more newbie questions
Shifty
cancel my turn signal after making a turn. The indicator lights in all the
trucks (all are Internationals) are small and hard to see in the daytime.
The area where the indicator lights are located on the dash is obscured by
the steering wheel, so I have to raise up a bit and peer over the steering
wheel to see it. There is no ticking sound as there is in many 4-wheelers. I
suppose the indicator lights are noticeable at night, but I haven't done any
night driving yet. Night driving comes near the end of the course. Do other
trucks besides Internationals have small, somewhat inconspicuous turn signal
indicator lights on the dash?
Something else odd I noticed: None of our trailers have backup lights. Is
that true of most or all trailers? It seems like they should have backup
lights.
I've heard that most fully loaded rigs get about 5 to 7 miles per gallon.
What kind of fuel mileage does a bobtail tractor get?
The brake pedal on all the school trucks looks very similar to the
accelerator pedal. It is the same shape and it is attached at the bottom
rather than the top like 4-wheeler brake pedals. Is there some reason for
that?
I notice when downshifting my right foot must sometimes switch quickly
between the brake and the accelerator. I would imagine if the brake pedal
was designed like a 4-wheeler brake pedal it might require the right foot
and leg to make a longer motion.
The school is teaching double clutching and progressive shifting. Does
anyone here actually use progressive shifting on the job?
I finally got one of the co-instructors to briefly demonstrate floating
(unofficially, off the record). It appears to be just accelerating to the
maximum governed RPM and then shifting into the next highest gear. Is that
the way it is done?
The instructor didn't demonstrate floating downshifting. He only floated a
few gears going up. Will someone please tell me how floating downshifting
differs from double clutching downshifting? Is the technique the same except
the clutch isn't used. The way we are learning to downshift is to slow the
engine to about 1,000 RPM and then clutch to shift to neutral, release the
clutch and goose to about 1,500 RPM, then clutch to shift to the next lowest
gear.
Shifty
Bill
I hope that you'll get more feedback than just my opinion, as I am certain
there are as many unique methods as there are drivers!
in regards to the turn signal, I know for me I had driven a motorcycle b4 a
big truck, so the habit of canceling the turn came natural for me, but I
prefer driving trucks that you can reach the signal arm while still holding
the wheel, (like the signalstat) and alot of the time you can adjust the
height with just a light tug on the signal itself so that the lever can be
reached by just dangling your fingers down while still resting the steering
wheel in your palm (keep your thumbs up! and all filanges clear of the
inside circle of the wheel (contradictory, but oh well) in the event you
blow a steering tire you will have no control of where that wheel is going
to go! (you can expect the truck to jump 1/2 a lane immediately in the
direction of the blowout) just maintain smooth speed and be wary of other
traffic! as for me I have only had three steering blowouts in my career, and
this is purely observational, I would hate to steer you wrong at some point
(pardon the pun)
as far as backup lights go, I know up here its common to have backup lights
on all our equipment! we call them " Chain up lights" I am sure they are
just as common in the lower 48, but most of us have four aircraft landing
lights two on each side, the top one pointed towards the trailer tires (
most have florescent paint stripes on them) so we can tell that were not
"stuck to the ground" and the lower one pointed right at the front Drive
axle so we can see to throw iron on.
fuel mileage while Bobtailing? You must be sleepy shifty, cause I know you
can figure this one out! :-) sefl explanatory
Downshifting ("floating?") in one of those "cornfield cadillacs" should be
extremely simple, with all the "play" I could imagine they have, but
generally I would wait to do it while your MT, as you could take out a few
teeth in the Tranny if your not careful, some trucks will almost shift for
you, and others need more persuasion, and they could even be the same make
and model! you will even be able to shift clutch free in the old 5x4, once
you feel the sweet spot, up,down,skipping, all of it, loaded, mt,
uphill,downhill, ect...ect,.... it just takes time.
as always all the best..... Bill in AK
<classic SNIP Currently unavailable> ie LAZY
"Shifty" <shi...@fakeAddress.net> wrote in message
news:a6bG5.2385$Ds.1...@news4.atl...
tscottme
Shifty wrote:
>
> One problem I'm having on my road excursions at school is remembering to
> cancel my turn signal after making a turn. The indicator lights in all the
> trucks (all are Internationals) are small and hard to see in the daytime.
