down shifting on a downgrade

When I was training new drivers, I would use it as an exercise, I wanted to know that they were actually processing everything around them, and making correct assessments and decisions based on what was around them. When I was behind the wheel, I would use it to show them exactly how immersed in their surroundings they needed to be.
It's a useful tool in training. Just because you never did it is no reason to knock it.

 

Downshifting on a grade can be tricky for a newer driver. Error on the side of safety. At some point, likely unintentionally, a hill will take you by surprise and you'll gather a little more speed than you would like. Don't panic and find the gear.

 

I was not knocking anything just have never heard the term before . Only point I was making was the fact as per the example that double yellow used ..... again sounds only to me as nothing more than common sense. I do that myself everyday. example: coming up on a long flat stretch of road like they have in Florida on a two-lane road that traffic light up there in front of me has been green for quite some time that car that just come from the lift approaching that traffic light more than likely it's going to change before I get there I better go ahead and slow down. Most especially since the cracker head that just come around me that was in such a hurry shot around it in front of me only a quarter of a mile from the traffic light .... again only sounds to me like common sense. I guess in the past however many years this so-called Smith system came along they had to give it a fancy name instead of Common Sense driving they had to use the fancy term commentary driving.

Listen don't misunderstand what I am trying to say. We all need training ,we all need retraining hell after almost 26 years out here now I still learn things every day I do not knock new training and I am wide open to the idea of learning something new. I have read about the Smith System and other tools like them. I am not going to get into the discussion as to whether or not they work because I believe they do. The point I am trying to make is where as the Smith System and others like it, are nothing more than Common Sense safety minded driving.... again with the stupidity that I see day in and day out they have no such thing anymore. I'm sorry but when I started there was not to my knowledge anyhow no Smith System if there was I have even never heard of it, up until maybe 15 years ago. Sure I would be more than willing to even go through the Smith System. I'm sure there's more to it then just the so called "COMMENTARY DRIVING ". But again it sounds nothing more than common sense driving in my book .

 

Understood, and I agree. To me, it just seems like common sense as well.
Someone just figured out a way to put into words, and then patent it. Go figure, another invention that slipped from my grasp, why didn't I think of it???

 

If you have the slightest question about your brakes, you should be stopping and doing an inspection before you take a grade.

Brakes in good shape will take a LOT before they overheat. But you STILL want to use them as little as possible.

Obviously, you don't want to be in too high a gear for a grade, but it WILL happen. Just downshift at a little lower speed than you would on a flat. If you normally downshift on the flat from 10-9 at 55, take it down an extra 5 mph. YMMV.

The whole NEVER DOWNSHIFT ON A GRADE thing is assuming your one of the idiots who suddenly realizes they're going 75 MPH and tries to hit 9th gear at that speed. (assuming a 10). If your brakes can't take you from 75-50 on a 6-7% grade you have defective brakes or you've been riding them so hard, for so long, that they are about to fail, in which case downshifting is going to give you small comfort anyway.

 

Last week, I tried downshifting once on a steep but very small hill. I had some difficulties, but could get back in gear. It would not be a big deal if I could not get back in gear as the hill was short (but steep). I think that everyone should practice doing that.

 

Some grades we don't bother. Let her go. You aint finding a #### gear at 120 and above.

 

If I need to downshift on a grade, I drop 10 MPH below the speed I want to travel at, stomp that accelerator to kick it into neutral, stomp it again to rev up the RPM as high as possible, then gently push the stick into the gear I want to downshift into. It'll smoothly pop into place at that point. The key is to slow down enough to compensate for the speed you will gain while coasting between gears in your downshift.

 

At Swift we use progressive shifting and they hammer the recovery speeds into our head. So technically we will know what gear we should be in at that speed without panicking. Question is, should you be at that speed? That is where experience comes in. Be in a low gear so that you are actually accelerating down the kill, rather than pumping your brakes.

 

I learned to downshift on hills my first couple weeks with a mentor.
"There will come the hill that gets steeper as you go down. What will you do?! Burn up your brakes (and probably your truck in the process) or learn to downshift in the situation? Your choice."

One thing I won't do is a running commentary as I am driving.
That would distract me even more than talking on a phone while driving - which I don't do even with Bluetooth.