Floating Gears

I found it much easier and smoother than double clutching. I picked it up relatively quick.

 

If done right it'd be less wear because you aren't slipping the clutch with each shift.

 

Much easier than doubling. I can't even remember how to double. lol

 

I thought up shifting was easier than downshiftin.

 

it took about a full 3 weeks to perfect, although if you grind gears more when you are floating then that will cause more wear. But it took about 3 weeks to get it just right to not grind gears

 

After about 10,000 to 20,000 miles I got to be pretty good at shifting. My boss wanted me to float gears, so I starting to single clutch shift instead of double clutching, and then I started to float the gears.

I started out driving an 18 spd, pulling smooth bore milk tankers....mostly interstate driving, so not much shifting.

Then I went to a local job with a co-op, driving a 10 spd with a cat c-13 motor pulling hopper bottoms on rural gravel and blacktop roads. Always at 80k weight. Always shifting up or down. Most trips were about 10 miles and could involve 100 shifts per trip, doing 3 or 4 trips a day. I would only use the clutch to get rolling. Did not clutch at stop signs, as 2nd gear was a slow roll through it. Traffic was always light. Always had the throttle to the floor, as the c13 was a little light on power. I still needed to use the clutch sometimes to get out of a gear.

Your number of shifts per mile are a lot less otr, maybe 10 per 100 miles on the interstate vs 100 shifts every 10 miles when city driving.

As far as wear on the tranny, it does not matter if you use the clutch or not, you can't change gears unless rpms match ground speed. You can and will grind the gears either way.

Clutch wear if floating gears will be less, but most of the wear comes from starting to move the loaded or empty truck.

 

This little bobtail I drive is a ten-speed, and all I do is float the gears. Hell, I don't have a clue how to double-clutch. Never done it.

 

Well your Scranton based, you wouldn't happen to have been driving big red Pete's when you did milk? For Bowman...

 

When I was taught to drive was told clutch was for taking off and backing up that's it have never doubled ever way easier on Trans and clutch In my opinion