Questions about stopping at a light

School is the same as when you roadtest for a company, meaning that you will have to illustrate that you can downshift. Not nearly as important in these situations as you're empty, and it's much easier to stop a lighter truck.

There are a lot of people driving trucks nowdays that really aren't downshifting, or if they do they just drop a gear or two, then rely just on the brakes to stop them.

Personally, I like to drop as many gears as I can before coming to a stop.

 

The school is just preparing you to drive correctly. You will shift and downshift according to your load and conditions. If you are light and the roads are icy downshifting will not be good. If you are heavy and stopped on a hill you might not want to start off in third gear. Maybe once you are on the road with your trainer he/she will teach you how to float. Although you might sign on with a company that has automatic trucks. Keep in mind, it is the law to have control of your vehicle and for it to always be in a gear never coasting in neutral. Also the law to not shift over railroad tracks. I think shifting and backing are the top concerns for new drivers, but after about a week of driving over the road you should be pretty comfortable.

 

Hello Tre. When I approach a stop light/sign there are a couple things that are gonna happen. Either I will have to stop, period, or try to roll through without stopping. If stopping is the case I will usually not down shift unless there is traffic ahead of me that will prevent me from rolling to the sign. When I get to the sign and before I stop, I will take it out of gear and slip it into the gear that I want to take off in. Depending on the terrain it will probably be 1st or 2nd loaded, or 3rd or 4th mty. You dont have to rev up the rpm's and you dont have to push you clutch all the way down to the clutch brake, just tap it. You dont have to down shift three or four gears at every signal light but it does help if you slow down enough to down shift to whatever gear that might get you through the light. Sometimes stopping is unavoidable but I see so many people racing up to signal lights and I just dont get the purpose, why come to a stop and have to do that extra work when you can just hold back some and roll through in a higher gear. What works for me might be completely different for someone else and your load, weather, and terrain will dictate what you do most of the time.

 

Is it a law not to shift over tracks.

 

I don't know whether or not it's a law to remain in gear as much as possible when coming to a stop, however, it is a law to remain in gear when rolling downhill (coasting in neutral when rolling downhill is a big no-no). Shifting over RR tracks is also a big no-no (you must remain in gear, so as to maintain control of your vehicle). But, I think it's a good idea to develop a habit of downshifting when coming to a stop, so you can maintain as much control as possible. Granted, there will be situations where it isn't practical or safe. Use your best judgement.

 

School it to teach you the basics. Downshifting is one of the basics.
If I'm coming to a (red) light and am in 8th gear, I can't brake all the way to a stop without lugging the engine, probably around 25 mph. So I may downshift from 8th to 6th when needed, and again lower if needed. But you can barely hear it, since I'm doing it close to the lug point. This keeps me in gear at all times and in control. If the light turns green, I can usually use that downshifted gear to continue, so I'm always prepared to continue.
Using downshifting to 'slow down' a truck isn't very efficient and uses more fuel.
Don't worry about it. Shifting is a big deal right now, but as you become proficient, you'll do it without thinking.

 

You wont start in 3rd with a loaded truck. You'd need a new transmission at the end of the first week! Hopefully your school gave you some driving time with a loaded truck!

You wont be able to hear a good driver downshift. The change in RPM is so negligible. Right now your probably hunting and stabbing gears as you downshift, and that's just fine we all have to learn. You will get much better as you gain time in the seat. As far as how many gears to go down, you have the right idea. But, remember once you hit city traffic, that all goes out the window as you bring 80K to a halt around 4 wheelers that DONT understand your burden. Keep doing what you've been taught, you'll just have to learn to adapt it to real world driving conditions.

Years ago when I went through truck driving school I had an instructor that would close his eyes as his students down shifted. We would get an "A" for the day if he couldn't hear the shift.

Oh, and yeah you'll learn to float gears the first day you start with a new company. Very VERY few drivers actually double clutch, but it is the correct way to learn.

 

Yes it is, and you must stop behind the line at a stop sign and make it for at least 3 seconds just so there is no questions. Then if you have to pull up to see, tell your examiner first.

Also, the reason you don't hear most drivers downshifting up to a stop is because most of them are coasting. That will get you failed at a CDL road test and I wouldn't recommend you do it at a company test either.

I had a perspective instructor take a driving test with me and did the same thing. When I questioned him about it he started in with the lectures.

He didn't get hired.

 

A gasoline/spark engine becomes a vacuum pump when decelerating. A diesel simply freewheels when decelerating unless an engine brake is activated. Having the truck in gear at all times does not provide control as claimed. It is a way for students to find the proper gear when it is time to accelerate again. Experienced drivers can drop into the appropriate gear by glancing at the speedometer.