Ten Toughest Roads in India for Truck Driving
Published On Apr 25, 2017
Driving needs a lot of patience and when it comes to truck driving, it demands some extra forbearance. Further, if we talk about Indian road conditions, things get more stringent and truckers need to be really careful while on the driving seat as it could be a litmus test for the most experienced driver. So here we have briefly pointed out the toughest roads in India for truck driving:
1. National Highway 22
The National Highway 22 is a long stretch of thoroughfare that runs from Ambala through Chandigarh and the Himachal Pradesh till Khab located at India-Tibet border. It would not be inappropriate to call this as “highway to hell” as this is one of the most perilous highways of the country in the form of high haunted cliffs, dangerous twists as well as hazardous road condition due to poor maintenance. This can be seen in the fact that it featured in the History Channel TV series “IRT Deadliest Roads”.
2. Nathu La Pass
It runs from eastern Gangtok stretching 54kms and extending 430 kms to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Said to be one of the highest motorable roads in the world, Nathu La Pass is the only route that connects Sikkim to China. The pass is located at an altitude of 4310 meters above the sea level and due to landslides in monsoon months, heavy snowfall in winters and top of it, lack of proper infrastructure and water supply makes it one of the challenging roads for the truckers.
3. Leh Manali Highway
As the name suggests, the dirt gravel road runs between Leh in Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir and Manali in Himachal Pradesh. The driving on this road attracts a lot of dangers. One can reckon its riskiness as it is usually open for only about four and a half months in a year. The scenic locations does enthrals the passengers, but uncertain weather, patchy roads , landslides and traffic jams makes the journey exceedingly difficult for the truck drivers.
4. Chang La
The route lies in Ladakh region en route to Pangong Lake in Leh. The pass is claimed to be the second highest motorable road in the world. The 134 km long route remains covered in snow throughout the year and due to its steep location at the elevation of 5340 meters, nausea and breathlessness is a common phenomenon. Due to extreme weather conditions, one need to take extra warm clothes along with a medical kit before making out a journey on this road.
5. Munnar Road
The 130 km narrow zig-zag road starts from Kochi. Though the road is smooth and is a major trucking route owing to numerous tea estates in the region, it is curvy, twisty with narrow passages and blind at some places. The road to Munnar has some breath-taking views especially in the early morning but one would also experience reckless driving on this route.
6. Kinnaur Road
This is one of the most challenging routes for heavy vehicles. The scenic cliff hanging road extends through the Baspa river in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. The road is carved out of hard precipice and the thing that scares the most is the blind turns that make the road collision on this route a regular incident. At some points the road becomes extremely narrow. Wobbly suspension bridges and crisscrossing rivers would certainly test the patience of drivers. Especially, at the ill-famed Taranda ‘dhank’ one need to be extra careful. So drivers, especially the truckers need to be super confident with extra vigor before moving on to this road.
7. Mumbai-Pune Expressway
The 94.5 km expressway is country’s first six-lane, high speed concrete superhighway connecting the financial city of India, Mumbai, and educational and industrial hub, Pune. It is also one of the busiest roads in India connecting cities like Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Hubli and Bangalore to Mumbai enabling cargo transport to these areas. Due to its super smoothness and occupation all throughout the year, the road is accident prone due to reckless driving. Other causes like landslides, heavy rainfall and frequent robberies make the route more troublesome.
8.Zoji La Pass
Just a tiny mistake could land you straight down from an altitude of 3,538 meters. Connecting Ladakh to Kashmir, Zoji La Pass is one of the fearsome roads of the country that is dreadfully narrow, covered with snow and with constricted rocky slopes. The mountainous route is frequented by truckers and oil tankers and is often closed in winters. The zone also experience high winds and excessive snowfall, so it is needless to say that it demands persistent driving attention.
9. Rohtang Pass
Located at the elevation of 3,979 meters above the sea level, Rohtang Pass is 53 kms from Manali and connects the Kullu Valley and the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys in Himachal Pradesh. The road is frequently traversed by truck drivers for transporting construction materials and daily essential needs of the people living there. Though it is known for its scenic beauty and holds strategic importance for India, the route requires strong nerves to face challenges such as deadly landslides, dangerous bends and curves and slushy roads.
10. Kotdwar - Dehradun bypass:
Kotdwar is one of the most important commercial hubs of Uttarakhand state and this route is located at the foothills of the Shivalik range. Due to its significant commercial nature, the track requires truck drivers to transport goods in the region. Also the tourists rely on this route so it is highly recommended to carefully steer the vehicle on the dangerous bends one will face on this road.