had my first lesson today with the tractor trailer

I had an automatic roll backwards down a hill once. Stupid thing tried to grab another gear going up a steep hill with a heavy load. They don't "know" enough to hold a gear without the operator intervening. Kinda defeats the purpose of having an automatic transmission. Whether you use the clutch or not won't prevent this from happening if you try to shift at the wrong time. I float gears because its a lot easier on the left leg. If I used the clutch every time I shifted (at least a hundred times a day, probably more). Do I miss gears? Occasionally, yes. Am I a #### because I do it? No. I have a clear understanding of what goes on inside the transmission and I apply that knowledge when I operate it. And I suspect a lot of drivers (even those with a lot more experience) do the same thing. And for the record, nobody taught me how to do it, I figured it out on my own.

 

Hey, don't feel bad...I've got about 11 years in, and there is still the occassional day when I just ain't got the rhythm, with or without the klutz...er, clutch!

And I love pulling 40K+ pound loads for three weeks, then suddenly getting a 6K....geez, that'll screw me up for a shift or two.

Good luck!