Shift Recovery Method?

New Driver about 100 hours. Doing pretty good but sometimes when upshifting or down, I miss my gear and seem to get the transmission bound up so that I just cant get the shifter into any gear. So bad that at time we just have to stop the truck and start all over. Tough in traffic.

Any advice as to how to recover when the box seems to have you locked out?

Find your "go-to" gear. A gear you know very well where if you get stuck you can always just put it into that gear. My go-to gear is 6th gear. I know that if I get my speed to 15mph I can easily rev up slightly and perfectly put it in. Thats my turning and traffic go-to gear.

I use 30mph for 8th gear and 45mph for 9th gear.

What it boils down to is you just gotta know your gears better. Find what speed matches what gear. The golden RPM area for me is 1300. So when you're in 7th gear at 1300 look at your speed, take note and label that gear as X mph. Just memorize your gears, it takes time.

I totally agree with Daniel and I'll add this....for some reason it's so much easier getting into gear at lower RPM's than it is higher RPM's. Do like Daniel said and memorize a couple of gear speeds and RPM's and keep them on the lower side of the RPM range. Like figure out what speed you're doing in 7th or 8th gear at 1200 RPM. You might even consider writing them on a posted note and putting it on the dash for reference a few times til you have it.

Also, when you downshift, let the RPM's drop really low before making the shift. Don't try to downshift at 1300 RPM. You have to kick the RPM's way too high to get to the next gear and it's tough to hit it just right. Let the RPM's drop to 1000 or 1100 before trying to downshift - just before it starts bogging down.

It all makes sense on my Screen, just seems to not workout sometimes in the real world. One instructors said I might be putting the clutch in too far and getting into the brake? Practice seems to be the best answer. Thanks for the tips

It all makes sense on my Screen, just seems to not workout sometimes in the real world. One instructors said I might be putting the clutch in too far and getting into the brake? Practice seems to be the best answer. Thanks for the tips

This'll take time. Give it a day at a time and you'll become a pro in no time!

Try this if you have a 10 speed manual transmission. Keep an eye on your speedometer...Like this: at 15 mph, 1+5=6, so at 15 mph your truck should go into 6th gear. At 25 mph, 2+5=7, so at 25 mph your truck should go into 7th gear. At 35 mph, 3+5=8, so at 35 mph your truck should go into 8th gear. At 45 mph, 4+5=9, so at 45 mph your truck should go into 9th gear.

It only works for 15,25,35 and 45 mph. Just add the first two numbers on your speedometer and adjust your RPM's as needed. This technique should get you in the ballpark to find your gear. Remain calm and take the tach through it's range till you find your gear.

Hope this helps.

Keith,

My instructors teach the same thing, though it is more like, "use your fives". It does work, or in my case as a complete newbie, most of the time

Jim, before long, it will become like breathing my friend...You won't even think about it. Good luck and stay safe.

At 45 I can go into 10th and take it to 65. All trucks are a little different. Of course I have a DD15 and the power range is alot wider and forgiving. 900 and 1300 are my shifting points but that is because I like watching my fuel mileage and I like my shifting points low for progressive shifting.

Getting comfortable with your truck......knowing the rpm's and the speeds for shifting is the real bottom line. I am new also and many times I'm nailing it, but still having my moments where being a rookie shines through, missing the gear I was set up for, missing it and as the speed on the truck continues to slow down, the fumbling starts to mentally catch up to it. I find by the time that happens I am ready for 6th gear which is the gear many fall back on anyways.

Even in 1 week I have seen the progress of this learning curve and figure next week should get me to where the stumbling is fewer and farther between and the recovery is more reactive than a science project happening on the fly. A few times I have surprised myself....and my instructor.......and quickly saved it, so I know I'm getting there. I am seeing that I can identify the speed and realize the gear I need. Then I just have to execute it with the rpm and slipping it into place. Truly a practice makes perfect thing, as with many things.

As my instructor says...don't beat yourself up too hard......some of it just takes time and getting used to it. Soon we will feel it and do it without hardly even thinking about it.