Shifting Gears In A Dump Truck

Let's say you're going 50 mph in a Dump Truck, and you slow down because of a red traffic light , now going 30 mph. You need to downshift. How do you know which gear you're supposed to be in at that speed?

Well, you could just try paying attention to what gear you were in at 30 mph while you were upshifting.

I'm not sure why you specified a dump truck, because it really makes no difference what type of truck you're in. What will dictate your gear selection will be things like what transmission you're using, rear end gear ratio, and possibly the grade of the road.

This is the kind of thing that just comes natural to you after you've been driving a little while. But trust me, I doubt you are going to be able to get it to go into the wrong gear without making a great effort at it.

. What will dictate your gear selection will be things like what transmission you're using, rear end gear ratio, and possibly the grade of the road.

OP-Loaded or empty will impact this too.

Let's say you're going 50 mph in a Dump Truck, and you slow down because of a red traffic light , now going 30 mph. You need to downshift. How do you know which gear you're supposed to be in at that speed?

Welcome to Trucking Truth, Allen. Being your first post, and the nature of the question, I figure you're new to the trucking business. No problem, you are who we're here for.

As you gain experience driving a truck, dump or what, you'll know by the seat of your pants. As the previous answers say, your speed, load weight, and gears add into an "official" answer. But just like getting under and catching a fly ball, you'll just be able to do it.

Everybody knows that in your learning, you'll grind several custom gears, like 4 1/2, of your own.

Pay close attention to what gear is for which speed range. For example, say in my truck 6th gear is ideal for 15-25 mph, 7th is 25-35mph, 8th is 35-45 mph ... all you have to do is know what speed you're at and with experience comes smoothly feeling out what RPM she likes to take it in (the truck).

If you're also driving a 13 speed, and those speed ranges seem to roughly work for you as well, memorize this

6th gear for 15mph translates to 1+ 5= 6 (when you look at the odometer and it says 15, just add the numbers together.) 25 mph translates to 2+5 = 7 (7th gear) 35 mph... 3+5 = 8 45 mph ... 4+5 = 9

Mentally run this through you head some when you're not driving. It'll start to come naturally once you know it and relax a bit.

I cant see pedestrians on my right, when stationary, and I can't see pedestrians if they're right in front of the truck either. So what do I do with these blind spots?

I cant see pedestrians on my right, when stationary, and I can't see pedestrians if they're right in front of the truck either. So what do I do with these blind spots?

The people didn't just appear in your blind spot. You say you are not moving, and you end up with people where you can't see them. Assuming you're really driving and say, waiting for a green light, you should be watching cars and pedestrians around you.

You can keep a mental map tracking where these moving objects are in your blind areas. It's not hard to do if you're paying attention to your surroundings.

There are a few short off-ramps in my city, dangerously short; the shoulder is too narrow for the truck to go through and bad planning from NC DOT. I can't imagine trying to merge with highway traffic in a tractor trailer on one of these off-ramps. There is probably a list of off-ramps that all truckers avoid. Any advice as to how you should proceed if you encounter these types of situation?

There are a few short off-ramps in my city, dangerously short; the shoulder is too narrow for the truck to go through and bad planning from NC DOT. I can't imagine trying to merge with highway traffic in a tractor trailer on one of these off-ramps. There is probably a list of off-ramps that all truckers avoid. Any advice as to how you should proceed if you encounter these types of situation?

Pure and simple; patience. Wait for a "safe" opening when merging, especially with a short runway. If exiting a short ramp you must begin preparing for it before reaching it by signaling your intention and slowing down.

Off/on-ramps as you described cannot be avoided and must be approached with an elevated level of awareness and caution.