Even though I have 7 years of trucking experience, I recently had to go out in a truck with a trainer because I started a job at a new trucking company. My trainer at my new trucking company is named Ed. Ed has a truck with a standard transmission. I asked Ed how much RPM's I need to rev up the truck's engine on a downshift. Ed responded that he does not rev up the engine at all on a downshift. He just said that he downshifts at 1100 RPM's without revving up the engine. During my trainer's shift, I noticed that he does indeed downshift without revving up the engine. When my trainer downshifted without revving up the engine, he did not grind the gears. I should have paid more attention to the cadence of Ed's downshifts.
When I was first trained on how to drive a semi-truck with a standard transmission, my trainer's name was/is Keith. Keith taught me that i can start a downshift at any RPMs, but I just have to rev up the engine 400 RPM's more than whatever the RPM's were when I started the downshift. When I did team driving on trucks with standard transmissions, all my teammates would rev up the engine when doing a downshift. Keith, me, and my teammates could all downshift while revving up the engine without grinding the gears. However, when I tried to downshift the way that Ed downshifted (without revving up the engine), I would grind the gears badly and fail to get the truck into the lower gear. Another thing that I noticed is that when Ed slowed down, Ed would not downshift from one gear to the next like I do. If I am in 10th gear and if I need to slow down, I will downshift from 10th to 9th to 8th to 7th to 6th and so on until I get to 3rd gear or have to put my foot on the clutch and stop. Ed would skip many gears when he downshifted. Ed might downshift from 10th gear to 6th gear.
Are you all familiar with the technique of downshifting without revving up the engine?
I know that a lot of drivers nowadays drive automatics. However, if you drive a standard transmission, or if you used to drive a standard transmission, did you rev up the engine when you did a downshift?
How was Ed able to downshift without revving up the engine?
Was Ed able to downshift without revving up the engine BECAUSE he skipped gears when he downshifted? Is that how Ed was able to downshift without revving up the engine?
If you downshift from, say, 10th to 9th gear without revving up the engine, do you have to shift faster than you would if you revved up the engine or slower than you would if you revved up the engine?
Downshifting without revving up the engine?
Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by expedite_it, Oct 28, 2021.
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Ummmm...that's impossible unless going uphill. You have to match the engine rpm to the lower gears rpm, or you'll grind...unless it's a synchronized transmission.
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Or maybe it was a synchronized transmission, whatever that means.
P.S. I think that the quote in your signature line was first spoken or written by Abraham Lincoln. -
He was letting the truck slow down enough that the road speed matched the trans speed at idle. Practice it and you'll figure it out. Best way to practice it would be to pull it out of gear as your coasting up to a stop light and put it in low gear just as it's getting to the proper gear. It will fall into gear at idle around 5 mph. Practice it enough and you can do it at other speeds too. You have to know the speeds/rpm you go in all the gears though so it'll take time lol
stwik, RockinChair, Waterman_99 and 9 others Thank this. -
It sounds like he is double clutching... I cant do it that well but I have seen old timers do it without reving the engine at all.
Here's a video...
larry2903, Rideandrepair, SuperHighFlyer and 1 other person Thank this. -
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Rideandrepair, D.Tibbitt, LoneRanger and 1 other person Thank this.
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Sounds like a synchronized trans. What kind of truck and transmission was it?
Rideandrepair and God prefers Diesels Thank this. -
One time I was shifting from 4th to 5th. (don't tell anyone I told you this, because it's embarrassing) Anyways, I accidentally pulled up the range selector right at the same time. Shifted from 4th to 10th, and it went in just as smooth as silk. What followed was not so smooth...larry2903, ncmickey, SoulScream84 and 7 others Thank this. -
Most of us don’t admit what all happens during shifting, but thanks for the story. It made for a good laugh.Rideandrepair, Bean Jr., D.Tibbitt and 4 others Thank this.
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