> The area where the indicator lights are located on the dash is obscured by
> the steering wheel, so I have to raise up a bit and peer over the steering
> wheel to see it. There is no ticking sound as there is in many 4-wheelers. I
> suppose the indicator lights are noticeable at night, but I haven't done any
> night driving yet. Night driving comes near the end of the course. Do other
> trucks besides Internationals have small, somewhat inconspicuous turn signal
> indicator lights on the dash?
The key here is to develop good habits. I use the following. When I
approach a place I will be turning I look for where I will be turning
and the driveways between me and that turn point. As soon as I
determine there are no turning points (driveways or other roads) between
me and my road, I start a signal. If there is quite a distance between
me and the place I will turn, I simply turn the signal on before I take
my foot off the accelerator and place it on the brake. As soon, I get
the tractor pointed straight down the new road, that's when I reach for
the turn-signal lever to cancel it. So rather than thinking of the
items I need to do to complete a turn as remember this, then remember
this, etc. I always do it the same way. Then the habit will almost take
care of itself. Every once and a while I may forget to cancel the
signal, but when this happens, recognizing that the habit is different
causes me to run through all the steps to verify what I missed. Every
time you get straight again on the road, check your signal. Of course
if you are like most drivers and use your signals only when you think
there are other cars around, aren't sure if there is a cop watching you
and on and on, you will forget more often. Do whatever you are doing
slow enough so you can be sure you are doing it right, the quickness
will develope with experience.
> Something else odd I noticed: None of our trailers have backup lights. Is
> that true of most or all trailers? It seems like they should have backup
> lights.
I see lights down by the tractor running boards more on reefer/produce
trucks than anything else. Sometimes I see them on flatbeds. But they
are not common. However, almost every tractor will have a light at the
back of the cab to light up the front of the trailer for hooking up air
lines.
I've heard that most fully loaded rigs get about 5 to 7 miles per
gallon.
> What kind of fuel mileage does a bobtail tractor get?
My tractor has an instant and average fuel economy meter. I believe I
get about 12 mpg when bobtail. Truthfully, I don't drive bobtail enough
to remember this very well. I wouldn't expect a huge increase in
economy when bobtail. I notice that the blunt back of the tractor
causes the bobtail to slow dramatically when you lift off the gas, yes I
know it's deisel. This tells me that the aerodynamic drag is
substantial.
<snip>
>
> I finally got one of the co-instructors to briefly demonstrate floating
> (unofficially, off the record). It appears to be just accelerating to the
> maximum governed RPM and then shifting into the next highest gear. Is that
> the way it is done?
>
> The instructor didn't demonstrate floating downshifting. He only floated a
> few gears going up. Will someone please tell me how floating downshifting
> differs from double clutching downshifting? Is the technique the same except
> the clutch isn't used. The way we are learning to downshift is to slow the
> engine to about 1,000 RPM and then clutch to shift to neutral, release the
> clutch and goose to about 1,500 RPM, then clutch to shift to the next lowest
> gear.
>
> Shifty
Floating the gears works the same whether you are upshifting or
downshifting. The truth is that almost everybody has more trouble
downshifting, with or without the clutch, than upshifting. The keys are
the same. To shift gears you need to match the rpms and the gear.
Notice sometimes when you are driving that you can drive say 50 mph at a
high RPM in one gear and a lower RPM in the next gear. It's important
to note the difference in those to RPMs for that speed. That difference
will hold regardless of speed or gear.
For example, my truck uses a 9-speed Eaton-Fuller transmission. In the
low range I use 1100 rpm as the upshift point and 700 as the downshift
point. On the high range I use 1600 as the upshift and 1300 as the
downshift point. I can drive 50 MPH either by turning 1600 in 7th or by
turning 1300 in 8th.
To shift from one gear to the next you need to let the rpms fall to the
proper lower RPM as to put it in the next gear. The clutch allows this
to be done more easily because it give slightly more tolerance away from
exactly the proper rpm match. When you float the gears, you have to be
right on the money. I'd suggest you not try and float gears until
you've been driving long enough to be very proficient with bumping the
throttle to exactly the right point is the hard part.
Right now I suspect that you aren't in the same truck 2 days in a row
and each truck may even have a different engine/tranny from the others.
I'd be very surprised if you could not only do it well with no proactice
but could do it well in different truck with no practice.
Mark Morissette
>cancel my turn signal after making a turn. The indicator lights in all the
When I was in school they had a rule.. There was no shifting untill
you had cancelled your signal, and if you tried, the instructor
promptly reminded you about that fact.. :-)
After a while, it became second nature in my head to cancel my signal
before ever laying a hand on the shifter.
