Double Clutching Is Hard :(

First day behind the wheel and the instructor had us going around Industrial Park learning to shift. It's a lot harder than it looks lol. I have never shifted a car in my life so I think it's a little harder for me. The problem I'm running into is remembering the shift pattern. Is it normal for someone to have a pretty hard time figuring this stuff out? I really didn't expect to be this bad LOL :-(

Check this guy out on YouTube he really helped me when I was in training, hope this helps you out

No worries you will get this. I would say just about everybody that is new coming into the industry had the same struggle that you are having with double clutching ,( Notice I said HAD). You will learn the shifting pattern and D.C. in due time. Remember to breath and stay calm,ya got this...

Double clutching is one of those things they teach in school that you will hardly ever need again. It's kind of a throw-back to days gone by. With today's modern transmissions there is usually no need to double clutch , in fact there is little need to use the clutch at all. But, it is one of the things that is still looked at on the state examiners list of criteria that you need to know how to do. I know it sounds crazy, but it's typical of government to not really be on the ball when it comes to how things actually work in the real world. So, just to satisfy, the bureaucrats you're gonna have to be able to double clutch.

Here's a tip you can try. When double clutching in a big rig you shouldn't push the clutch all the way in. Everything in a big rig transmission is working off of the inertia and RPMs of the transmissions moving parts. When you engage the clutch pedal all the way you are engaging the clutch brake which slows or stops all that needed motion in the moving parts. All you want to accomplish is disengaging the clutch plate which will keep everything else spinning and make it easier for you to get in and out of the gears. The only time you need to push the clutch pedal all the way in is when you are at a complete stop and you want to get it in gear to start rolling. Every truck is a little bit different from each other, but for the most part you probably only need to engage the pedal about two inches to disengage the clutch plate. Try that and see if it doesn't help.

The other thing that I see people having trouble with when double clutching is just getting the rhythm of it down. For some people it is just an awkward thing. If this is giving you trouble you can practice in the privacy of your own room sitting on the couch. Just pretend that you are shifting the gears with your hand and use your leg to push in an imaginary clutch in and out as you go through the gears. Some people may think this sounds silly, but it helps some people to do this. When I was in school there was a young man in our class who just couldn't get it. The instructor basically gave up on him real quickly. I talked to him one day after class and took him to the Dollar Store and got him to buy a toilet plunger! I told him to go to his hotel room that night and pretend that was his shifter and sit down in a chair and practice going through the motions of double clutching while using that toilet plunger to go through the gear pattern. (He was also having trouble understanding the gear pattern on a ten speed) The next day when it was his turn to drive, he did much better on his shifting, and the teacher expressed his dismay by asking him "what has gotten into you, it's like a whole different person is sitting there today?" He just turned his head back at me and grinned. We have kept this little secret between ourselves until now when I shared it with you.

Anyways, I hope some of my ramblings will help you a little bit. Keep it up, it just takes some practice. Oh, and don't worry about those driving tests too much. Those examiners have seen it all, they don't expect you to be an expert when you come in there to test out. They just want to see that you are confident in your abilities of operating a big truck and that you are safe. They realize that you still have a long ways to go before you are a true professional, but as long as you demonstrate the basic understanding of how things are supposed to go you will become a new holder of a CDL.

Michael, the shift pattern is probably an H. Top left - down (left) - push up & right -pull back (right).

Flip the selector then move to top left (your starting point). Do it again. That's eight gears.

That's really a 10 speed. Reverse is more left than 1st and a really low gear is straight down from that. You hardly use it. Your transmission may be different, but this is the most common.

The other thing to work on is your timing. All the clutch pushing and gear shifting has a timing to it, just like ballroom dance steps or playing patty cake.

If you've never driven a stick shift car, you have not developed some bad habits that mess up people who do drive stick shift cars.

After a while it's as complicated as riding a bicycle. You won't even think about it.

Hey Daniel, that was a really great response!

With awesome advice like that, you should start a truck driving school.

Just remember the Adam's Family theme song when ya clutch.

Instead of snapping, clutch clutch.

I never drove stick before either and was told it gave me an advantage. Those who had wanted to single clutch. They had to unlearn their ways. Just take a deep breath.

Funny thing is.... since I went solo I float gears when there is no traffic but find myself DCing in high traffic cause that is what is coming natural to me. After I tested my rmtrauner wanted me to float. ... never happened so all the training I DC'd. Now it is muscle memory I think. Hahha. You will get it.

I bet you gassed at the pump though? I'm from jersey and never had to pu.p gas... so you are ahead of me on that one hahha

Well I did better today. Only missed a few gears I'm still getting used to downshifting. The major problem I'm having right now is that I keep stalling the truck at the start. They trained us to keep the brakes on and then release enough of the clutch to fill the torque. When I release the brake and then released the clutch the truck stalls. The instructor keeps telling me that I'm keeping my foot on the brake and then releasing the clutch butt I know that my foot is not on the brake when I release the clutch. It's so frustrating LOL. But after thinking about it and doing a little research I think I might be dumping the clutch causing the truck to stall? I don't know hopefully I'll figure it out :\

What gear are you in when you start? If you're in 2nd or 3rd on level ground, that truck is gonna go. Unless you're dumping the clutch or still have the brakes applied, even though you may think you don't.