TRAFFIC >:( (tips for me)

Know your split break. I.e. above 25mph leave the selector up, below 25 trip it.

Leave a huge gap in front of you so you can maintain a gear at almost all times, who cares if someone cut in front. There will always be someone in front of you...

 

Best tip? Learn from your mistakes. Don't keep making the same mistakes. Experience is your friend. Eventually shifting will become as natural and automatic as breathing but until then remember that .. if it messes up when you do that. Don't do that.

Learn to skip gears in the process of refining your up/down shifting skills, especially when empty or light.

 

Listen to the truck and feel the RPM's. You will eventually know where the sweet spot is.

 

Oh also remember generally 35 is 8th, 25 is 7th and 15 is 6th

 

Get down and get out. You may need to tal the gas it it will not go in. Just like when up shifting you get in and out of the low gears.

 

Try to drive without using the brakes. Give yourself plenty of space so you can downshift to slow down. It will give you a better chance of bieng relaxed while your practicing shifing.

City traffic is city traffic and you won't be going anywhere anytime soon so just try to relax and take it easy. Let everyone pull those tricks to get ahead of the next guy so they can sit at a red light when they get to their exit.

 

Say the gears out loud as you shift....sort of reinforces your memory of what gear you are in. Say "low five", or "high six", etc. might help, might not.
For Your gear selection you can use this trick. It does help:

15 mph = 6 th gear. (1 + 5 = 6th)
25 mph = 7th gear (2 + 5 = 7th gear), etc.
35 mph = 8 th gear
45 mph = 9 th gear

So you just check your speedometer and you can quickly add together your speed to see what gear you need. I still use this after a year of part time driving.

With practice you will get much better with your shifting...after 25,000 miles of driving you will be much better at shifting.

 

You'll probably just get better with practice.
I suck at shifting for a few days when I switch trucks and I'm awesome.