down shifting ?

If the stop was sort of unexpected like a light changed as you were about to go through it, you may not have time to down shift, meaning you have to do 1 of 2 things, mash the clutch and brake to a stop, then select your preferred gear, or take it out of gear then brake to a stop.

There are multiple stopping scenarios and each one is typically handled a bit differently, as per the situation and/or as per the driver's style or particular mood at that given moment.

 

In a panic stop ( 4-wheeler stopping for a light without checking what's behind him or the like) , I will gear down and brake till I can't, then just before the truck stops moving, flip it to low and catch first (or low).....
My 8LL HATES range shifts sitting still.....hard to sync gears that aren't turning

My .02

 

best to downshift if you have time. for a sudden stop brake and clutch or brake and nutral. then find the gear you need

 

When you're stopped you can put it in any gear you want as long as you're on the clutch. You just can't take off from too high a gear. I drive a 9LL (aka 13 under) and when I'm empty I start off by splitting 4th.

 

Automatic trucks are this way, even if I go into manual mode and downshift to 4th at a stop, it then shifts itself into 2nd and makes me pull an empty really slow when I'm trying to go left with oncoming traffic. Quite the retarded situation, and I question how this conserves fuel (well, pick your battles... I'd have to go with a higher paying job in an automagic truck, that pulls the rug out from under me, and let it "win", slowing everyone else down too).

I don't know, it's trial and error and I've only driven them a few times (without an owner's manual), mainly trying not to roll backwards without a clutch to load, so maybe if I switch into the low setting it will let me start in a higher gear, that would be ironic, if I get stuck in one again (not sure if that's equivalent to low range, might just be, not that there's a high range per se). The key to any transmission is not stopping until you bump a dock...

 

I do it that way i kinda annoys the liven heck out of the instructors though, as for the truck i don`t think it hurts it none.

 

It depends in the scenario, but under normal circumstances, I downshift, but not every gear, it's overkill in my book. I will typically skip shift down (2 or 3 gears at a time), until I'm down to 5th or 4th gear.

 

All depends on how fast you need to slow down or stop. I use my left foot on the brake, right foot on the gas and downshift using the jakes to slow the truck down. I can go from 10th to 6th in a matter of seconds and save my brakes a whole bunch. That brings be down to 10 mph. If you know your truck like you should, then you will know what gear to go into if you don't have to come to a complete stop. And shifting to low gear while stopped does not hurt anything. If it will not go into gear, ease up on the clutch pedal a little so the input shaft turns a little and lines the gears up so you can shift it.