is downshifting required?

I drive heavy vans, always at 65k to 100k net (unless deadheading). If I didn't downshift all the time I'd be smoking brakes. You just have to learn to look ahead and start braking in advance. Learn your trucks rpms and soon you'll feel the engines shift points. It'll be perfectly natural to you.

So in a nutshell, YES downshift...

 

Snowman..that's the way we were taught too...I remember I was afraid to downshift while I was in school...however the first load out of school I figured it out quick...hard to climb a mountain in 10th runnin 35mph...lol....just remember bump shift, bump shift....

 

Why would you even ask this question... it is like asking can I stop on a train track.. They want to make sure you have complete knowledge on how to control a truck and make sure you can operate it properly.. and you don't have to decrease the rpms to 1000 to down shift.. I know these schools and big companies say you do but you are lugging the motor and putting undo stress on the bottom end and transmission.. shift 12 to 1600. or 11 and 15..When i teach guys to shift you can pull out of gear and count and 1 in your head and you will hit it everytime if you move right... and if you have to get it out of gear forget the clutch give it fuel and take it out of gear it is faster and safer..

and yes you can skip gears on the state road test up and down...

 

Back in the mid 90s when I went through school, we were encouraged to skip gears while downshifting. In fact, instructors did not want you to go down one gear at a time, at least after the first time or two under the wheel. They wanted to make sure you could do it, but then switched to a more "real world" scenario and had us drop one, two, and even three gears at a time. Even now, I'll go from 10th to 7th after slowing for but before actually getting on a ramp, especially when fairly heavy.

 

Yes, if you do not down shift, the instructor can say that you are NOT in control of the vehicle and Fail you. No coasting is permitted. Example: Say you pull off a ramp that is on a down hill slope. You brake, then clutch brake to stop, you are most likely in 6 or 7th gear. You look in your mirror, and their is a semi coming down the ramp on fire, if you don't move that truck, you are going to be rear ended. You were not prepared. You are in the wrong gear, you can't recover fast enough not to get hit. Also, you need to get comfortable with down shifting. On mountain passes, you will burn your brakes out if you are in the wrong gear, and try using your brakes all the way to the bottom. It just takes practice. You will learn it, but don't quit working on it. It is part of the big picture to being a safe Professional Driver. Smile. Linda

 

In the 70's you learned to skip gears going up and down. And some companies want you to only use the clutch to start and stop. I still skip gears.

 

Down shifting is required here in NC also we have to be in certain gears on certain trans when we stop at stop signs we can't be in neutral at anytime really just long to switch gears and that's it. So in a 9 speed you must be in 3rd when you come to a stop sign and you can't coast either you push the clutch in just as your stopping. It's not easy to learn it comes with practice I was doing pretty good last Thursday and made a mistake coming to a stop on an off ramp the got lost in my gears and coasted to stop in neutral I'm pretty hard on myself so my instructor just looked at me and said "do you think I hit every gear all the time just relax" So relax bro and just keep working on the down shift it will come.

 

Missing gears, we all do it. We all feel stupid when it happens, but it does happen. Don't dwell on it, just keep going, or you may miss one or two more. Practice and miles will make it easier Smile.

 

I've missed gears on a roadtest for a new company. They expect that as your nervous. Its how you recover that they watch. I drop 3 or 4 gears at times coming off of a ramp because I like to lug an engine down. No harm if your in a gear that can get you out of the way if you need to

 

I find it much easier to take a break than downshift.... just saying.

"breaking?"...