Floating Gears

I just read where Brett wrote that 95% of drivers float the gears. My first trainer with my permit insisted on double clutch--- was my first time driving stick, so i didnt know the difference. After I got my CDL , then the second trainer wanted me to float. After 15k miles I still can't do it.... i know everyone says it is so much easier, but I can't get the concept. Going up, I can do it, but going down, forget it. So i was floating going up, then double clutching going down.. then after a bit i was just grinding gears cause i freaking confused myself LOL

Is there an easy way to float down? The answer i got from two trainers was "keep the rpm up, then move the stick"... well... if I'm decelerating, the RPMs are dropping LOL one trainer told me "lightly press on accelerator with a constant pressure then move it"... again.. how am i accelerating when I'm supposed to be slowing down.

This sounds like a stupid woman question, I know... sorry lol

how am i accelerating when I'm supposed to be slowing down.

Only use the accelerator once you've pulled the truck out of gear. In neutral, using the accelerator will not increase your speed. It will only bump your rpms up, allowing you to match the rpms needed for the gear you're downshifting into. I hope that makes sense, I'm no good at explaining things like that.

Both methods of shifting are fine. If you prefer to double clutch , it's not a big deal. Keep trying to learn, since that's what your trainer wants (and it might just click and you'll end up preferring floating), but once you're in your own truck you can kick floating to the curb forever if you like.

And the only stupid question is the one that's not asked.

Thanks so much.. and YES!!! THAT makes perfect sense... duh... why didn't they just say that LOL the way i was told, i thought i was a "fuel then gear".. but ur saying "neutral, fuel, gear" which makes sense.

You should have seen me learning the double clutch... i was like "Clutch, neutral, clutch, shift... clutch neutral rev clutch shift" and constantly saying it.. had to tell my trainer to shut up a couple times or my rhythm would screw up LOL

I can't wait til i get my own truck --- I'm planning on spending my free time in truck stops practicing backing lol

Rainy I still DC when downshifting either when very heavy and/or pulling a load up a steep grade. Eventually floating will just happen because you "know" your truck and you learn the RPM sweet spot where the gears mesh together smoothly. No one taught me how to float it just started to happen over time.

Another way to look at it. Floating down and DC are the same procedure minus using the clutch. You still apply the throttle in neutral to get the transmission to slide into the lower gear. I'd imagine that since you've gotten pretty decent at DC, there's been a few times where you thought you were clutching into the lower gear but you matched the rpm just right and it slid right in. It just takes time and like G-Town mentioned, you'll probably wind up doing a combination of both depending on the situation.

how am i accelerating when I'm supposed to be slowing down.

Only use the accelerator once you've pulled the truck out of gear. In neutral, using the accelerator will not increase your speed. It will only bump your rpms up, allowing you to match the rpms needed for the gear you're downshifting into. I hope that makes sense, I'm no good at explaining things like that.

Both methods of shifting are fine. If you prefer to double clutch , it's not a big deal. Keep trying to learn, since that's what your trainer wants (and it might just click and you'll end up preferring floating), but once you're in your own truck you can kick floating to the curb forever if you like.

And the only stupid question is the one that's not asked.

makes sence. You are exactly right

I didn't start floating until I did it by accident in heavy traffic on my trainers truck. I asked why it worked and he explained what others have said here.

Now I float unless I need the clutch to release the gears.

When my uncle was teaching me I was pulling a loaded coal bucket grinding gears he stood beside me mashing the pedal going back and forth from 14 th to 15 th cussing telling me how to do it. So practice practice practice

Rob S wrote:

I didn't start floating until I did it by accident in heavy traffic on my trainers truck. I asked why it worked and he explained what others have said here.

Now I float unless I need the clutch to release the gears.

Great point. When heavy and pulling up a hill, there is tremendous torque forces on the drive train, using the clutch (quick pop) to "release" the gears is a viable technique. A brief pause and it should easily slip into the next gear without using the clutch.

Keep in mind - you WILL NEED TO DOUBLE-CLUTCH during the skills portion of your road test - so it's a skill that needs to be mastered regardless.

I was driving in school, some 4 weeks before we road tested - had taught myself to float and was doing it, pretty much every shift (including 2 gears up and down). By the time I got to road test, my double-clutching was MISERABLE. When I tried to float, the examiner corrected me and told me I needed to DC. Failed my first road test with 23 missed shifts (no points deducted for any other skill). Failed on shifts ALONE.

Being so new at it - I hadn't mastered it to the point of "muscle memory", before I just started floating all the time.

So, for those in school - DC EXCLUSIVELY. Once you get your license - by all means float or use a combination of both.

Also - folks have a tendency to push the clutch ALL THE WAY IN when executing a shift. When you do this, you are hitting the CLUTCH BRAKE (which is used to stop the transmission from spinning when trying to get into first at a dead stop). This will SLOW DOWN the transmission (missed shift), and also cause the clutch brake to burn out prematurely.

The purpose of clutching when shifting, is to "break torque" (that is, to release the pressure against the gear/teeth faces), to get the transmission OUT OF GEAR. On a non-synchronized transmission (like we have in trucks) - getting INTO GEAR happens when when gear speeds "match" and the gear just "drops in". A "blip" of the throttle when between gears, and then applying gentle pressure on the shifter for the next gear (up or down) will allow it to drop into gear when the speeds match.

As elaborated above - both methods take practice, and become second nature (muscle memory) with experience.

Rick