Taking off in first gear.

Could you build on that info, please? Always been a company driver, and first company, Leaseway, Taught skip shifting.... can't recall now if I was told/trained to started off in 1st though. Been a few decades.
Either I never questioned it/or can't recall the reason I was given.
All this time... I thought it saved the clutch ( in my mind, I guess I assumed, it was saving the clutch.... Less use, less wear and tear.... )
Appreciate a learning moment. THX

 

Back in my Dads old W9, 350 big cam and a 13, He insisted I always start off in first, but he had tall gears for it, or for the time.

 

More likely to save fuel, would still be hard on the clutch, at least a little.

 

The higher gear you start off in requires more sliding of the clutch, hence forth more ware off the clutch plates.

 

don't remember using 1st gear.lol

3rd or 4th. 2nd if real heavy. 79K+, on a hill.

drove many trucks to 500K, (trade in point), and never had to replace a clutch.

 

As an owner operator, you learn how to take care of your equipment. Even when I was a company driver back in 1979, I always took care of the equipment I drove. Anyways..... I was taught by an old schooler. And also, when I was a company driver, the owner did his own work on his equipment. When I wasn’t driven, I hung out at his shop and watched everything he did and helped a little. I saw a lot of abused parts been parts being replaced, I asked questions and learned from that. The drivetrain was one of the most abused parts from drivers that didn’t care about the equipment. Anyways, going back to the way I was taught shifting, the old schooler even made me take of from low gear to get a feel for it. Made me go thru every gear on a 13. Back then and still is for me, shifting thru the gears is one of the best parts of trucking, never gets old and I’ve been in this trade since 1979. I even ordered my commuter car with a 6 speed manual transmission, I like to be in control. But that’s me.

 

If you need to add throttle to get moving, just start in 1st

 

Uphill or downhill grade makes a big difference..... plus a 10 speed the gaps between gears is pretty big......

 

I would use granny gear a lot starting on a big incline with a heavy load just to reduce the pressure on the clutch in the drivetrain getting it moving..
of course I've driven an automatic for 3 years now I'm kind of getting used to it in a way not quite nothing I could do about it though what the company gives you..
but a lot of times I would always usually start in 2nd gear on a 10-speed but if I needed to especially on an incline especially an incline the Granny gear does come in handy..