Non-recent CDL grad, inexperienced

If I was your trainer, I was paid on salary, if you were my student, we would sit in Kit Carson all day doing backing in the truckstop there. Then we hunt another one with better tighter spaces and let you have at it. Remember training time is just that, not pure teaming yet. That comes later.

I think your trainer did you a disservice by not letting you play with the truck and shift properly (I float time to time but mainly double clutched... imagine that automatic will change this scenario...) and if you ever felt unsafe you stopped right?

Remember, you are the kahn.. er.. ahem, captian of your ship on that drivers seat. Your ###, your truck savvy?

 

Most of newer trucks are automatics pretty much almost to point of having to special order standards...it depends on company you go to work for and what they have

 

SNI still use mostly manuals. They told me on the phone they couldn't guarantee I'd get an auto. Western Express are pretty much using autos now. That was the worst part for me finsternis.. downshifting and hitting the clutch and brake at the same time. I got worn out quick and was sweating from all the work involved. Maybe I didn't adjust the seat very well.

 

That sweating means you hydrate. Hydrate some more. Don't worry once your air conditioning cools you down and you hydrate (Even better use a power drink to restore lost electrolytes) from doing what is essentially a gym for you and your work in that cab you will gain the stamina and power to do this work without future trouble.

Don't let the seat move back and forth, always lock it prior to battle.

 

They taught us to push the clutch in every time we shift. Double clutching whatever and because I could never get down to second gear fast enough before a light.. i'd have to push the clutch and brake in to stop and then shift back into second gear. They were older freightliners as they took some force to push in the brake all the way to the floor. I'm 5'7

Did I mention I can't stand freightliners? Worst truck make out there.

 

You might as well for lack of a better word do what you can in the low range and then go into nuetral to make the final stop at the light, Don't be trying to get really deep into the 2nd, 1st or low gear because for one you don't have time, room or attention to the road in (Intersection) front of you during this light cycle to be fooling with very short gearing.

At some point you will settle down and there will be less wear and tear on the transmission. And ultimately on you.

 

I was told to not be in neutral at lights? i don't quite get what you're saying? Don't overuse shifting to second you mean? I have the most trouble downshifting. So say I just pulled off the highway and going up the exit to the light or stop... no way would I have time to downshift to 2nd gear with my training. I'd get down to maybe 7th gear or 6th during the exit. Maybe I am too worried about traffic behind me or something. What throws me off is the revving rpms to downshift. Guess that's why my trainer kept yelling "easy..easy". Many of us got too much in a hurry.

Another issue I had during training was being stopped at an intersection light in 2nd gear ready to turn left.. and the instructor would say at a green light "ok shift to 3rd and make the left hand turn" but then he'd say forget it and concentrate on the turn. That's when I didn't make it and had to stop short of the sidewalk in an intersection (because I was too busy focusing on shifting to get some speed). Had to back up a little and then continue into the left turn. It was a stressful. It was difficult being new to shifting and concentrating on the turning in a tight radius.