>night driving yet. Night driving comes near the end of the course. Do other
>trucks besides Internationals have small, somewhat inconspicuous turn signal
>indicator lights on the dash?
Most are far from "Obvious".. Peterbilt's have probably the biggest
of all tractors, although Volvo's are close behind.
IMHO, Volvo has the best idea of all manufacturers.. Along with the
signal, there is an audible "Blip" noise that is quite noticable
whenver the signals are on, and it's impossible to forget them.
However, the "Blip" noise can be very annoying if you are sitting with
your hazard lights on for any length of time, but that's another
story..
Either way, Volvo's have automatic cancelling signals anyways, so
forgetting them usually never happens anyhow.. <grin>
>Something else odd I noticed: None of our trailers have backup lights. Is
>that true of most or all trailers? It seems like they should have backup
>lights.
Virtually none.. The only trailers I've ever seen with B/U lights
are owned by Brokers, and they've taken the time to wire them up and
physically add the lights.
I have yet to see any commercially manufactured semi trailers with
standard backup lights, and to the best of my knowledge it's not even
an option.
>I've heard that most fully loaded rigs get about 5 to 7 miles per gallon.
>What kind of fuel mileage does a bobtail tractor get?
Much more, obviously.. Although I can't say I've ever run enough
highway bobtail miles to actually calculate it.
>The brake pedal on all the school trucks looks very similar to the
>accelerator pedal. It is the same shape and it is attached at the bottom
>rather than the top like 4-wheeler brake pedals. Is there some reason for
>that?
Many tractors use a treadle valve for the airbrakes, and if you look
close you will see that on the bottom of the pedal is the actual
plunger valve which gets pushed down when you step on the pedal..
Hinging on the bottom is just more convenient.
Many other tractor manufacturers mount them in other ways.. It varies
by manufacturer, but all work generally the same.
>I notice when downshifting my right foot must sometimes switch quickly
>between the brake and the accelerator. I would imagine if the brake pedal
>was designed like a 4-wheeler brake pedal it might require the right foot
>and leg to make a longer motion.
When you get into the real world and have a jake, you won't generally
touch the brakes much between downshifts.. Either way, either pedal
style, you get used to it.
>The school is teaching double clutching and progressive shifting. Does
>anyone here actually use progressive shifting on the job?
Yes!
Speak to anyone who considers themselves a professional, and they
generally frowns upon drivers who "Rev it to the governer" before
shifting.
Not only is it a huge waste of fuel since diesel's make their power in
the low RPM's, but it's harder on the equipment.
Anyone road-testing you for a job will look to see that you shift
progressively.
>I finally got one of the co-instructors to briefly demonstrate floating
>(unofficially, off the record). It appears to be just accelerating to the
>maximum governed RPM and then shifting into the next highest gear. Is that
>the way it is done?
Unprofessional. Nobody should ever need to hit the governer to
shift. I suspect that's why he's a co-instructor, and not a full
fledged instructor.
>The instructor didn't demonstrate floating downshifting. He only floated a
>few gears going up. Will someone please tell me how floating downshifting
>differs from double clutching downshifting? Is the technique the same except
>the clutch isn't used. The way we are learning to downshift is to slow the
>engine to about 1,000 RPM and then clutch to shift to neutral, release the
>clutch and goose to about 1,500 RPM, then clutch to shift to the next lowest
>gear.
This is the proper method.. I'd steer clear of whomever it is
teaching you this "Floating" method. Back in the days of R-Model
Mac's with 2 cycle engines, perhaps this was the normal, but with
modern computer controlled engines it's totally improper.
Personally, if I was a trucking company employee who did the road
tests and the hiring, I would quickly steer clear of a prospective
driver who jams the engine right to the governer for each and every
shift, up or down.. It's totally unnecessary, will result in lower
MPH and higher repair costs.
Progressive shifting is the true professional way to shift, and to be
honest with you it's more effective.. We have a few drivers who
governer shift at our company, and I can out-accelerate them with the
exact same tractor and load by progressively shifting and never
hitting more then 1600 RPM while they rev things up to 2100, making
all kinds of noise, and no power.
---
Mark, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
pepp...@spamcop.net
Don
it off after you make the turn. The new Volvos have a turn signal switch with an
automatic canceled just like in a car.
I have only seen back up lights on O/Os and bread trucks trailers.
As for mileage my truck gets about 7 to 7.5 mph loaded and around 7.5 to 8 mph
bob tailing. You must understand the way a diesel engine works. You aren't going
to get a whole lot of difference in fuel mileage unless the truck is climbing a
steep grade. If you where to average fuel mileage between to points loaded and
empty then you would see a big difference.
