Accelerating From A Stop On A Hill

have heard time and time again about companies and schools that teach people to always start in 3rd or 4th and that's just dumb.

Depends on the context. There's no need to start in 1st gear and go through a few more shifts when you don't need to. I'm almost always starting in 3rd, and then will skip 4th and move right to 5th. Sometimes I'll progressively shift from 3rd, to 4th, to 5th and so on, usually when on somewhat of an incline and I need that extra gear in 4th because moving from 3rd to 5th would cause too much of a drop in torque. Sometimes I'm starting in 2nd on a steep enough incline, but that's not my average start gear. It all depends on the load and grade, incline or decline.

My school taught to start in 2nd gear in most cases. Progressive shifting is preached, and for good reason. However, more often than not I've found you only really need to start in 3rd, even if heavy. With enough experience, a driver can know ahead of time if they need to start in 2nd on an incline or not.

I don't know of any drivers that start in 1st gear, especially when not on an incline. I"m assuming you're not advocating starting in 1st gear every time, even when not on an incline. For new drivers, especially on an incline, 1st gear is the safest gear to start in to prevent a stall, but that's about the only time I could see starting in 1st.

When you're grossing 78,000 waiting for a red light on an incline just start in 1st

That was my direct quote. And I hate when schools teach people to always start in 3rd or 4th. They don't realize that people take that literally and think they shouldn't start in 1st or 2nd.

And really, how much time are you saving starting in 3rd or 4th? Try it sometime. You can fly through first and second in a heartbeat even if you're empty and be almost where you would have been anyhow. If it was a drag race you're not gaining much of anything, if anything at all, and in a rig that little bit is meaningless. You're just working the clutch to death. I of course started in 3rd most of the time if I was empty because it can do so easily. And that's my point. Do whatever the truck can do easily because you're not gaining anything by starting in a higher gear.

When you're grossing 78,000 waiting for a red light on an incline just start in 1st

That was my direct quote. And I hate when schools teach people to always start in 3rd or 4th. They don't realize that people take that literally and think they shouldn't start in 1st or 2nd.

And really, how much time are you saving starting in 3rd or 4th? Try it sometime. You can fly through first and second in a heartbeat even if you're empty and be almost where you would have been anyhow. If it was a drag race you're not gaining much of anything, if anything at all, and in a rig that little bit is meaningless. You're just working the clutch to death. I of course started in 3rd most of the time if I was empty because it can do so easily. And that's my point. Do whatever the truck can do easily because you're not gaining anything by starting in a higher gear.

I wasn't sure if you were advocating starting in 1st all the time. But you're right, it isn't a race. I was approaching it from the standpoint of less gears you'd have to work through. Then again if you're floating the gears, it doesn't really matter.

Any instructor worth their gold would hopefully explain to a student that gear selection depends on the situation.