Having trouble shifting international with 10 speed... HELP!

Wind the motor up to about 1800rpm. Put a little pressure on the stick as you are about to hit the clutch. ONLY press the clutch just enough to release the stick. Move the shifter to the next hole in the pattern with a slight delay to let the rpm's fall and put just a little pressure on it.At about 1600 to 1700 rpm press the clutch just a little, only a 1/4 to half of the travel, the transmission will almost take the shifter out of your hand. Don't hold the shifter with a death grip, just use your fingers. It should be a smooth flow, not jerky.
Downshifting is petty much the above, when the rpm's get down to about 1600, pressure on the stick, clutch, rev the motor to about 1800, clutch, and the next lower hole with a little pressure on the stick. It just takes time and practice, keep at it and you'll be able to do it in your sleep.
And remember this, there's two kinds of drivers, those who miss gears and those who lie about it..

 

I had the same problem, I had only been in a semi when I was a kid riding OTR with my dad during summers (not real interested in the mechanic of the driving at that point in time). IMHO the gearmaster is horrible, thats how they taught us to shift as well, no explaining other than watch the gearmaster and when it lines up shift. I had it in my mind that this was a piece of equipment that all trucks had. When I got out on my own I had a time getting my shifting down. I don't have any real advice to give, but I can say once I got it right a few times in a row, heard the engine, felt the shift, etc. it just clicked and I could do it pretty well. My main issue now is hills, lol, I always seem to lose steam when im loaded i don't know if it's the load or the truck or me or what.

 

I kinda shook my head when I saw the gearmaster part of the original post. I went to a driving school in 1981. We spent part of the day in class and part of the day in trucks on a huge asphalt pad, The first month of the course we just drove around the edge going from low to 4th and downshifting from 4th to low. lol some of those trucks were so old they still had "wig wags" in them and air starters. Then we got out on little country roads in newer trucks. At any moment the instructor might shout a car just pulled out in front of you, or a kid on a bike. You were expected to brake and downshift from high gear all the way to lowgear.
smalltownil check in with us and let know how's it going. When you start getting the feel for it we'll talk about skipping 2 or 3 gears when your crawling up a steep grade with a heavy load!

 

Glad to hear! Someone watching can throw you off. Keep at it it'll just get easier.

 

this is not fool proof but it may help.

55mph- 5+5=10 be in 10th gear
45mph 4+5=9 be in 9th gear
35mph 3+5=8 be in 8th gear
25mph 2+5=7 be in 7th gear
15mph 1+5=6 be in 6th gear

that should help some and at lower speeds you can just kinda use common sence (just take your time and relax is the big thing)

 

Just keep practicing. You will learn the sound of your engine and it will tell you when to shift. Each truck is different. Every truck I have been in I had to "relearn" how to shift until I figured the truck out. Just don't get frustrated. When you grind a gear look at what you RPMs are doing. This way you will know if you are to high or to low. Next time try it a little differently until you get where you don't grind