TRAFFIC >:( (tips for me)

Drive your truck across a big parking lot a few times and make a mental note of your speed in each gear, or write it down for your own reference.

When approaching a traffic light I like to be in 6th gear....that is the lowest gear in the high range, so if a stale red light goes green I can just hit the throttle and upshift. 6th gear is my go to gear... It is an easy gear to hit and your speed range in 6 th is from 15 to 20 mph....a nice slow speed.

If the light is red, and I have to stop, I step in the clutch, brake and move the selector to the low range....as I am in 6th gear and going 15 mph. As I am braking I pop the lever into neutral, and at 5 mph I downshift to 3rd gear if I am empty or light. If heavy I hit 2nd gear at 3 mph, so I am ready to take off when the light turns green.

I only shift one gear in the low range when stopping....do not run through all the gears in the low range....not needed for downshifting usually.

 

That some kind of trucker stew?

Marshmallows?

 

Ooooo fancy bowl.

Old timer huh?

 

Looks like frito and tofu chilli.... (shudder)

 

Another tactic is to get a truck with auto. But that is a cop out and a weakness.

What I do is called a jersey crawl. The cars zip around then sit at the light. They see me coming, coming and still coming why don't I stop.. oh it's green. Next light same story. over and over. Eventually they try it too. Next thing you see is everyone is moving. Slow but moving. If done right I don't really stop.

In bad traffic where possible I take small country roads around or simply refuse to participate. I'll get a meal and a nap in the sleeper waiting for it to clear it out mostly. However in some cities you don't get to do that LA comes to mind. Plunge in and do battle. I might leave a mile ahead of me empty, cars fight to fill it right up.

As far as shifting.

When you are slow you find that you are lugging. A touch here and there of a gear change while lugging and drifting is not as intense as a full shift on a mountain up or down. Most people with a 10, if you are above 25 preselect the low range if you are going to slow, that way shes going to hit the low range when you come across the box from say 6th high to 5th low. And then stay in it. There is no reason to speed up right with the cars only to stop quick again.

You might even turn that traffic to a school of yourself learning to shift without a clutch. Do it gently and you might surprise yourself at how easy it clicks in. It is literally harder to sit here and type a post describing how to do it just so.

 

If you are driving a 10 speed remember the most difficult gear to shift is 11th gear...

... the mental gear.

When you are approaching a city and traffic starts to become congested, shift into 11th. You aren't trying to go the speed limit anymore, you are trying to maintain space.

Try to drive in a manner so you don't have to use your brakes, so by the time slow or stopped traffic ahead of you starts going again you can simply keep a slow, steady pace. If you do that, driving in rush hour can actually be relaxing.

Cars will constantly merge into that space in front of you. That's a good thing. You WANT to build that space as an outlet for other drivers. Anticipate what other drivers will need.

Once you have successfully shifted into 11th, the rest of the gears will be much easier. It's hard to shift if you are putting yourself in stressful situations.

 

just take it slow and easy, leave yourself plenty of room and if someone cuts you off as they will then just let them go. don't be in a hurry to get to 10th gear just to have to come back to 5th. Your in a semi not a sports car your not going to outrun the traffic