shifting
 

I just have a few questions on shifting. I am familiar with 10 speeds and have driven them to a very limited degree when I had a class B permit.

my question is about coming to a stop. lets say you're cruising down the road in 6th gear and have a red light or stop sign ahead and i need to stop. Do I shift down from 6th to 5th to 4th... etc. till i'm down to first gear then stop? Or do I just brake then put it into first gear when i'm fully stopped?

what about turning? if i'm coming up to a turn and i'm cruising along in 6th, do I shift down or just brake till i'm at a speed slow enough to make the turn, make the turn, then shift into the appropriate gear (like maybe 3rd)?

I know i'll learn all this in school, but i'm just trying to figure it out in my head

thanks


8)

I usually only shift down once or at the most twice. I NEVER shift below 6th unless im making a turn, i usually make them in 4th or 5th

When coming to a stop you should shift as low as you safely can, but do not become so engrossed in downshifting that you end up having to stop out of gear, run the stop light/sign or hit something.

As far as turning goes the highest gear you should ever be in is the lowest gear on the high side, but the highest gear on the low side is even better, and this goes for 9,10,13, 18 speed transmissions.

so if i can safely shift down to 6th gear do i come to a complete stop while in 6th gear and then once completely stopped shift to first?

Yes, you can run to a complete stop, then drop her back into low. For stop signs this works great. For stop lights, I like to play the gears a bit lower... take them down as I need to to match road speed, that way if the light goes green I'm good to go. Usually never have to drop below about 4th doing that.

RaiderNation
 

"I'm just trying to figure it out in my head." Don't! Don't try to "figure out" anything anywhere before you get to training. The instructors at the school will have their way of teaching you so you can pass your road test for either an examiner or a check ride at an employer.
Anything you think you'll have "wired" before you get in training, more than likely you'll have to be untrained of to get rid of bad habits or perceptions of how to operate a truck.
Don't make your job of learning harder than it has to be. BOL

I was wondering about this very same topic a couple of days ago. Nice to know once I get a truck under my belt. Even nicer advice from sealord. Would hate to get this stuck in my head then fail my driving test.

***Most schools will want you to downshift.***

Once you're out on your own, you will most likely downshift when you can, and just use your service brakes most of the rest of the time when slowing for a turn/stop light.

Same as the theory on double clutching... most schools will want you to do it. Some companies will want you to demonstrate it on a test... when you get out there in your own truck, if you float, no one is going to tell you that's wrong.

when I took my CDL exam, the examiner wanted me to downshift all the way down to 4th, then come to a stop, then go from there.

they failed anybody who simply used the brakes to stop. makes sense to me, but then again, I don't really drive a truck on a regular basis.

When I took my test my examiner told me that she didnt care if I went under the cab and shifted from there, just get us safely down the road.
Use the clutch, dont use the clutch, she didnt care one bit.

Now hit a curb with any tire and the test was over.