New learner having a few issues with turns.

Listen to the truck. Watch your speedo & tach as you upshift from a start. Make mental notes of engine and road speed for each gear. Once you learn the truck, you'll be able to drop it in whatever gear you need. Practice young Padawan...

 

Since none of us "experienced" drivers know how to double clutch I feel somewhat helpless, but I would suggest dropping into low range and a lower gear after you turn into the parking lot since its less stressful to try to figure out what gear you need in a parking lot rather than a busy highway

 

You don't want the shift gears in a turn. You want to be in the correct gear for the turn before you make the turn.

You want to pull the trailer around the turn. If you shift gears you letting the trailer push you around the turn. That's bad idea in the winter and bad habit to get into. The trailer always wants to go straight unless you pull it. On slippery roads the trailer will push the tractor out of the way and keep going straight. That's a jacknife.

 

Pick a slow speed, and make all "rolling turns" at that speed. Sometimes that slow speed will be too slow for conditions. That's the easiest and fastest way to get good at a thing, be consistent. Once you are consistent at that one thing, expand to other speeds/gears. If you want to, plan on stopping and then going. Do it the same way every time until you have it mastered.

 

That's good advice!!!!!!!

 

Thanks. It was an accident. I won't let it happen again.

 

You probably want to shoot for 4th 5th gear when you hit the lot. 4-5 with rpms low.
Those low gears are tough to get a feel for, don't worry it's normal.

Slow to 5mph and try 5th, the motor should probably be at idle by then. The gear ratio, tire size, and transmission type will have an effect. but that should be a rough area to start.

Another thing to try when you have time is start from an idle. what speed to you ide in 4th or 5th? use that to guide you. you want low rpms when shifting in the low gears, like idle +-

Good luck, practice, practice, practice.

 

You aint gots room or time to hop gears down that fast.

You are going to come through the turn off the roadway in 6th or whatever it is for your truck, once you hit the gravel and begin to slow you will see the RPM's drop close to idle. You know you cannot stay in this gear forever. Drop to low range, take her out into nuetral, wait a heartbeat and kick engine up and drop er into 3rd low. It should match up pretty close.

If you scratch third, go to second. If empty there isnt any reason you cannot idle around in 2nd.

 

When you are in 6th gear and slowing down get your rpm down to 700 clutch put in neutral give it fuel and bump your rpm up to 1,000 let off the fuel clutch put it in 4th gear.