Help me learn how to float

I could tell you what you're doing wrong.

But I'm with your trainer.....learn to drive the #### truck first. Then you can trash your own gearbox.

Next, you'll be asking how to "speed shift".

 

What he said!

 

Ask for a another trainer,sounds like your trainer is one of those super truckers who forgot they where once a newbie too.

 

Once you get good at knowing where the Gears are in proportion to your RPMs when shifting, you will do better just using the clutch. I would listen to your trainer and not worry about floating right now. Learn how to back up first. that is more important than floating.

 

It's solely a matter of timing and matching the RPM to the road speed. It takes time to master it, and it varies from truck to truck.

During downshifting, you don't have to give it a "bump" to get it into neutral and another bump to downshift it.

If you are pulling a hill and applying torque to the drive-line and want to downshift, the second you release the torque, the drive-line will unload and you can come out of gear, give the engine a slight rap of fuel and match the RPM's to the next gear and make the shift, and then after all is said and done, reapply fuel and continue pulling.

If you are grinding gears, your timing is off. And, you are putting excessive wear on transmission components, if you are "grinding a lot" *shudders*

You should be able to do this with 2 fingers and a thumb on the shift knob, and then you won't be tempted to force it into a gear.

Drive with a clutch for a while. When your clutch shifting is butter smooth, start weaning off of it. Don't forget the 3 finger trick....

It's all by ear and feel, and calculating the different conditions while you are making the shift. If you are pulling a steep hill, the momentum changes the timing vs. a flat road or a downgrade. If you are relying on gauges and tachometers to make your shifts, you have a way to go.

I'll have to agree with the other responses here. Learn the more important stuff first. You'll be so distracted trying to shift that you'll overlook something else.

All in time.....

 

And he's right. If you're to the point where you can float the upshifts pretty well, then you're to the point where there is nothing more for any human being to teach you. From here on out, your float training is between you and the transmission.

Every transmission is different. So I can't tell you why its grinding on your 10th to 9th downshifts. I can't tell you and no one else can either. Only that transmission can tell you. Its already telling you that you're not giving it what it wants in terms of rpm/road speed. So figure out what it wants. A little more RPM, a little less, maybe bleed a little more road speed off before you do the shift, maybe a little less. Start working your way through the combinations until the transmission tells you what it wants.

 

First and foremost I would ask for another trainer like the other poster said. Its your license and your career don't you want to be trained properly and in a way that is going to benefit you? Call safety immediately and let them know in a nice way that you just aren't meshing. No big deal, happens all the time. Don't cut yourself short because of some super trucker trainer!

Chances are he doesn't know how to shift himself!

Just a side note, don't let your company know he isn't teaching you to float. Some companies are funny about floating gears. If you tell them he isn't teaching you to float gears, they may say "well he shouldn't be".

Floating is actually easier than double clutching. You should be able to pick it up in no time. Everything is the same you just aren't using the clutch. Make sure you are allowing time for the rpm's to drop before putting in gear because now that you aren't double clutching you will have to allow a second or two to drop it in gear. Also you want to put a little pressure on the accelator not to speed up but just enough to pop the shifter out of gear. If you try it without doing that it usually binds up a little making it hard to take out of gear. When coming to a stop, you want to drop it in "take off gear" a split second before coming to a complete stop. This will keep you from having to futz with the clutch brake numerous times while you are stopped.

Another helpful tip is to not run up your rpm's. You want to bang through all gears as quickly as possible without letting the motor bog down. The higher you run your rpm's up the harder it will be for you to shift.

Its all just timing and rhythm and will just take a bit to get used to.

 

The key to floating is to relax and breath normally. Make small back and forth motions with your hands and feet.....oh you mean floating gears....nevermind