I'm starting driving school Monday. I all ready have my permit and 3 endorsements. Tanker, Haz materials, doubles/triples. Any pointers? Im nervous as i have never drove a big rig. I good at manual transmissions as my 1st vehicle was a Dodge Dakota with a stick.

--- Update to the previous post...

Ohh also the school is 3 weeks long, so i should have enough experience for my test at the end of school. Everyone tells me to take it slow.

  silverram323 said:

I'm starting driving school Monday. I all ready have my permit and 3 endorsements. Tanker, Haz materials, doubles/triples. Any pointers? Im nervous as i have never drove a big rig. I good at manual transmissions as my 1st vehicle was a Dodge Dakota with a stick.

--- Update to the previous post...

Ohh also the school is 3 weeks long, so i should have enough experience for my test at the end of school. Everyone tells me to take it slow.

Just take it slow and and feel for the gears. And number one in my book is kept your distance from the vehicle in front of you. Practice the end of your trailer when your out on wide open hwy. In other words watch cars when they are passing you and you can make your own mark on your trailer.

Good luck

I've not exactly drove big rigs but I driven a lot of large fire trucks that could compete with big trucks.

If you have already done the pre-trip part of the license and the writtens you have gone thru the hardest part IMOP. I remember when I did my driving test the examiner said I was NOT to change gears during the intersection, starting from a stop. When your pulling a semi and a pup, it would take 2 light changes to do that!

  gassernomore said:

I remember when I did my driving test the examiner said I was NOT to change gears during the intersection, starting from a stop. When your pulling a semi and a pup, it would take 2 light changes to do that!

ouch! in my ram i can shift 3 times before im on the other side of the intersection...was scared you were going to stall it?

  guesswho512 said:

ouch! in my ram i can shift 3 times before im on the other side of the intersection...was scared you were going to stall it?

No, it wasn't me! His thinking was that you took 1 hand off the steering wheel while driving! Didn't try to reason with him! Not too many automatic semis running around to solve that problem!

well 1st day of school went good. we spent 7am till noon in the classroom doing paper work/log books. then we went and played with the truck. here are a few pics.

In your own truck, whack the rear view mirror so it is pointing at something useless so you can't use it. Force yourself to use your side mirrors. That will help. My roommate did the whole "twist around in his seat to see out the back window" routine in his pickup and he almost never passed the CDL because he couldn't back up at all, he would turn around and see a sleeper

  ISX said:

In your own truck, whack the rear view mirror so it is pointing at something useless so you can't use it. Force yourself to use your side mirrors. That will help. My roommate did the whole "twist around in his seat to see out the back window" routine in his pickup and he almost never passed the CDL because he couldn't back up at all, he would turn around and see a sleeper

ROFLMAO!!!! Yea Side mirrors are the key!!!! If you can lick backing up only useing your side mirrors you can put that baby just about anywhere. when I did mine MANY MANY moons ago it was with a farm truck. My boss put me in that thing and told me to back that sucker all over and around the 400 acre farm laneways. I'll tell you what buy the end of the day I could back that thing better than I could go Forward LOL LOL LOL

  ISX said:

"twist around in his seat to see out the back window" routine in his pickup and he almost never passed the CDL because he couldn't back up at all, he would turn around and see a sleeper

i didn't know we ever rode together

NO CDL but I've towed gooseneck & 5th wheel trailers... I agree point the interior mirror at the ceiling. After time running the CTD without a trailer, it's down right freaky to see that trailer in your inside mirror. Backing is fine once you learn to use the mirrors. Easier with your own truck, where the mirrors are set & nobody messes with them (or start over when you swing the camper mirrors out).

Thursday was the 1st time out of the yard. Upshifting was fine, downshifting was something else. I cant believe there is still gears in there. There was a lot of grinding going on. I went 4-5 miles Thursday. Today/Friday we got to go out for 20 mile drive on the back roads. All we did was get into 6-7-8-9 gear and downshift- up - down - up shift. I will say in 20 minutes i got a whole lot better and i still have to work on it but its not to bad once you get the feel of it.

  silverram323 said:

Thursday was the 1st time out of the yard. Upshifting was fine, downshifting was something else. I cant believe there is still gears in there. There was a lot of grinding going on. I went 4-5 miles Thursday. Today/Friday we got to go out for 20 mile drive on the back roads. All we did was get into 6-7-8-9 gear and downshift- up - down - up shift. I will say in 20 minutes i got a whole lot better and i still have to work on it but its not to bad once you get the feel of it.

I was gonna say something but your cummins is an auto If you had a manual you could learn to sync all the gears. Start on a 24V and work your way to a 12V, 24V's don't drop in RPM very fast so you can easily drop it into gear, whereas a 12V drops RPM like a damn 2 stroke so it's harder to hit the sync speed. I wouldn't recommend it though if you are grinding a lot of things, it will wear the synchros out of the manual on our trucks.

Yes i have all endorsements 30 yrs.,worth retired end Jan,2010. Take you're time yes, but most important patience !!! patience !!! patience !!!. If you have you think! a tough instructor thank them & ask questions anyway. If you think there tough them (4 wheelers) will teach yea no questions asked. I hope you do well. Cookie

Cookie

  silverram323 said:

Thursday was the 1st time out of the yard. Upshifting was fine, downshifting was something else. I cant believe there is still gears in there. There was a lot of grinding going on. I went 4-5 miles Thursday. Today/Friday we got to go out for 20 mile drive on the back roads. All we did was get into 6-7-8-9 gear and downshift- up - down - up shift. I will say in 20 minutes i got a whole lot better and i still have to work on it but its not to bad once you get the feel of it.

Every engine tranny config will be a whole new learning curv again. Most newer engines are about the same as far as shift points and how fast they decell, Want to really learn how to drive??????Find an old truck with a 2 stroke detroit in it with a 13 or 18 speed tranny in it and master that and you will have no problems with any other truck. The rpms drop so fast on them that you have to shift extremely fast both up and down. I learned to drive truck in a 22 foot 1970 IH Grain truck with no power steering and astraight piped 6-71 detroit with a 10 speed in it.:banghead:

Ill stick to the Eaton 10 speed for now. :ahhh:

  silverram323 said:

Ill stick to the Eaton 10 speed for now. :ahhh:

I suppose its a super 10 which is an auto shift that splits the shifts for you in the top 2 holes IIRC. Or the eaton full auto Manual trannies. Has an allison automatic style shift pad with a clutch pedal which is for nothing but stopping and getting started and direction changes. the computer fully controls the engine rpm and shifts once the clutch pedal is let up.

Nope i have to run the splitter. I have to use the clutch. floating is easier

It's not all that hard. To learn. Just watch what ever company. You go with after words. They all promise. Big money but rarely come throu:banghead:

I hear ya. I have been on this site way to much lately. Good info. http://www.thetruckersreport.com