I am possibly the worlds worst double clutcher!

Listen to your instructors. Literally millions of drivers have learned it, you will too. If truck driving was easy, you wouldn't need to practice.

 

If the guy's I hear ( and see) passing by 158 & 33 are any indication, I wouldn't be to worried about grinding a couple gear's.

Lately my husband as gotten a lot of the "new guy's" to train ( basically just show them how to work the hoses and such and where everything is, water hauling in the oil field). All of them have ground the gear's some and they weren't all strait out of CDL school. He tell's me he will give some tip's on floating the gear's, but other than that, the only negative thing he's said has been about going around the corner's slower and starting to stop sooner.

I'm pretty sure he probably winces at the gear's grinding in "his" truck, but he say's he's not above grinding a gear himself now and again.

 

Thanks CC,

You mentioned progressive shifting. I had to google it to see what it is.

I didn't know that's what I do. Nobody taught me it, it just feels right when I do it.

4th to 5th (on an 13 speed) grinds about half the time. Just a small grind usually, but I still do it.

Thats the gear change that I can't perfect the timing on.

No major harm done but frustrating when I'm not in the mood to hear it.

 

This is a fantastic description!

 

There's really nothing to time, when your in a car you push the clutch as you pull the car out of gear, your just adding a second clutch push while going in. Don't make more of it than it is. I'd suggest keeping an eye on the tach as well so you know your only shifting at that trucks sweet spot, not a hole lot left to time at that point. I drive different trucks a lot and I always double clutch with the exception of "my" truck as I know it well enough to not have to.

This sound stupid as hell BUT

When I was in school a few of the guys had major issues shifiting, they told them to go home and get a roll of TP and put it on the floor as that was their new clutch pedal. THEN slam a plunger on the floor next to you, that's your shifter. and go through all the gears over and over while working your "clutch" at the correct times. I had no issues shifting so I didn't attempt this myself but they all said it was a HUGE help! Can't hurt! When we were all pig piled in the trucks driving around the instructors made those guys say aloud "clutch out" "Clutch in" as they were doing their thing. That also seemed to help.

Muscle memory is a MOTHER! You'll beat it. Good Luck man

 

I would just fake the double clutch for school and the road tests by just pushing in the clutch free play and float gears as everbody does in the real world.

The important thing is to not force the shift in or out of gear when the tranny has torque(pressure) on the gears. You can remove this torque to allow a shift by two ways: 1) depress clutch to remove torque 2) give it a little fuel while applying light pressure on shifter and let it fall out or into gear.

No matter, you still need to match proper RPM to road speed for any gear, being unsynchronized tranny. The clutch alone will not let it shift. So make a list on a card of what the speed range is for each gear between 1100-1500rpm and memorize it. This will get you in the neighborhood for the gear you want. Then just ease pressure on the shifter and ease the fuel up until it floats in gear.

 

Its actually hard to explain, But I just finished School. You will hear people say that It "just clicks" and one day you get it. keep trying and it will just click one day soon. Your brain still thinks you are in your car. I went from sucking at it horribly for a few first days of class to being pretty good at it within a few hours. It really will just click for you. Just keep trying and trust me when it clicks you will have in in a matter of an hour once you convince your brain your not in the wifes Honda anymore.

I have also found that ANYTHING you try to do or learn in a semi truck is 100% harder when you get frustrated or if you have a little bit of male ego going on. I find that even though these are big industrial machines they are a lot like women when it comes to their operation. Whether its shifting or backing, timing is everything! Nice and easy, nice and gentle and a nice soft touch and it will do what you want it to do. Try to force it and it will make your life a hell!

 

UPDATE: Well folks....... I drove with a new instructor today! I did 5000% better! I'll tell you about it shortly. Thanks everybody for all the great advice!

 

Looks like the light bulb came on!

 

Once you can learn your truck's personality, double clutching is simple. If you are at all familiar with the Addams family theme song, the speed of the claps is the rhythm of the double clutch. Once you pass the test, learn to float. It's easier on you, the truck and the load. Also called ice shifting, since double clutch (momentum shifting) is nearly suicidal on ice.