typical newbie missing 7th gear!

You do not know if the advise here is even given by a driver. This does not sound like good advise at all.

 

I know when I was a newb to the ten speed I found that shifting at a bit lower speed helped quite a bit.
Don't gain so many rpms and it'll drop right into 7th like it knows where it's going.

 

You mentioned that you're driving a 10 speed. When you get it over onto the high side and that 6th gear, you know that there's the spring where you have to "slap your thigh" to put it into 6th.

I get my RPMs up to 1500-1700 depending on the weight of my load. If I'm empty, 1500 RPMs will do the job. Loaded heavy? I need about 1700 RPMs. Then when I get ready to slide it into 7th gear, I feel that spring when I move it to 7th gear. It's a VERY short motion to go to 7th gear.

You may want to use a counting mechanism. I've used 1-2-3 with trainees in the past and when I'm going to a new truck. That 1-2-3 is quick; perhaps 1 second if I'm counting correctly. You may just want to sit in the cab and go through the gears with the engine running. It will take time but you don't need to be in a hurry. It took me more than a year before I gave up using the clutch while shifting.

If you lose that gear, just slow down easily and get your RPMs down where you can gently touch the fuel pedal to put it back into 6th gear, then go through it again. Your trainer doesn't want to hear you grinding the gears, but he is there to help you. If he's everything he should be, he truly wants you to succeed and can be there to help know you're ready for that road test with the examiner.

But when you take your driving test with the examiner, slow down, be patient and keep your wits about you. They know you're going to make mistakes. When I took my exam, I know that I made a few and when it was over, we discussed the few that I made. But I got my CDL and it was thrilling.

I'd also offer this advice. Don't take that road test with the examiner until YOU'RE ready. Don't be pressured to go when you know you're not ready. There's no benefit gained from that. When you're ready, say so. If you're not, feel free to say, "I need a little more time to get comfortable with this." You want to do everything you can to pass that test the first time.

Here's hoping this post makes some degree of sense to you. I'm sorry to read that you lost your job but that's their loss. Please keep us posted on how everything goes for you and the success that you're having.

The best of the new year 2014 to you!

 

See, John, the thing about opinions, is that they're a lot like you know what's; and some drivers' you know what's are bigger than others.

I use my clutch brake quite a bit, it doesn't need adjusted any more than any other drivers in my fleet- just had a PM done about a week ago and had our mechanic giver her a thorough going over; zero adjustment needed for at-least quite a while.

Then again, not all of us have the opportunity to drive open interstate. Some of us have actual work to do in mero/city areas.

I said it once, and I'll say it again; SLAM THAT CLUTCH BRAKE. Not really, give her a `lil tap just to drop the RPM's, ONLY so you can begin to gauge where you need to get that RPM.

 

Bad advice.. BAD ADVICE.

The clutch brake is about 3" in diameter with a wear surface about 3/4" wide. Its has exactly one job. That's to stop rotation of the clutch disc and internals of the transmission while you're in NEUTRAL so you can slip into gear while stopped. Its cannot "drop the rpm" of the engine, since you have to disengage the clutch to even use it. If you hit it while moving in gear you're doing nothing except wearing it out. When you're moving in gear you have the entire forward momentum of the truck turning the driveline and that tiny disc has zero chance in hell of slowing anything. Would be like trying to slow down on Grapevine with only your steer brakes.

This isn't opinion, its the facts of how the clutchbrake operates.

 

Never said it was designed to stop the vehicle, or slow any momentum down other than the DRIVE LINE NON-SYNCHRONOUS SHAFT.

The only thing the clutch brake does is slow the trans down to reconnect the gear back to the drivline.

Until I get qoutable sources from links, I'ma keep smacking that Eaton Fuller down on the off chance I skip a gear, because that is it's job- To slow the connecting shaft down enough that I can get that gear back in.


Love it or hate it; it ain't my truck. I'm not worried. been driving a few for a while now- had no problems with that clutch brake.
BTW; this IS recommended in the Eaton Fuller guide, which I'm happy to walk out into my backyard and get at some point if the freagin weather breaks; I aint goin out in a blizzard just to prove a point.

 

WOW is all I can say, who taught you that?

 

And people wonder why some companies don't hire new drivers.....

 

Have to agree there. As a driver and mechanic for over 30 years, I would like to see that in black and white from the eaton/fuller owners manual.....The clutch brake is only used at a complete stop

 

Keith,, you would (well maybe not) be amazed at how many people don't know what a clutch brake is.