As for the brake pedal they differ depending on the make of the truck.
Freightlinner, Kenworth and International have the treadle design I have never
driven a Pete so I'm not sure about them. Volvo and the new Frieghtlinners have
a car like brake peddle and trust me, once you've driven trucks with one type
it's weird trying to get used to the other. When you get into a Volvo for the
first time be careful with the brake or you'll end up kissing the windshield.
As for shifting, no I don't use progressive shifting it's too time consuming and
in heavy traffic I'd rather give up fuel mileage to keep from getting run over.
You will learn in time that floating is a common practice. Once you get the hang
of what speeds and rpms fit what gears you will get the hang of it. When I'm
slowing down I don't grab gears all over the place I just let the truck slow to
whatever speed I need then I grab the gear that best suits the speed I'm going.
It's much safer to do this because all the time you are freaking trying to down
shift through 8 gears your mind is not 100% on what is going on around you and
it could cause you to miss the little car that is getting ready to cut you off.
Just relax and remember that proper shifting techniques are something learned
over time.
Don.
Shifty
tscottme <blah...@blah.net> wrote in message
news:39E9D673...@blah.net...
>
>
> Shifty wrote:
> >
> > One problem I'm having on my road excursions at school is remembering to
> > cancel my turn signal after making a turn.
> The key here is to develop good habits. I use the following. When I
> approach a place I will be turning I look for where I will be turning
> and the driveways between me and that turn point. As soon as I
> determine there are no turning points (driveways or other roads) between
> me and my road, I start a signal.
You bring up a very good point here. If there is a driveway or road between
you and the intersection or road where you intend to turn, there is a danger
that a driver might misinterpret your signal to mean you want to turn at the
driveway or other road, and a vehicle at that intervening driveway might
pull out in front of you. I think there have been lots of accidents caused
this way.
I am very aware of this problem when driving my 4-wheeler. I will usually
put on my turn signal normally only if there is no vehicle at the
intervening driveway or road. If there is a vehicle at the intervening place
that might misinterpret my signal to turn, I will usually wait until either
I pass the intervening driveway or else wait until I am almost there so the
driver wouldn't have time to misinterpret my signal and pull out.
To be honest, while driving the 18-wheeler through town on the test route, I
haven't thought about this problem much. I recall the rule saying you should
put on your turn signal at least 100 feet from the place you intend to turn,
and in town, you should always signal at least one block from your turning
place even if that is greater than 100 feet. Since I will be graded on
points like that, that is usually what I think about before making a turn.
In fact, my instructor is aware of the misinterpreted turn signal problem.
He mentioned an accident he witnessed caused by that problem.
Next time I drive, tomorrow at school, I'm going to ask if points would be
deducted if I decided to delay putting on my turn signal when I think it
might be misinterpreted.
Thank you for bringing up this turn signal problem.
If there is quite a distance between
> me and the place I will turn, I simply turn the signal on before I take
> my foot off the accelerator and place it on the brake. As soon, I get
> the tractor pointed straight down the new road, that's when I reach for
> the turn-signal lever to cancel it. So rather than thinking of the
> items I need to do to complete a turn as remember this, then remember
> this, etc. I always do it the same way. Then the habit will almost take
> care of itself. Every once and a while I may forget to cancel the
> signal, but when this happens, recognizing that the habit is different
> causes me to run through all the steps to verify what I missed. Every
> time you get straight again on the road, check your signal. Of course
> if you are like most drivers and use your signals only when you think
> there are other cars around, aren't sure if there is a cop watching you
> and on and on, you will forget more often. Do whatever you are doing
> slow enough so you can be sure you are doing it right, the quickness
> will develope with experience.
Sounds like good advice. Habits can be good things. They free you from
having to consciously think about something.
I usually shift durring a turn at an intersection. We are using progressive
shifting at low RPMs and if I didn't shift, the turn would be painfully slow
if I am starting from a dead stop. So far, I haven't heard any of the
instructors criticize me for shifting durring such a turn. I am aware you
aren't supposed to shift in the middle of a curve, but that is a slightly
different matter, I think. Do you think it is generally OK to shift durring
a turn when starting from a dead stop?
Shifty
Shifty
Mark Morissette <pepp...@spamcop.net> wrote in message
news:gopjusklqnr07tpsf...@4ax.com...
