Foot Placement On Accelerator Pedal?

Topic 25964 | Page 1

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Bridget P.'s Comment
member avatar

I had my first driving lesson yesterday. It was a shock realizing I had to unlearn everything I know about driving a manual passenger vehicle! To say I sucked it up would be an understatement. He started me out with floating through the shifts, only using the clutch starting out and to downshift.

When downshifting I really had problems trying to hit and maintain the correct RPM. My instructor told me to position my foot on the accelerator so that the top of my foot was rubbing against the dog house and heel on the floor. It feels wrong to me and totally uncomfortable.

My question is, how do you place your foot on the pedal to most easily control acceleration and hold the rpm?

PackRat's Comment
member avatar

Bridget welcome to the TT site!

I think you should position your foot however is comfortable for you, the operator. I think it will also depend on the size of your foot, too. I read your instructor is already having you float gears on day one? Where is this school? Company sponsored or a private school?

Float Gears:

An expression used to describe someone who is shifting gears without using the clutch at all. Drivers are taught to "Double Clutch" or press and release the clutch twice for each gear shift. If you're floating gears it means you're simply shifting without using the clutch at all.

Bridget P.'s Comment
member avatar

Hi PackRat

Thanks for your comment. Yes, you read that correctly. He started me out by floating gears and driving onto the road without any practice time of moving through gears to get comfortable with their positioning beforehand. I kind if thought there might be some time spent in the empty yard, where there was lots of space, to get a feel for shifting and braking, and playing with the rpm timing before hitting the road. I’m going to a school that is part of the trades and technology centre at our local university. It has a really good reputation but I have to say my lesson left me feeling really discouraged and pretty intimidated.

Floating Gears:

An expression used to describe someone who is shifting gears without using the clutch at all. Drivers are taught to "Double Clutch" or press and release the clutch twice for each gear shift. If you're floating gears it means you're simply shifting without using the clutch at all.

EPU:

Electric Auxiliary Power Units

Electric APUs have started gaining acceptance. These electric APUs use battery packs instead of the diesel engine on traditional APUs as a source of power. The APU's battery pack is charged when the truck is in motion. When the truck is idle, the stored energy in the battery pack is then used to power an air conditioner, heater, and other devices

Bobcat_Bob's Comment
member avatar

When I was in CDL school my first time driving a manual was in a commercial area with trucks and cars. Talk about pressure! But it was a good way to learn.

Having to unlearn how to drive a manual 4 wheeler can take a few trips out, do not get discouraged!

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

  • Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
  • Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Jeremy's Comment
member avatar

Im guessing his goal with that is to stop the death hop alot of newbies encounter once ya start the bounce your foot bouncing worstens the bounce specially bobtail

Bobtail:

"Bobtailing" means you are driving a tractor without a trailer attached.

BK's Comment
member avatar

I'm surprised the instructor is having you float gears. As far as I know, you can't float gears during your CDL road test, you have to demonstrate that you can progressively shift up and down while using the clutch.

As far as getting you out on the road right away, it's a very common practice. In school, we went out the first day on a 4 lane hwy. next to the school. It was nerve wracking, but survivable.

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

  • Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
  • Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.

Float Gears:

An expression used to describe someone who is shifting gears without using the clutch at all. Drivers are taught to "Double Clutch" or press and release the clutch twice for each gear shift. If you're floating gears it means you're simply shifting without using the clutch at all.

Banks's Comment
member avatar

When I started learning how to clutch I parked the truck, put in neutral and set the brakes. Then I started measuring how much pressure to give the accelerator to get the rpms where I wanted them. I also practiced pushing the clutch. How far in does it have to go before I feel it separate. When downshifting speed and rpms are important. You can't get into 6th if you're doing 35 mph, for example. You want the rpms settled and the truck at the right speed. If you're down shifting from 8 to 7 you want to do it at around 30 mph and at about 1300 rpm.

It's hard to explain here. I learned all of this in a classroom with instructor writing everything out on a whiteboard.

Jeremy's Comment
member avatar

You dont use the accelerator on a semi to release the clutch and let the governor do the work if it wont go and wants to stall your in to high of a gear

Jeremy's Comment
member avatar

And the rpm thing is innacurate every truck with different engine and gear packages are very very different

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