Weak
Topic 1204 | Page 1
Being in school myself, I know what you're feeling. after about the 4th time using the clutch for backing and my knee feels like it's about to bend the other way! My co-student (male) is just zipping through the exercises like a thirty year veteran.
Use your co-students. Ask them what they're doing that you're not. Nobody wants to see another student fail, and besides, you're all in it together.
Being in school myself, I know what you're feeling. after about the 4th time using the clutch for backing and my knee feels like it's about to bend the other way! My co-student (male) is just zipping through the exercises like a thirty year veteran. Use your co-students. Ask them what they're doing that you're not. Nobody wants to see another student fail, and besides, you're all in it together.
It's not so much that they are doing something different. I have battled with the darned truck since we started the school. I just loaned my book bag to the smallest girl in the class so that she could reach the pedals when she was on the highway. I only need it for this particular truck and it doesn't like to cooperate with me.
I have a hard time holding the clutch down to shift and to brake. The brakes themselves are hard to push.
I did fine on the highway and testing my double clutching for almost two hours straight in one of hte better trucks. This truck though, wears me out in about fifteen minutes.
Double Clutch:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
Double Clutching:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
As a female trucking isnt "first nature" for sure. I struggled daily all the way until the end of training but once you GET IT youve GOT IT:) As a rookie everyone pushes the clutch WAY to hard and it makes your life HELL and your knees soar! 1. You only need to clutch in about an inch to work the clutch after the "free play" which is about the first 1/2 inch of the clutch. The free play doesnt do anything. 2. You need to learn to feather the clutch. Meaning dont jam it down but lightly feather it to do any backing. If they let you and it helps hold the free play down and tap the clutch in and out only about an inch. THATS ALL YOU NEED! 3. Training is like a roller coaster. Some days are up, some down. Its like that YOUR WHOLE CAREER! Learn from the day and discard the rest. No use crying over spilled milk. Now Im hardly on here much but if any of the females need help, advice, ect. Shot me an inbox and ill get back to ya.
As a female trucking isnt "first nature" for sure. I struggled daily all the way until the end of training but once you GET IT youve GOT IT:) As a rookie everyone pushes the clutch WAY to hard and it makes your life HELL and your knees soar! 1. You only need to clutch in about an inch to work the clutch after the "free play" which is about the first 1/2 inch of the clutch. The free play doesnt do anything. 2. You need to learn to feather the clutch. Meaning dont jam it down but lightly feather it to do any backing. If they let you and it helps hold the free play down and tap the clutch in and out only about an inch. THATS ALL YOU NEED! 3. Training is like a roller coaster. Some days are up, some down. Its like that YOUR WHOLE CAREER! Learn from the day and discard the rest. No use crying over spilled milk. Now Im hardly on here much but if any of the females need help, advice, ect. Shot me an inbox and ill get back to ya.
Thanks! That works great on all the other trucks. I've been doing good with all but this particular truck. The clutch is insanely stiff. You have to put the pedal ALL the way to the floor and even then, it doesn't let you shift sometimes. I had heck trying to get it out of neutral into 2nd. Then the brakes, which are really sensitive on all the other trucks, you have to push them three inches down before the truck even thinks about stopping. Then you have to hold it at this particular sweet spot. If you go further you force the air out of the system, then you have to put it into neutral and press the gas to recharge the air system. I HATE that truck. Even the teachers call it, "The Beast". That's because it won't respond unless you are forcing it into submission.
On the other hand, I am doing pretty good shifting and down shifting. Even doing the double clutch they said we have to do. I'm just mad that I couldn't practice my backing and parallel a little more because the truck wouldn't cooperate. I did manage to do a very rough coupling and uncoupling but I did do it.
From what I have heard, the teacher has put in a request to get the clutch repaired and the brakes adjusted. But from the way I have been seeing things, I doubt it will happen until the truck just flat refuses to even move. It's the one they start everyone in, which means it gets abused and the clutch gets ground all the time. I almost feel bad for the truck. It never leaves the yard because it wouldn't pass DOT.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Double Clutch:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
- Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
- Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
Well...that truck sounds like it needs a new clutch, and some brake repair....thats not the good news tho...the GOOD NEWS ....since you can't leave the yard with it...you won't have to use it to take your DOT test !!! Now that there is GOOD NEWS !!!. The clutch is always a pizzer...BUT...after you pass your DOT test, you will learn that almost all truckers "float" the gears, and only use the clutch to start out and to stop the truck...I remember well the left calf cramps....oh Lordy....But wait until your trainer makes you run the fuel pedal all the time instead of using the cruise...Then you get cramps in the FRONT of your shin !!! those are evil... I don't know about any of the other ladies...but it didn't take me long to take the wires out of my support bras...having your hands and arms on the wheel all the time, you tend to "bounce" more...and the wires would rub really bad...and chafed skin anywhere on your body when you are sitting for 10 hours a day bouncing is painful. So keep an eye out for that.... rats...I forgot my manners !! WELCOME to the ladies forum !!! you can ask anything and all questions in here. We dont' get shocked and won't laugh at you...may laugh WITH you..not at you...unless you tell on yourself, that is. We have some guys who lurk in here, and some will post encouraging things. I don't mind them, they kinda come in handy to pick on..lol Guy DeCue is our resident knuckle dragger in here, but you'll see others.I think that they are secretly trying to understand women, so they can write a #1 best seller, and retire from trucking.... Make yourself at home....and take advantage of this forum, and all the others. Feel free to post in any of them... Its good to see women getting into trucking...you are a sought after commodity on the road...companies like how we treat their equipment, customers and freight !!!
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
lol Guy DeCue is our resident knuckle dragger in here
it's DeCOU...not that I was lurkin or nothin....
Well...I was close...and we kinda like ya bein' our forum knuckledragger....
Lol. My trainers truck the clutch wore me down but my Freight Liner....easy peasy!
Lol. My trainers truck the clutch wore me down but my Freight Liner....easy peasy!
Special K..isn't it about time you changed your title to "Rookie SOLO Driver"???
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Today I was the weakest link. The truck with the hardest clutch in the yard kicked my butt!
I was the only one that couldn't beat that truck into submission. I was the only girl in the yard today. I felt awful.
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.