New CDL Grad Looking For Info On Double Clutching And What Is Expected From New Hires.
Topic 8094 | Page 1
Ok, here is the deal. Just graduated and got my CDL. The school I attended was not the best and did not teach me 10 speed or double clutching. I had my phone interview with Schneider this morning and once the recruiter found out I canno't double clutch said he could not continue hiring process unless I go pay another school to train me on a 10 speed and double clutching. I also have a pre hire at GTI and May. Has anyone had experience with either and do they have the patience to teach you that when you hire on or is it like Schneider where they would fail you on first day for skill test. Any info would be great. Thanks
Do you have the resources to learn how to double clutch? If not look into some companies only operate automatics such as Trans am, US express, Comcar, Maverick those are just the ones I know off the top of my head. But if your gonna do this for a career you should learn how to double cluth and drive a manual transmission you never know when you could be in a situation to have to drive one.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Double Clutch:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
Double Clutching:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
Pre Hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
I do not have the resources. I think I will just come out of pocket for a lesson at a different school. I understand the concept and agree I need to learn it. Thank you for your response.
John, welcome to the forum.
You've had a most unusual experience and I'm curious if you learned with an automatic transmission. Usually, but not always, double clutching is included in the state's examinations. I floated the gears when I was being tested, because the testing facility that I tested at just wanted to see that we were in control of the shifting, they weren't concerned with how we did it, but just that we showed we were in control. I think I remember another member in here who had the same experience. (I believe it was Pat)
Just for your information, very few if any truck drivers double clutch while carrying out their daily driving responsibilities. You can't shift these big trucks like you would a regular vehicle, they are designed to be double clutched or you can float the gears once you understand how the timing works.
Also, there's no way you are going to have to use all thirteen gears in that thirteen speed for a road test. Basically it has an additional splitter that you operate with your thumb. But you won't need to split those gears unless you are hauling something really heavy up a steep incline. The thirteen and eighteen speed transmissions just split more gears and I see no reason to have to do that in your road test.
I'm assuming that if you didn't learn to double clutch then you weren't in a truck with a manual transmission. You are going to need to figure out some way to get some practice in a truck with a manual transmission if you want to pass that road test. The shifting of a big rig does not come naturally to most people and it's even more difficult for folks who are accustomed to driving standard shift transmissions in a regular vehicle.
No one expects you to be an expert when you get hired on as a rookie, but there are so many things that you are going to learn while with a trainer that are specific to safety and the company's way of doing things, that some companies are not as willing to have to spend a lot of extra time with someone who doesn't even know the basics of shifting. I don't know where to point you for help, but I do think you've got to get a little training on shifting before you try to do a road test at a potential employer. The company I work for (Knight) has a lot of trucks with automatic transmissions, but I noticed that they road tested all of us in a truck with a ten speed when I started working here.
Float The Gears:
An expression used to describe someone who is shifting gears without using the clutch at all. Drivers are taught to "Double Clutch" or press and release the clutch twice for each gear shift. If you're floating gears it means you're simply shifting without using the clutch at all.
Double Clutch:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
Double Clutching:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.New Reply:
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Ok, here is the deal. Just graduated and got my CDL. The school I attended was not the best and did not teach me 10 speed or double clutching. I had my phone interview with Schneider this morning and once the recruiter found out I canno't double clutch said he could not continue hiring process unless I go pay another school to train me on a 10 speed and double clutching. I also have a pre hire at GTI and May. Has anyone had experience with either and do they have the patience to teach you that when you hire on or is it like Schneider where they would fail you on first day for skill test. Any info would be great. Thanks
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Double Clutch:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
Double Clutching:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
Pre Hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.