Downshifting question....

you should be down-shifting to get the benefits of engine braking to save on the wheel brakes as well as better control of the vehicle.

What happens when you slow for a light and it turns green. You are either stuck in the big hole or else out of gear.

You can't accelerate can you.

 

Of course it's necessary and it could be your so called trainer does not like to down shift because he cant. How can you not down shift anywhere? Cities, construction, Mtns, off ramps. Maybe you need a new trainer.

 

your trainer sounds like he/she needs to not be training glad your getting drive time , just fall back on what you learned in school (training ) I'l be checking in to see how your journey is going I myself am trying to find a decent company to work for so it will be interesting to see how your journey is going

 

What i think is that he is trying to stop you from being a better trucker than he is since you are a woman. His ego will be hurt if you come out to be a better driver than him.

 

You need a different trainer

 

Unless you're coming to a complete stop, you should be downshifting such that your RPM never drops below the bottom of your power curve (different for every truck, but usually 900-1000). This means that as your RPM drops to around 1000, downshift to the next lower gear. The reasoning is that you'll have power available when you're ready to accelerate again, and you won't have to be hunting for the correct gear based on your road speed. This is particularly useful when loaded and / or climbing a grade. And you get the benefit of engine braking if you're on a downgrade. If you are coming to a complete stop, you can save some work and downshift 2 gears each time.