FIRST 4 GEARS

The rear end isn't really anything you need to worry about when shifting... It can effect how high of a gear you can start off on but you can figure that out by trying other gears and just the general feel as you learn the truck, and trans

 

Don't worry about the rears right now.

The only time I worry about them is when running older iron that actually has to shift the rear axle lo-hi every gear. So essentially Im driving two sets of gearing with the transmission stick and there is a special button airdriving the rears between high and low each gear. But I think I touched maybe 2 out of 100 trucks in my life time roughly that needed that kind of shifting. And one was dual stick mack. Lo lo, lo and hi and hi hi. But that was a very long time ago.

The only time I dig into the low side of the transmission and go to war is when Im seeing nothing but sky straight up. There are spots around the USA where you are sitting at a vertical stop sign and there is a one hell of a slope you are on.

Having to start on something like that against say a divided highway to make a left in the face oncoming traffic both ways against you, you cannot shift until you lift your own trailer onto the bigger road and off the grade. You have to stay in that gear all the way around the turn.

Trust me when I tell you this will save you so much trouble. Wait to straighten out and then apply your power and shift up.

 

Problem with shifting at 1200 in low range is there's only about a 400 RPM gap between full gears on an 18 speed. Most trucks I see idle around 700ish. If you miss the gear you have very little wiggle room to catch it before you lose too much ground speed.

 

The reason you can't get a gear in a turn is the truck is in a bind (tire squirm,ect.) With the right applications(driver skills)& miles you'll be able to grab a handful of gears in any situation. Sounds like you can pull it out but either hurry or pause, missing the sweet spot RPM. Personally I prefer that 3rd pedal on the right.

 

Okie said it right. There is alot of pressure going on under the 5th wheel and if you stay in gear through the entire turn you master and overcome that pressure. If you took it out of gear mid turn? That pressure between trailer and tractor drives at the 5th wheel WILL STOP you dead. With oncoming traffic who probably will now have to stand on their brakes.

I did not want to address the particular reasons behind that just yet to avoid confusing people. Another sign of pressure too great to shift is on the curvy PA coal roads downgrade where you feel the load trying to shove your drives sideways into a jackknife. Whatever you do, do not take her out of gear right then. Wait until you get to the bottom. Especially in the rain.