> >One problem I'm having on my road excursions at school is remembering to
> >cancel my turn signal after making a turn. The indicator lights in all
the
>
> When I was in school they had a rule.. There was no shifting untill
> you had cancelled your signal, and if you tried, the instructor
> promptly reminded you about that fact.. :-)
>
> After a while, it became second nature in my head to cancel my signal
> before ever laying a hand on the shifter.
That sound like a good rule of thumb except for one thing: what happens if
you have to shift in the middle of a turn. So far, I have only driven the
7-speed in town. With the 7-speed, we have to always start off in 1st. If am
stopped at an intersection and then have to make a turn, I think I usually
shift to 2nd in the middle of the turn. With the 9-speed, we can start off
in second. I have driven the 9-speed on about 4 or 5 excursions out in the
country, out of town. I think at times, I have also shifted the 9-speed
durring a turn made starting from a dead stop. So far, I don't recall any
instructor saying I shouldn't shift in such a turn. Do you have some rule of
thumb about shifting durring a turn? I'm talking about making a turn from a
dead stop, not a curve or a rolling start turn.
Shifty
Shifty
Don <dere...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:39E9EFBC...@bellsouth.net...
[SNIP]
When I'm
> slowing down I don't grab gears all over the place I just let the truck
slow to
> whatever speed I need then I grab the gear that best suits the speed I'm
going.
> It's much safer to do this because all the time you are freaking trying to
down
> shift through 8 gears your mind is not 100% on what is going on around you
and
> it could cause you to miss the little car that is getting ready to cut you
off.
Most of the time I downshift one gear at a time when slowing to make a turn.
I'm not sure if my instructors require that. I guess I just do it because I
think they expect it. And maybe because I enjoy the practice of frequent
shifting so I can learn and get a feel for it. Once or twice, out in the
country, I tried "skip shifting", or skipping a gear when downshifting, but
I haven't tried that when driving in town.
In town, when I need to make a turn, I'll mash the brake a bit to slow down,
then downshift to the next lowest gear, then I'll mash the brake again, then
get the next lowest gear, etc. until I am going slow enough to make the
turn. This probably looks odd to vehicles behind me. They see the signal
light come on and then they see the brake light come on and go off several
times before I turn.
If I think about it, next time I drive in town, if I'm cruising in 5th and
the instructor says to make a turn up ahead, I'm going to skip 4th and
downshift to 3rd or maybe even to 2nd just before making the turn.
Shifty
Diago
you in order to pass the course and get your CDL, but bottom line is that
you won't really learn until you are on the road and have had a years worth
of experience behind you. At that point, you will be shifting without even
thinking about it (no clutch), and you will cancel your signal without
giving it a thought.
Shifty <shi...@fakeAddress.net> wrote in message
news:a6bG5.2385$Ds.1...@news4.atl...
Bill
driving over 12 years, and I am still "Really Learning"
IMOHO a Year isnt even close to enough time, then again, I may be a slow
learner! Bill in AK
"Diago" <di...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:WToG5.3009$7N.1...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> I realize that while you are in school all these things become important
to
> you in order to pass the course and get your CDL, but bottom line is that
> you won't really learn until you are on the road and have had a years
worth
> of experience behind you.
<< SNIP >>
Shifty
I don't think Diago was implying that it would take just a year to know it
all. Here is what he said:
> > > I realize that while you are in school all these things become
important
> > to
> > > you in order to pass the course and get your CDL, but bottom line is
> that
> > > you won't really learn until you are on the road and have had a years
> > worth
> > > of experience behind you.
Incidentally, I have no doubt now that I will pass the course. When I was
first learning to back I had serious doubts. In fact, I haven't yet filled
out any applications from the recruiters that came to visit the class
because previously I had doubts I would ever learn how to back well enough.
As it turned out, I made the second best score in the class (twelve of us)
on the backing test. I know I still have plenty to learn about backing and I
know it is a skill that one must constantly practice in order to maintain.
If I had made a C (average) on the backing test, I would have considered
that to be a failure. I don't just want to be a trucker, I want to be a good
trucker, as good as I can be, as skillful as I can be, as safe as I can be.
I'm glad to see there are others here who have the same attitude.
Cadet Shifty
Don
the truck around a corner.
Don.
Shifty wrote:
> Mark Morissette <pepp...@spamcop.net> wrote in message
> news:gopjusklqnr07tpsf...@4ax.com...
