Advice For A Newbie On How To Shift

A little about me: Got a WIA grant and used it to go to a community college CDL 4 week program. Started it last Monday. Never stepped foot in a truck before, never drove stick always auto, never backed anything up with a trailer attached, and not knowledgeable about cars or engines. I am a career changer coming from health care. I was totally new this and had no background knowledge about driving or operating a truck. On the otherhand, I have a clean driving record and am used to driving distances when I had to visit patients in rural areas.

Last Friday, I got my permit and really did well on the tests. The training materials on here were awesome and I wished I used them before I started school. I was always a book worm, and I knew that the test wouldn't be the challenge for me. The hard part is getting comfortable with being behind the wheel. My class has guys in different phases of the program. Last week when I started, there were 2 other guys starting too. My class consists of military guys, mechanics, farmers, and union guys. All have experience with trucks and many have driven them before. Most of the guys are just "going through the motions" so that they can drive legal with the CDL endorsement on their license. I stuck out like a sore thumb.

Anyways, my first day driving was bad. I was nervous, but I kept my expectations low because I am new to this. But, as I watched everyone ace the skills course, including the 2 guys that started the class with me, my nerves took over. It wasn't easy driving (I use that word lightly cuz my engine kept cutting out) with folks watching me. I was really nervous and embarrassed and I just kept getting more and more frustrated. The instructors have been really understanding and awesome, but I am worried and stressed out that I am not keeping up with the class, particularly with the guys I started with.

End of Day 2: I didn't hit any cones. I can turn well. And drive around the lot in circles too! LOL I just can't get the hang of shifting and reversing. And the 45 degree turns has me stumped. And I get so frustrated, I don't reverse all together because I just lose all coordination. I also feel kinda dumb because while all these guys have truck parts nailed down, I am still learning the basic parts of the truck and the proper use of the clutch vs the brakes- I have been told that I am very heavy footed on the brake pedal. The other guys in the class have been really cool, but yeah I really don't want to be "that" dude who falls way behind and annoys the instructors.

Any advice would be appreciated. I know that a lot of this is in my head. I am feeling totally uncoordinated behind the wheel. And in my mind I have an idea of what needs to be done, but trying to actually implement it is another story. I know I want to be a trucker. I have thought long and hard about it for over a year now. Did my research and read the forums on here and on other sites. I am gonna make this happen, but I dont want to have a heart attack before I do so LOL. Thanks for listening to my rant.

Oops, my bad. I meant 45 degree back up not turn on the skills course. And to clarify- today was my 2nd day behind the wheel and it kinda sucked. but tomorrow is a new day.

Your background is very similar to mine. I too was also in healthcare and got WIA grant for school. I've been solo driving for 7 weeks now, and this is what I can offer. Don't compare yourself to others, I had a great bunch of classmates at my CDL and we all different levels of backing/shifting experience. You are there for you and your career, do what you need to to learn. If it takes longer to back oh well. You stall out oh well. Don't recognize an engine part right away oh well. {ive done all those things} Learn from what happened, break everything you do down into smaller components. Eventually you will get a feel for the double clutching , how the gear shift moves and what the engine will sound like. If you have instructors who are good, they should be very patient and explain those little things. They should be pleased if you are working hard and showing improvement with your skills.

Regarding backing.......everyone has their own way of turning the wheel to move your rig. Talk to your instructors and get their advice. You may get a few different answers but I bet one of them will make more sense to you and it will really click. [that is what happened to me during school]Watch and learn how to use your bend of the trailer and moving of your tandems to get the trailer to do what you want it too. The set up is key, from there make small and slow movements. the biggest piece of advice I got was "slow is control" (and that applies to everything in driving)

Every day you're out here you're learning. Some days will go better than others. Take it one day at a time, have fun with it and be safe.

Sarah is soooo right! Practice, practice and then practice more. In practicing you will make mistakes. Well, that's where you learn! My first ever 90° alley dock was done right and I stopped on the money. Did I learn anything from that? No. I could not repeat that trick if my life dependrd on it because I didn't learn from that first lucky shot.

Keep working, listen to the instructors, you'll get it. Remember, 2 million U.S. truckers do these things every day. You can be one of them.

Agree with all.

I got into a truck my first day on the yard - and thought to myself "I've been driving a stick all my life - I got this" BZZZT! Wrong answer.

I was so frustrated with myself - I as ready to jump out of the truck (and my skin). My friend that took the class with me told me "STFU and DRIVE".

Needless to say, after a couple of weeks, I was helping classmates with their shifting.

Doing a 4 week program, you have plenty of time - in comparison to some of the programs at the trucking companies, where you get put right into a truck with a trainer and go out on the road to learn - which might actually be the BEST WAY to do it.

Keep your confidence up - if you can chew gum and walk at the same time - you'll get it with PRACTICE. Keep your goals in mind - and MOVE FORWARD with a purpose to achieve them.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Rick

I agree with everyone else so far that it's practice practice and you guessed it, practice. It's one more thing too, it's feel. After a while, you learn to feel the sweet spot on both the high and low end of the tach and when to ease that lever into the next gear. Eventually, muscle memory will kick in and you don't even have to think about it, your body will do all the work for you. Amazing contraption, the human body.