a pro at upshifting ,downshifting but I can't start on anything but 1st in 10spd

As someone said need more details on how the truck is set up. If it has low gears out back then he may be able to start is 4[SUP]th[/SUP] gear MT but if it has high gears for OTR then he may need to start in 1[SUP]st[/SUP] all the time.
You want the truck/gears to do the work without slipping the clutch too much (burning it up) or jerking or bouncing the truck around as this can lead to broken parts like axles & drive shafts.

The schools trucks I am learning on have 10 sp and the one I took out the other day with a MT flatbed out back I was told to start in 2[SUP]nd[/SUP], I thought it was a little low and could have started in 3[SUP]rd[/SUP].
Any moving of training trucks/trailers in the “yard” is in the lowest forward gear so you can just idle it to move as needed.

What some have said about to keep from rolling back this is what we are taught in school. Start in 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] gear in our case, Foot on brake to keep from rolling, slowly let up on the clutch till you hear/feel it grab. Then you can let up on the brake and it should start to move forward, let the clutch up all the way and now give it “fuel” (not gas) to get up to speed to shift. You will have to play with how far up the clutch has to come up to “grab” without stalling or rolling back. Also if you start out in too high a gear, say 4[SUP]th[/SUP], the truck/trailer will not move without rolling or stalling that is how you can tell if you have the right gear to start off in.

Now go out and practice
Dave ----

 

Agreed! Thread did nothing but irritate me. You people owe me about 5 minutes of my life back.

 

First off a large truck has a unsynchronized transmission, unlike a synchronized transmission you have on 4-wheelers. By design, they do not behave the same way. With a unsynchronized transmission, you DO NOT equalize the fuel and the clutch, and this is where I think you're screwing up.

Next, schools tell you to start in 1st or 3rd so you don't accidentally put it in reverse. There's nothing wrong with starting in 2nd, 4th or even 5th.

 

Your teacher is full of crap and has no idea how to drive a truck.

 

yes she is total full of crap.

 

Bad advice for a student that doesn't know how to use the clutch and accelerator properly.

 

How is that bad advice? Would you rather students stall the truck every time? Because that's what's going to happen when you equalize the clutch and fuel.

 

I'll let you take that chance. I'll stick to what I've learned for the older gentlemen in our profession. I believe this May be a issue of everyone does it differently and believes they are right.
Why just today, a guy stalled his truck on a smaller HILL in front of me. Luckily I left enough space or he would have smacked into me. I asked on the CB what happened and he replied " tried to take off in 4th".

 

Put in 10th gear at bottom of hill then let clutch go no other way to go

 

Taking off in 4th or 5th is bad bad bad advise for anyone, that will accomplish the engine stall you refer to, while making the clutch slip. No accelerator is required until the clutch is fully engaged and the students foot is off of the clutch peddle. I have taught hundreds of students how to shift and that is the only way to teach them while taking of in 3rd, on a 10 speed, with an empty trailer, if loaded I made them use 2nd to take off. First is to hard to shift out of for a student and it is rarely necessary.