> > >One problem I'm having on my road excursions at school is remembering to
> > >cancel my turn signal after making a turn. The indicator lights in all
> the
> >
> > When I was in school they had a rule.. There was no shifting untill
> > you had cancelled your signal, and if you tried, the instructor
> > promptly reminded you about that fact.. :-)
> >
> > After a while, it became second nature in my head to cancel my signal
> > before ever laying a hand on the shifter.
>
Don
else.
Don.
Bill wrote:
> not to be sarcastic, mind you, but I have been fortunate to have been
> driving over 12 years, and I am still "Really Learning"
> IMOHO a Year isnt even close to enough time, then again, I may be a slow
> learner! Bill in AK
>
> "Diago" <di...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
> news:WToG5.3009$7N.1...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> > I realize that while you are in school all these things become important
> to
> > you in order to pass the course and get your CDL, but bottom line is that
> > you won't really learn until you are on the road and have had a years
> worth
> > of experience behind you.
>
> << SNIP >>
Bill
"You are correct Bill. I have been driving for over 30 years and I still
learn every day. The day I climb into my truck and feel I have conquered it
is the day I hope I will have the sense to give it up since that will
probably be the day I will have an accident. Thanks for the reality check!"
Diago and myself recognize each others Professionalism, and The last thing
I was implying was a put down of another Driver! I was releived at his
reply, and know that we are both on the same channel!
Bill in AK
<SNIP>
Diago
learn every day. The day I climb into my truck and feel I have conquered it
is the day I hope I will have the sense to give it up since that will
probably be the day I will have an accident. Thanks for the reality check!
Bill <san...@ptialaska.net> wrote in message
news:suk91e3...@corp.supernews.com...
Mark Morissette
>instructor saying I shouldn't shift in such a turn. Do you have some rule of
>thumb about shifting durring a turn? I'm talking about making a turn from a
>dead stop, not a curve or a rolling start turn.
As you get more confortable behind the wheel, you'll find yourself
easilly able to do something quick like cancel a signal between
shifts.
As someone else mentioned allready, if the signal lever is placed
properly, you should be able to reach it with your left fingers
without removing your hand from the wheel.. In the case of a turn, I
usually cancel the signal while the wheel is returning to center, and
one hand stays on the shifter, and the other on the wheel. No
problem.
Mark Morissette
>you in order to pass the course and get your CDL, but bottom line is that
>you won't really learn until you are on the road and have had a years worth
>thinking about it (no clutch), and you will cancel your signal without
>giving it a thought.
Truer words have never been spoken...
The only time I ever have to "Think" about shifting anymore is when
you find yourself suddenly at a much different speed them you were at
a few moments before, and you have to figure out what gear you should
be in at that point..
Wavking
Keep it up and you'll do fine!
sh...@muttech.com
wrote:
>One problem I'm having on my road excursions at school is remembering to
>cancel my turn signal after making a turn. The indicator lights in all the
>trucks (all are Internationals) are small and hard to see in the daytime.
>The area where the indicator lights are located on the dash is obscured by
>the steering wheel, so I have to raise up a bit and peer over the steering
>wheel to see it. There is no ticking sound as there is in many 4-wheelers. I
>suppose the indicator lights are noticeable at night, but I haven't done any
>night driving yet. Night driving comes near the end of the course. Do other
>trucks besides Internationals have small, somewhat inconspicuous turn signal
>indicator lights on the dash?
Been a while since I replied, been busy odd hours ya know, man I hate
wharehouse workers . I drive all sorts of different types o' trucks,
internationals, petes, frieghtliners, kenworths, fords,
whites,westernstars, the joys of being a company driver. Believe it or
not some trucks do have the little tick tick sound just very quiet. I
drive nights all the time and I like it more than days less traffic
and idiot 4 wheelers although coming back into the city from outta
town during the morning rush does suck tho.
>Something else odd I noticed: None of our trailers have backup lights. Is
>that true of most or all trailers? It seems like they should have backup
>lights.
Never heard of such a thing myself suppose its possible tho. can't
really see the use of them tho.
>The school is teaching double clutching and progressive shifting. Does
>anyone here actually use progressive shifting on the job?
Except for the double clutching I do progressive every day, and I
don't care what people think about how fast I am going because to do
otherwise would waste fuel and my time by just having to keep stopping
for all the lights in town, most are time for the speed limit in
cities, or here anyways Vancouver,
>ou ring up a very good point here. If there is a driveway or road between
>ou and the intersection or road where you intend to turn, there is a danger
>>driveway or other road, and a vehicle at that intervening driveway might
>ull out in front of you. I think there have been lots of accidents caused
>his way.
