Guys, I need a little advice

Are you required to double clutch or floating gears?

 

I went through this with one of my cdl instructors with downshifting. I had one instructor who I had success with who coached, offered advice and talked me through the technique for the topographical obstacle I encountered with the truck. The main instructor, and owner of the school, not so good. I eventually told the main instructor that I am paying you to teach me not for me to figure it out by myself. Trial and error can be a good teaching aid but it should not be the primary technique. Unfortunately in my case I wound up switching schools. I was glad I did.

 

Just ask him to talk you through it, I went through my community College and got the World Best instructor, I asked him to talk me through down shifting coming to a light and he did, To this day I hear "Rich" talking me through it! I'm not perfect yet after all these miles, but I'm learning from him still! Learning to Double Clutch is a needed item but floating is a good thing as well, Not to send this thread off in another direction!. Good Luck soak it all in, even if it isn't in the type of learning that you wish it to be, Then when you get out on the road you can learn it the way you want to. Take Care!

 

I know when I had to double clutch downshift, I had a fellow forum member/trainer at the company i work for, tell me to say "left, right, Left" out loud, as your clutch out of gear, rev up, clutch into gear. it really does help if you say it out loud, and do it just like a rythm. I tried saying it in my head, wouldnt work, so i just said to everyone in the truck, alright guys, prepare for me to talk to my self. Said it out loud, BAM, just like its nothing. As for turning, I think during school they expect you do downshift all the way to third before the turn, and never shift while turning. But now that Im on my own, I always downshift to 5th (im in a 13 speed), slow down till it starts to bog, put it in nuetral, slow down a little more, then right before you start to turn, or as your turing, im usually able to throw it in 3rd loaded, or 4th empty, as im already at the right speed. I never down shift past 5th unless I have to. usually 5th in a 13 speed is pretty slow, around 20-25. then if you keep it in gear till it bogs down. around 10-15. pop it in nuetral, then as you are coming to a stop, it slides right in 2nd for easy take off. Hope this helps, sorry I dont know much about a 10 speed. But really try saying, left, right, left out loud. just remember, clutch, rev, clutch.

 

One common mistake I've seen new drivers make over the years when downshifting, is to try to make the shift before it is time. What I mean by this, is that they might get in a hurry to make the shift, with the rpms too high, and then get frustrated that the next gear is not "there". So make sure you wait for the rpms to get down to, oh, say 1100 - 1300 so that you're not reaching for a gear that's up at 2000 rpm or even higher. Take note of roughly what rpms you are at when you clutch it into neutral, then bring them up 500 rpm (with a 10 speed, I think that's the split, but you should know exactly, if not, ask), clutch in, and it should slip in pretty easy. Now, while you are concentrating on all this, don't forget to keep watching traffic, mirrors, lights, and everything else you need to be aware of. It's too easy to get stuck watching the tach, and forget to steer. I've seen this, don't laugh. With time it all falls into place, but hopefully this might help you a bit.

 

Caution, talk to potential employers about the short trailers. They may not hire if you don't have 53' experience. I have heard similar issues about day cabs. The employers want you to be trained in sleepers.

 

Well.. people learn differently.. so, for some, they do better by figuring it out for themselves then they do by someone explaining it over and over.. I am just pointing that out..
The school I went to taught us a little about shifting while we were still in the big big mot... But, we were only going through a few gears... But, it gave us a chance to get use to the double clutching and the shifter... Then they took us out on the road.. the instructor drove us to an industrial are with little traffic and there we got to drive around and shift up and down a few gears.. then from there they expanded the area we drove depending on how well we were doing... Not, everyone learned at the same pace.. but, they did work with each of us..
I caught on pretty quickly along with another guy.. while two others struggled.. so, then they put us in two different groups in two trucks..

Now, this where the real shifting training took place.. we would be driving around and the instructor would take it pout of gear.. just put it in neural.. and we had to put it back into gear.. however.. it isn't as simple as that.. cause he would do it at time line when we were going up or down a slight incline.. so we learned bow to look at our instrument panel to figure out what gear..
When he first started doing It.. I thought he was being an ###.. so, finally I asked him why he was doing that.. and he explained that when you are shifting on a steeper Incline.. you can pick up or lose speed quickly..and you have to be able to get it in gear quickly for safety and control.. so I had to developed the instinct to look at my speed and rpms and know what gear to put it in and how... Did I need to rev or let it come down...

The thing is.. you can't learn it all at once.. you have to crawl, then walk, then run..