairpin turn the driver cuts his wheels sharply to the right just before stopping as a result he is now able to back into a position from which to complete the turn with his wheels headed in the right direction in this situation the driver has taken full advantage of the available road area despite the long wheelbase of his vehicle however in the event of a toad load the driver swings his vehicle in as wide an arc as possible taking care to leave sufficient space on the right to provide room to maneuver before reaching the end of the left-hand turn he then turns his wheels to the right and then gives them a sharp left twist in such a manner as to place the towing vehicle in the proper situation to back the towed vehicle into the final position before successfully moving ahead and completing the turn if the turn is too shocked it may be necessary to drop the toad load and manhandle it into position never swing unless traffic personnel are present to prevent accidents on a two-way road when it becomes necessary to back a to Axl told load the driver should use extreme caution as this is possibly one of the most difficult operations confronting the military driver when possible the driver should have an assistant stationed at the side of the road to guide him with hand signals if the load jackknifes there is only one course open to the driver he must immediately stop backing and go forward until the towed load has again straightened out in line behind the towing vehicle he then repeats the effort to back as often as necessary [Music] many accidents are caused and many trucks are turned over by soft shoulders and it requires considerable skill and strength on the part of the driver to get out of them when towing a vehicle with anything flexible keep the line tight use braking when necessary to avoid slack in the chain or cable if a truck is disabled and it's necessary to tow at some distance a tow bar should be used this can be done by first hooking it to the front axle and then locking the other end in the pimple [Applause] now I want to show you men how to handle your truck under other difficult conditions the experienced driver should select a location for a stream crossing where the banks are not too steep where the water is not too deep where the bottom is firm enough to support the weight of the truck and at a point where there are trees or large boulders on the opposite bank which can be used as anchors for the winch [Applause] the first thing a driver must do to prepare his vehicle for the crossing when the water will reach the fan is to loosen the fan belt so that the fan will not revolve to ease the fan belt you loosen the nut on the brackets supporting the generator and move the generator upward and inward a few inches before retightening the nut this will give the fan belt ample slack next you approach the crossing and low-gear by taking the crossing slowly and easily you not only reduce the strain on the vehicle but also reduce the height and volume of the water splash which might otherwise flood the engine and cause a short circuit it is also a wise precaution while passing through water to maintain a slight tension on the brakes to keep the water from saturating the brake lining [Music] after successfully crossing the stream stop and tighten the fan belt naturally as soon as possible after a stream crossing you will completely inspect and service the vehicle securing the help of a mechanic if necessary axles transmission and transfer cases and even the engine might contain water which should be removed at the first opportunity after again starting up you will likely and intermittently apply the brakes while running until they are dried out and again effective [Music]