The way I look at because it takes you longer than the average car to
do anything and if something goes wrongt the pontential for big damage
is relative to size, Use your signals with plenty of warning so
everybody knows what your intentions are, don't yopu hate the morons
that go up the right side of you when your pulling a right, almost got
a pedestrian tonight ran out from a convience store going across the
street with out even looking thank god I was, phew, I pull into areas
all the time with lots of other driveways around and I just go by the
rule 200m in city and about 400m on the highway
and turnng a signal off a good indicator at night is the flashing
light on the side of the trailer when you check your mirrors.
>I usually shift durring a turn at an intersection. We are using progressive
>shifting at low RPMs and if I didn't shift, the turn would be painfully slow
>if I am starting from a dead stop. So far, I haven't heard any of the
>instructors criticize me for shifting durring such a turn. I am aware you
>aren't supposed to shift in the middle of a curve, but that is a slightly
>different matter, I think. Do you think it is generally OK to shift durring
>a turn when starting from a dead stop?
Hmm I can usually get up 4th gear before I reach the other side of the
intersection going straight 900, 1000, 1100, 1200, etc
Turning right from dead stop I',m usually in 3rd by the time I
straighten into my lane. I can't really think of a time I don't shift
in the turn from a dead stop I do this a lot.
>That sound like a good rule of thumb except for one thing: what happens if
>you have to shift in the middle of a turn. So far, I have only driven the
>7-speed in town. With the 7-speed, we have to always start off in 1st. If am
>stopped at an intersection and then have to make a turn, I think I usually
>shift to 2nd in the middle of the turn. With the 9-speed, we can start off
>in second. I have driven the 9-speed on about 4 or 5 excursions out in the
>country, out of town. I think at times, I have also shifted the 9-speed
>durring a turn made starting from a dead stop. So far, I don't recall any
>instructor saying I shouldn't shift in such a turn. Do you have some rule of
>thumb about shifting durring a turn? I'm talking about making a turn from a
>dead stop, not a curve or a rolling start turn.
The best rule of thumb to use for which gear to start off in is the
highest one where the truck won't stall. Wait tiull you get in yor
first 18 speed trans mission those are good practice for knowing
instictively what gear you should be in for the speed otherwise you do
what I did my first time I drove and blew a shift on a hill, aaargh,
got to practice those hill starts that time : )AAAck wheres that damn
gear
>Most of the time I downshift one gear at a time when slowing to make a turn.
>I'm not sure if my instructors require that. I guess I just do it because I
>think they expect it. And maybe because I enjoy the practice of frequent
>shifting so I can learn and get a feel for it. Once or twice, out in the
>country, I tried "skip shifting", or skipping a gear when downshifting, but
>I haven't tried that when driving in town.
keep going thru all the shifts until the first time you totally forget
to use the clutch, or you blow a shift and it doesn't even make ya
blink its good for learning the different speeds each gear makes the
truck go. Shifting becomes very second nature the more you do it
>In town, when I need to make a turn, I'll mash the brake a bit to slow down,
>then downshift to the next lowest gear, then I'll mash the brake again, then
>get the next lowest gear, etc. until I am going slow enough to make the
>turn. This probably looks odd to vehicles behind me. They see the signal
>light come on and then they see the brake light come on and go off several
>times before I turn.
Forget about what the cars think about what you are doing the
important thing is that they notice you and the fact that you have the
turn signal on because a turn signal on a truck is a cloaking device
its amazing how many people say I never saw the truck officer.
The person who is responsible for the truck and anything it touchs,
hits,anything is you and it is up to you to avoid the accident by not
putting yourself in the position to be in one always use your signals
and the excuse that I couldn';t stop in time is not a valid one, but
you should be a concientioius and thoughtful driver and its nice to
know you'll think about how you drive because you are just about a
professional and I think that means something
One last thing Shifty staring in 2nd are you pulling empty trailers or
do you have weight in them.
As always In the Great White north ( not in Vancouver, maybe Toronto
eh Mark)
Shiva
I am part of the food chain, I deliver groceries :-)
chubbycox
still find myself leaving the damn thing on! gets a little embarassing too
when you're in the hammer lane trying to play big truck! Most don't make
much noise to let you know they are on.
--
Sacrificing quality for quantity since 1971.
Chubbycox
"Shifty" <shi...@fakeAddress.net> wrote in message
news:a6bG5.2385$Ds.1...@news4.atl...
