Most Important Questions From New Drivers Threads

Thanks rollover, I'll take a look at this site also!!

 

well put

 

I want to work for Swift. I have read the good, the bad and the ugly, but its not just Swift that gets the spotlight, it is many others. When the recruiter, a lady out of Memphis, set me up for orientation, she expressed concern about my changing gears. I am not good at downshifting, God only knows why. I was trained on a Pete and Swifts trucks are Freightliners and Volvo. When I go for my road test, after orientation, I am not concerned what so ever about doing the 10 gears. I can. But, on the road test, is there alot of downshifting and would that disqualify if I'm a little rusty? I really need some advice. I figure if I'm a good driver, spotless record, can't the mentor help me brush up on down shifting? Or should I go take a refresher course? Any advice from someone experienced would be most appreciated. My school only took me out for one 50 mile trip, downshifting , on my own.

 

You'll probably pick it up pretty quick, it's not hard. Just remember where the top speed of each gear is when you upshift. That's where you'll be downshifting. All you gotta do is rev it up and slide it in.

The harder thing to get used to on a volvo is where some moron decided to offset the brake and throttle like a car. You can't brake and downshift. It's one or the other (real safe, right?) You can't even get your other foot across to hit the brake since they also moved the steering column back towards the seat base. That and the teeny tiny teeth on the gears so it never feels like it's all the way in gear. Stupid engineers piss me off.

 

You probably won't have to take a road test until you get back with your trainer so you'll get plenty of practice.

 

Lakota! I see you're from Hiawssee! I was married in to a girl there back in the 80's but actually lived in Young Harris! Good to see someone from the old "hood" here!

Good luck!
Rollover

 

######... i shoulda found this thread earlier, but am certainly glad i found it

 

Road tests are required when hired .

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regu.../fmcsrruletext.aspx?chunkkey=09016334800238b4

 

I decided to take my training at a local college rather than a company, this way I will not be in debt when I start out. I am being taught in a freightliner with a 10 speed. I have been having trouble getting through the gears with out grinding. My trainer told me to forget what I haved learned in a car shifting gears, not to try to shift while listening to the engine, but to look at the tach and speedo to shift. My shifting got better but still not where I want it, so now he has me tell what speed, RPM and what gear I am going to while I am in the process of shifting this has helped even more. I think I will be going with Swift so I guess I am going to have to learn to shift a Volvo..................

 

The different truck manufacturers use transmissions from the same transmission manufacturers although there are several models of the transmissions .