Profile For John P.

The real answer, for better or worse - is that the way to deal with this scenario (the original question) comes with training.

Pretty much no one here, took the "easy route" - although many of us wish it were possible.

The "farm type driving" excludes you from having to obtain a CDL for running goods from farm to market (or processing/storage) but doesn't entitle you to go driving OTR.

Since pretty much all of us here have gone through some kind of school PLUS On Road Training - we just find it scary for someone that hasn't had ANY FORMAL TRAINING to be asking basic shifting questions.

Not trying to be mean or anything. Just wishing you would get some real training, with a real trainer in the seat next to you.

For the record - I learned how to drive a stick, stealing my dads Volvo (car) when he was sleeping - NO LICENSE - ALL SELF TAUGHT. Been driving a stick all my life.

A Tractor Trailer is a TOTALLY DIFFERENT ANIMAL.

Rick

I understand what you are saying but I do know how to drive the semi upshifting and downshifting because I've done it, I just wanted to hear what you guys had to say about the way that you guys come to a stop sign or even red light, after re-reading my post I feel it was too vague and sounded like it was my very first time but I just wanted to hear about the way you guys do it. I'm not driving on roads that have a big population so I'm not putting others at risk at all really because I slow down early downshifting but I was hoping to hear a better way of doing this. And I'm not out there just playing around with it either, I have had to drive it over to fill up the hopper bottom trailer. I was just hoping to hear if any of you had a faster more productive way of doing this. I may get my CDL here in a couple of years as well.Thank you for the response

For some reason this post concerns me that you are operating on any road and unsure about shifting properly.

Also I know the title sounds kinda plain and like I don't know how to shift at all but I just put it like that to draw the attention to my post thought I could get a good answer on here.

For some reason this post concerns me that you are operating on any road and unsure about shifting properly.

Don't let it sir I'm driving on roads that there's not many people around on and I have my dad driving right behind me. I'll have to learn sometime and I'm doing fine with what I'm doing right now but I'm thinking ahead for when I'm on the highway,(I won't be on the highway for awhile until I'm all the way there) my shifting is fine upshifting ,and downshifting needs a little work but I'm getting there and I've never put any people at risk at all neither has my brother who started out the same way I did and he's been running for 3-4 years semis the time getting used to at first.

Right ok, yeah I can drive the semi's on country roads to load them up at the grain bins just fine but when I start hauling to the elevator I need to know this all for sure because I don't want to risk others lives because I wasn't sure on something.

I don't want to get the grey cloud on an otherwise sunny day. But if you are going to operate on public roads, around other people - you want to try and get either some formal training (as in school) or have one of the guys that has experience put you through a crash course.

Farmers/employees and Farm Vehicles are typically "exempt" from needing a CDL (in most states, in most cases) - but if you do need to get a CDL - you are going to have to be pretty proficient in order to pass the skills/road test. This is not something you want to be "guessing at".

Rick

I have operated on public roads to get to the bins but I haven't been on the highway yet, I still have plenty of time to keep learning and get better with all factors in running the semi's don't worry I'm not putting others at danger lol, maybe if I was just thrown out there on it but I'm not but I was hoping to hear one of you guys explain this question I had and I got the explanation so thank you sir.

Yeah you can flip the selector put it into neutral and back into 10th or 5th rather.

So you can go from 10th to 5th or 6th by just putting it in neutral and sticking it in gear at the right speed? Thanks for the help also

Really trying to figure out the best/right way to answer this.

If you're "cruising down the highway", and you get a Red Traffic Light - if you've been paying attention to the SMITH SYSTEM TRAINING that pretty much every company and school gives - you would have noticed the light was "stale" and had already been preparing for it to change.

If you get "caught by surprise" and have to "panic stop" for a light, then obviously, you would push the clutch in and nail the brake. When you push the clutch in - you'll put the transmission in N. When you are ready to start up again - you will depress the clutch ALL THE WAY (so the "clutch brake" engages and stops the input shaft from spinning), and select the gear you want to start in - making sure you have switch the H/L switch back to LOW so you don't end up in 6th gear and STALL as you release the clutch.

Are you in school - in training? At what point of your "learning journey" are you? Messing with semi's "on the farm" is ok - but you really want someone to teach you the "finer points" of shifting and driving - before dealing with red lights.

This is the textbook they used, at the County VoTech I got my CDL training at. Pretty decent book for a novice - as books go.

What are your plans? Drive for "the farm" - or go to school and/or drive for a company?

Rick

Right ok, yeah I can drive the semi's on country roads to load them up at the grain bins just fine but when I start hauling to the elevator I need to know this all for sure because I don't want to risk others lives because I wasn't sure on something.

One other thing if you're already braking for the red light and your in 10th gear then it turns green and your going to slow for 10th then what happens because you can't flip the selector into low range and stick it in 5th can you?

I hope one of you guys can help me out here on something. So say you're driving down down the highway in 10th gear and you get a red light so do you stick it in neutral and then stop and then put it in 1st or 2nd or do you guys just hit the clutch and then stop and put it into gear. Also one other thing so if you have to stop real quick I know you obviously need to hit the clutch and brake hard but what if you're in 10th gear then do you have to put it all the way back in first then? Just part of the unsynchronized shifting that I'm not understanding I think. Silly question for you guys but I'm just learning how to run the semi's on the farm right now.