Don
Don.
chubbycox wrote:
> Shifty...I've been driving for 7 years(no, not one LONG load! LOL) and I
> still find myself leaving the damn thing on! gets a little embarassing too
> when you're in the hammer lane trying to play big truck! Most don't make
> much noise to let you know they are on.
>
> --
> Sacrificing quality for quantity since 1971.
> Chubbycox
> "Shifty" <shi...@fakeAddress.net> wrote in message
> news:a6bG5.2385$Ds.1...@news4.atl...
Whitelightning
back-up lights on trailers was in europe when I was stationed there eons
ago. Personnally I think they make good sense as long as there is a way to
override them. I have had to make some delieveries where they would have
made the job a whole lot easier.
I do have a question for mark though, I've driven more Macks, including Mack
powered M543A2 whreckers while in the sevice, than any other brand of truck
and have never seen a two stroke Mack engine. The list of Macks I have
driven include, B-60, 64, 67, and 72. F-Model cab over(coil springs on the
front axle),numerous DMs, RMs, and Superliners. and in all those vehicles
never seen a two stroke mack engine. Lots of thermodynes and maxidynes, and
even two with gasoline engines.
Whitelightning
Shifty
<sh...@muttech.com> wrote in message
[SNIP]
Believe it or
> not some trucks do have the little tick tick sound just very quiet.
Yes! I just found out several of the Internationals at school do make a
tick-tick sound when the turn signal and 4-way flasher is on. The sound is
so quiet (or maybe the truck is so noisy) that I had not noticed it before.
By the way, I took my road test this past Thursday and yesterday (Friday) I
got my CDL. I don't think I lost any points on the road test for leaving my
blinker on too long after a turn, but the instructor did say that I lost
some points for turning my blinker on too soon before making some turns. I
think he was concerned about cars at intervening roads and driveways
misinterpreting my early signal and thinking I was intending to turn at the
intervening road/driveway.
The course still isn't over though. We have about two more weeks to go. In
the time remaining, we are going to take some longer trips, do some night
driving, and hopefully do some driving in the rain. We are also going to
learn more about securing the load on a flatbed, adjusting slack adjusters,
sliding 5th wheels and tandems, and other things. We are also going to get
some experience hauling a tanker filled with water. If any of us has a job
lined up and waiting, we can choose to graduate and leave the school now.
I'm still trying to arrange to work for the small car hauler that I
mentioned before. I'm hoping now that I have my CDL I can start making a few
trips with him and learning how to load and unload the cars. I made some
indirect inquiries about two rather large car hauling companies in my area,
but I found out that one is not hiring now and the other requires a minimum
of two years experience. I'm hoping I can get my foot in the door by
starting out with the O/O-small-company fellow.
I
> drive nights all the time and I like it more than days less traffic
> and idiot 4 wheelers although coming back into the city from outta
> town during the morning rush does suck tho.
I haven't driven the 18-wheelers at night yet, but in some ways I do prefer
driving my 4-wheeler at night. As you say, most of the time there is less
traffic. And it seems like a car at night with its headlights on is more
easy to see and notice. For example, on little country roads, you can see
the glow from headlights and know a car is coming around a curve long before
you ever actually see the car. One negative thing about night driving might
be that the darkness might tend to exacaserbate the fatigue factor. I've
always been somewhat of a nightowl though.
>
> >Something else odd I noticed: None of our trailers have backup lights. Is
> >that true of most or all trailers? It seems like they should have backup
> >lights.
>
> Never heard of such a thing myself suppose its possible tho. can't
> really see the use of them tho.
I just thought it would be handy to have backup lights on the rear of a
trailer when you are backing at night.
[SNIP]
> One last thing Shifty staring in 2nd are you pulling empty trailers or
> do you have weight in them.
I have started out in second driving the 9-speed and 10-speed pulling a
flatbed with a light or moderate load.
Thanks for your reply and advice.
Shifty
Bob + Deb
Most trailers don't come with backup lights.If your Company wants
backup lights then they'll have t put them on.
But let me say this,if you get into a place and it is at night
and they don't have any dock lights then take your flashligt and put it
on the rubber bumper at the dock and then line the corner of the trailer
to it and back up.The flashlight thing works when you have to back into
a dock that is inside,
Bobby/Debbie
http://community.webtv.net/bob-deb/LivingInTheWoods
Bill
if you are lined up.
Alot of the time I will take a tree branch, and line it up with the trailer
tires for reference, I am just careful nobody moves it while I am away.
Bill in AK
"Bob + Deb" <bob...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:12213-39...@storefull-215.iap.bryant.webtv.net...