Tips for double clutching?

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by operatorIsaac, Mar 4, 2013.

  1. HotH2o

    HotH2o Road Train Member

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    My advice for double clutching is to no do it. Learn to float gears. Its much easier!! Only time I use the clutch is at a red light or a stop sign.
     
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  3. g22mac

    g22mac Light Load Member

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    Nov 11, 2009
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    but i read someplace that you have to double on your test.
     
  4. moloko

    moloko Road Train Member

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    depends on what state you take your cdl test in.
     
  5. golfer2122

    golfer2122 Bobtail Member

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    Bradenton, FL
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    Best way I got through it was to think of it as "speed-shifting" TWO gears... Shift.. Neutral/Shift.. Gear... Seems to work for most I have given this advice to..
     
  6. chompi

    chompi Road Train Member

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    Deland, FL
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    You'll be fine! Its just going to take some practicing. You will need to double clutch while you are in school and training but once you are out on your own you can skip the whole clutch thing entirely! Floating is much, much more easier! You can actually practice floating in your car too. Its all about timing.

    Double clutching is also all about timing and rhythm. You let the clutch out, speed up and run your rpm's up. Keep in mind that its easier to shift if you don't wind out the rpm's. The sooner you shift the easier it will be. Once you are ready to go to the next gear you push the clutch in, take the truck out of gear and go to neutral then push then wait a brief second, push the clutch in and then drop into the next gear letting the clutch out. Kind of the same when downshifting except when you take the truck out of gear and go to neutral before putting into the next lower gear you will need to rev up the rpm's, wait a brief second then downshift to the next lower gear.

    When shifting through your gears forget about staring at your rpm's on the dash. You want to shift by sound. Listen to what the truck sounds like when it is winding out. Don't wind out too much, you want to shift just soon enough to not let the truck bog down. This will make things a lot easier on you.

    Like I said, its just going to take some practicing. Try not to get worked up and be nervous, just relax and pay attention to what you are doing.
     
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  7. Pumpkin Oval Head

    Pumpkin Oval Head Road Train Member

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    I would say yes, but the car synchros actually work.....double shifting a truck does not line up the gears to shift any better than not using the clutch at all. In order to shift truck gears, they have to be matched up to the engine speed whether you use the clutch or not. So even if you do double clutch, if the two are not matched up you will not be able to shift into the gear. Where as in a car, the synchros allow you to shift into gear pretty much all the time...... not so with a truck. I had times where I could shift gears easier without using the clutch than with using the clutch, because I had the gears matched up better to engine speed, particularly with the lower gears.
     
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  8. Pumpkin Oval Head

    Pumpkin Oval Head Road Train Member

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    The main advantage you have with your manual shift experience is that you know how a clutch works!!!! That is not the case with all cdl driving students. You also know what Double Clutching is.....again, not all cdl students know how to double clutch. When I was a student, I had a classmate that would clutch, clutch again, and then shift....so I told him how to do a double clutch. You also know that you cannot use the brake to stop without putting in the clutch....again, I had a classmate that did not know that and ripped a universal joint out while stopping the tractor.....a brand new universal joint!!!!

    So your learning curve for learning how to shift a truck will not be as long as those without clutch experience. The biggest difference is the lack of synchonizers in the transmission....truck trannies will not shift without being matched up to engine speed, period. Whether you clutch once, twice or ten times does not matter. Your ground speed determines your trannie speed and your engine rpms determine your engine speed.

    You need to learn double clutching as most state examiners require that to pass the driving test. After I passed my driving test and started working driving a tanker, I unlearned double clutching and went back to single clutching, and after about 15,000 miles of driving I taught myself how to shift without using the clutch, or "floating" the gears. When I was driving on the interstates there were not many opportunities for shifting, so I did not get a lot of practice doing that type of driving.

    But when I went to local hauling for a Co-op I got all kinds of shifting experience pulling a grain hopper bottom at 80,000 lbs all the time with a 10 speed and a little Cat C-13 engine. The C-13 is a 13 liter engine. It would take a mile or two to get up to 55 mph. Over the road trucks use the C-15 or 15 liter engine. It was city/rural driving and shifting constantly and many of the routes were the same, so you could practice using different gears on turns and stops. With that experience, the only time I would use the clutch was when stopped or starting. At stop signs with no traffic, I would crawl through it in 1st or 2nd gear, and upshift during the turn (not allowed by your DOT examiner). Using the clutch was an extra and unneeded motion for my left leg.

    Also, for new drivers, do not shift when using the jake brake, as it throws off your timing really bad, as the engine rpms drop twice as fast as normal and you will miss your gear!!! I would turn my jake on and off as needed between shifts when slowing down on off-ramps off the interstate. You can teach that to yourself after you have 15,000 miles experience.
     
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  9. operatorIsaac

    operatorIsaac Bobtail Member

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    Mar 2, 2013
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    Thanks a lot for the advice everyone. I've been doing a lot of research, like a lot of the new guys here - and I just want to have a grasp of some of the things I'll need to learn before I get down there. The tips in this thread have been a great help, and I dig the encouragement. My paperwork is being run now, so hopefully I'll be off to orientation in April. I haven't been this nervous / excited about a career move in long time. I know it's going to take a lot of hard work, but I plan on going down there with open ears and nothing but willingness to learn.
     
  10. frog2011

    frog2011 Light Load Member

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    Oct 14, 2012
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    when i was learning to double clutch my trainer told me to think of the addams family theme song. da da da duh *snap snap* (thats when they snap their fingers if ya didnt catch that) well anywhos it when they are supposed to snap their fingers in the song substitute that with the clutch ex. da da da duh * clutch clutch* and as you are clutching your arm is also moving simultaneously so 1st clutch is gear out to nuetral 2nd clutch is gear in to whatever gear you need to be in. Probably kinda cheesy but it worked like a charm for me cause im just that goofy and its catchy and sticks lol
     
  11. operatorIsaac

    operatorIsaac Bobtail Member

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    Mar 2, 2013
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    LOL :biggrin_25523:
     
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