Post by fozzie on May 16, 2004 0:36:23 GMT -5
Boy did I get a lesson on shifting, or the lack thereof at the end of my first week on the job! (...with a driver training, thankfully!)
The trucks at school were all well run in. There was only one truck that was difficult to shift, but even that one became familiar in time. Each truck has a personality, as anyone who drives can attest to.
The first trainer I got on Monday (starting day) had me just ride along in his nearly new Volvo with a huge Cummins engine. On Tuesday, I got to drive one leg of the trip. The truck was extremely easy to drive.
On Wednesday, I was assigned to a non-smoking trainer. (thank God!)
His truck is a year old Freightliner with a Detroit engine. Even though this truck was almost like the ones I drove at school, I find it hard to shift.
We were taught at school to double-clutch. Towards the end of school I did start practicing "free-floating" the gears, but only around the campus.
My first driving experience with the second trainer was less than "artful". I couldn't seem to control the clutch without jerking the truck. So I said, I think I'd better try floating. The trainer said, "Yeah, go for it!" as that's how he always drives. For some reason, I could float the gears nearly perfectly in high range, but the low range was not working. So I ended up double-clutching in the low range and floating in the high range.
On Friday, the trainer said he wanted me to drive like I'd been taught in school. So, I had to do the best I could with double-clutching. On a particular section of road that I had seen the day before from the passenger seat, there was a road the veered off the main road and went up a steep grade for about a quarter of a mile before leveling off again.
I was going about 45 mph in 9th gear (ten speed tranny) and the trainer recommended that I take the truck into the curve and grab 8th gear, then hammer down to the top.
Then my worst nightmare happened. I missed the gear! To make matters worse, I couldn't recover! Within a hundred feet, we came to a dead stop. We were empty, so I tried to get moving in second. I stalled the engine! Then I tried low gear. The engine stalled AGAIN!
The trainer made a quick decision to switch seats and get us out of there. At any moment, another truck could come around the same corner at 45 mph and either have to stop or possibly slam into us.
At the top of the hill, he pulled of to a siding and had me get back into the driver seat. I could hardly believe how composed he remained! He even made a joke, saying, "Well at least you kept it in your lane!" The rest of the way back to the terminal, all we talked about was driving technique.
After I dropped the trailer we had a short distance to go to where we fueled up and parked the truck. The trainer said to try floating again. I was able to drive the truck back smoothly and it gave me a feeling of accomplishment.
Monday, I stay with the same driver. I hope that a couple days away from the truck will help me to get my composer back.
More later...
The trucks at school were all well run in. There was only one truck that was difficult to shift, but even that one became familiar in time. Each truck has a personality, as anyone who drives can attest to.
The first trainer I got on Monday (starting day) had me just ride along in his nearly new Volvo with a huge Cummins engine. On Tuesday, I got to drive one leg of the trip. The truck was extremely easy to drive.
On Wednesday, I was assigned to a non-smoking trainer. (thank God!)
His truck is a year old Freightliner with a Detroit engine. Even though this truck was almost like the ones I drove at school, I find it hard to shift.
We were taught at school to double-clutch. Towards the end of school I did start practicing "free-floating" the gears, but only around the campus.
My first driving experience with the second trainer was less than "artful". I couldn't seem to control the clutch without jerking the truck. So I said, I think I'd better try floating. The trainer said, "Yeah, go for it!" as that's how he always drives. For some reason, I could float the gears nearly perfectly in high range, but the low range was not working. So I ended up double-clutching in the low range and floating in the high range.
On Friday, the trainer said he wanted me to drive like I'd been taught in school. So, I had to do the best I could with double-clutching. On a particular section of road that I had seen the day before from the passenger seat, there was a road the veered off the main road and went up a steep grade for about a quarter of a mile before leveling off again.
I was going about 45 mph in 9th gear (ten speed tranny) and the trainer recommended that I take the truck into the curve and grab 8th gear, then hammer down to the top.
Then my worst nightmare happened. I missed the gear! To make matters worse, I couldn't recover! Within a hundred feet, we came to a dead stop. We were empty, so I tried to get moving in second. I stalled the engine! Then I tried low gear. The engine stalled AGAIN!
The trainer made a quick decision to switch seats and get us out of there. At any moment, another truck could come around the same corner at 45 mph and either have to stop or possibly slam into us.
At the top of the hill, he pulled of to a siding and had me get back into the driver seat. I could hardly believe how composed he remained! He even made a joke, saying, "Well at least you kept it in your lane!" The rest of the way back to the terminal, all we talked about was driving technique.
After I dropped the trailer we had a short distance to go to where we fueled up and parked the truck. The trainer said to try floating again. I was able to drive the truck back smoothly and it gave me a feeling of accomplishment.
Monday, I stay with the same driver. I hope that a couple days away from the truck will help me to get my composer back.
More later...