Some guidance on shifting a Eaton Fuller 13-speed!!!!

Ironicly one of my customers buys, sells and restores old B Model Mack's. Everyone of them are two stick's. I haul one or two for him every month, so I get to play with them things fairly often when I put them on the trailer. I just carried 2 of them up to Louisville KY. a couple weeks ago. They are kind of cool, but I would never want to drive one out on the road.

 

Sounds like a plan. To be honest, shifting is actually one of the things that fall pretty low on what companies look at when you road test. As long as the tranny isn't laying on the ground at the end of the test I'd say you'll be ok.

 

Just get in the truck, stare for a long time at the stick, then say, "What!!??? It's not automatic?"

They'll remember you.

But seriously, the split shifting with the side button is easy, just ease up on the throttle. Just remember that when you move from one position to another you need to do the splitter, like from 5th high split you need to use the splitter to get to 6th low. Timing the split on the trucks I drove was sometimes tricky, one truck it would be better to hit the splitter before getting out of gear and on another it would be easier to split as you made the transition. In an empty truck for the road test maybe use the splitter a few times to show you have the concept, but for most of the test you won't need it.

 

I learned on a 9 and trained on a 13. I drove for 2 weeks before my trainer showed me how to use the splitter. I did alright but I couldn't understand why inclines and heavy trailers were so hard fore to shift right. That half step was the coolest thing ever. Once you get the hang of it you won't want to go back.

 

Armellini is a good outfit. You will fingerprint everything, make lots of drops, but you will get home often.

 

The last time I took a driver for a road test he asked what's the other stick for? Do I leave it in neutral? That was the mid 80s. These newer drivers don't have a clue how easy they have it today. A/C, power steering , you don't need clutch boots any more, you don't have to yell at the guy that is 6 inches away from you, so he can hear you, air ride, no more coffin sleepers, tubeless tires, brakes that really work, you don't have throttle linkage that binds up so when you let your foot off the pedal you keep going, the brownie getting stuck between gears, having to stop along the road, pull up the floor of the cab so you can re tighten the main tranny.. And that was the good ol days? These kids don't know what they are missing.. And then the big this was... WE HAD FUN DOING IT!!!

 

... don't forget "Trucker's Arm"... that well tanned left art you hung out the window for air conditioning...

 

welcome back!! Finally another old timer.. Boy are you in for a big surprise. With not only the trucks but the drivers... They aren't like they were. Some new good drivers.. Alot that think they are. Yeah I started out with a dodge 2 ale with a gas engine, 5 speed main 2 speed rear. Then went to a bubble nose freightliner 5x3 with a 262. It was a 65 ft semi... Had a 15 ft dorm, the 5 th wheel 2 ft behind the rears, and a 40 ft high cube single axle trailer. Then my boss got me a 2 axle kw conventional. With 5x3 250 with a smoke turbo.. God those were the days. OHHH and ran hot caps on the kw. Good luck!! OHHH and we need log books now.. It's a revenue enhancement . And no more two books.