WHY, WHY, WHY are you trying to downshift on your first day behind the wheel, and WHY is the instructor letting you attempt it ? Get some wheel time, get the feel of the truck, then give it a try the second week. You can see you are more concerned about downshifting than learning about the truck and driving it. ALL my students in truck school were in the truck and on the freeway with-in 1 hour the first day, and never downshifted. Hadn't done any skills, pre trips anything. THEN, since their confidence was boosted almost to the moon, the rest was easy. And yes, EVERYONE of them said the same thing, "how do you down shift"? And I replied, not to worry, since you don't downshift on the freeway (normally). And the last thing I said before they made the right turn onto the on ramp was "you don't have to do this if you don't want". "I know you can". And everyone of them did it.
Well if you don't accelerate to 30 mph, obviously, you don't need to downshift. If you're in second gear in a parking lot creeping along at 8 mph, why do you need to downshift ?
easy.just drive to the nearest truck stop,block a fuel pump,grab a coke,get back in the truck and go thru all ten or whatever gears then downshift,using the jake,as you push the truck in front of you that is attempting to get set up to back into a spot.then when that truck is out of your way,grab all the gears again only to be forced to slow down,while downshifting, to allow the driver w/his kids a chance to get across the lot w/out getting hit by a truck that is grabbing all the gears and using the jake while in that particular truck stop. an excellent way to learn downshifting and upshifting and jaking and all that fancy truck driver stuff and all while in the confines of a truck stop.WIN/WIN. i am always impressed by drivers that show off their shifting skills in truck stops.
no need to confuse that driver,driver.it reads as if he has his mind made up to downshift at the truckstop. thanks for the chuckle. i needed that!
I have never had to double clutch.// From a standstill with truck in gear (to me) there are two ways to shift.//#1 Take off and listen to your motor (don"t over rev or push your engine to the point where more rev's don't get you more speed). When you feel you're at normal rev's, release the gas pedal (the loss of motor rev's will allow you to come out of the gear you're in and let you into the next higher one) don't force or grind and you'll find you've shifted to the next gear. // #2 Other option. Take off and again listen to your motor. Again when you feel you're not overstraining your engine, release the gas pedal, come out off gear, depress clutch and go into next gear (without double-clutching). That's it. Downshifting is similar technique but in either method if it won't go in gear you may have to gently rev motor (if you missed gear and slowed down) to find the gear that truck speed/engine rev will allow you in without grinding. Been driving 17 years. Technique/Practice make you good to your truck!
The biggest problem most newbies encounter is depressing the clutch too far. Before you get moving...press the clutch pedal in, first you will have a distance that has no resistance (free play), second you will feel the resistance (clutch has engaged and is pulling the return spring), now you only need to go about 2 inches past the point of resistance. Remember this pattern: Clutch in -- stick to neutral -- clutch out -- clutch in -- stick to gear -- clutch out. [*neutral does not mean you need to waggle the stick around, just the center of the shift pattern*] Allow a slight pause between the "in --- out" positions....if you are old enough, or have ever heard of Lawrence Welk, he would always start a number with his orchestra by saying out loud; "And a one and a two"...say this as you are doing the "in -- out" position. You will get the "pause" needed....in,and,out! down shifting...you add a "burp" of throttle (increase rpm's) with the "and" !