Haul-Road Total Resistance and Required Rimpull
The resistance a loaded hauler fights and the rimpull to climb it: total resistance = grade + rolling resistance; rimpull = total x GVW (20 lb/ton per 1%). A 150,000 lb hauler on a 5% grade over a 4% rolling-resistance road fights 9% and needs 13,500 lb of rimpull (180 lb/ton). Downhill the resistance goes negative and the operator is on the retarder. Grading the road down cuts rolling resistance - the cheapest horsepower there is.
Formula and source
total_resistance_pct = grade_pct + rolling_resistance_pct; required_rimpull_lb = total_resistance_pct / 100 x gvw_lb; rimpull_per_ton_lb = 20 x total_resistance_pct.
Haul-road resistance identity by name (total = grade + rolling; rimpull = total x GVW; 20 lb/ton per 1%); first-principles tractive-effort statics.
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