Shifting New Advice

Been driving 3 months now putting a lot of miles down and I STILL "grind" & "rub" gears. At times. Other times, it's so smooth and quiet. Professional. Then BAM! You're in NY traffic driving and something (often) throws your rhythm off and you grind.

 

Dia, Gashauler and Everett are giving it to you straight. Take it from me, there are milestones you will hit. Going from school then finding a company going with a trainer, the progress you make is amazing. Then you find yourself with over a year and the progress is even more. Knowone is really that good coming out of school, most companies know this. It takes seat time to get it down smooth. You will get it, it is all about matching speed and gears in rythem. My advice is learn to double clutch then worry about floating later. I probably shift more in one day , than I did in a week when I was over the road. There aint nothing like trying to get out of Chicago during rushhour on a daily basis. Find some drivers with some years under ther belt and pick their brain as much as you can. I work for a very small company, 6 drivers all have more than 15 years driving except me with almost2 and another guy with 3 yrs and I have learned a whole lot of usefull stuff from these guys. Plus I paid alot of money and went to a school that actually taught you to drive not be a steering wheel holder, there were Relax it will come to you. Good luck6 of us in my class we got alot of seat time.

 

Shifting comes with practice.Just go to training with a company and by the end of your training you'll be an excellent shifter.You already spend alot for the last school,why spend more to learn how to shift.We all have weaknesses,mine was backing.You'll master shifting,it just takes time.Companies with you phocus more on how you handle the semi with turns keeping on the road,that sort of thing.As long as you can get it into gear while driveing,you'll be fine.

 

what if i did not come out of a school? what if i did not have a trainer? what did i miss? did i not progress because i did not come out of a school/had no trainer? so what if you paid a lot of money to learn to drive.I really do not think that you learned more than a state sponsered school,but then i wouldn't know. I don't wear a belt(don't have a gut) and i don't have a brain to pick, so what happened to all my years? I could be a steering wheel holder and not even know it. ohh the shame.

I won't sleep well pondering all of the above.why did you have to post that thought purging paragragh? will i ever measure up to a trucking school grad? oh the anxiety that now ladens me.

all in jest.or will i always be a simple steering wheel holder because i am not "formally and expensively" trained?