Truck Simulator At Swift School??
Topic 8672 | Page 1
I would not recommend practicing on a manual car to get used to a manual truck, they are quite different. A car is a lot more forgiving and if you get used to that it will only make it that much harder. I don't know much about swift but I would imagine they have a method for teaching newbies how to shift. My advice would be to go in there with a clean slate and absorb as much as you can from the instructors. It's really not that difficult once you understand it so I wouldn't worry too much about it.
Hello all- I will be taking my permit test this week and then on to school at Swift. I am very nervous about working the manual transmission. Does anyone know if Swift has a truck simulator for their students to use when not in the truck? I am so nervous about this I've even considered renting a car with manual transmission just to get the feel of the transmission. Thanks in advance for any advice given. Ann
Hi Ann, I will soon be leaving for training also. Although not certain if Swift has a simulator, I too have the same anxiety as you do with the shifting. However, as a person who has never driven a manual transmission, I have been told by many that its actually better if you are new to shifting. Driving a manual on a car is COMPLETELY different then driving one in a truck. Its better to learn in the truck because you won't have any "BAD HABITS". Trucks require double clutching , where as cars do not. Long story short, relax, everyone has problems with the clutching, shifting, downshifting, etc, when they first start. But..... Guess what? They get it. Stop worrying and trust yourself... You will get it. Just listen to your instructors and you will be fine. Good luck and God bless.
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.
You can also see Youtube videos of actual trainers doing training for the clutch on trucks. I watched a few and my thought was, "that looks easier than I thought it would." I'm sure it's not super easy but, even with the gear grinding the students in the videos seemed to be doing fairly well.
Its really not all that difficult. With my class (I went to their phoenix academy) they taught a bit of shifting while driving around the academy while switching from parallel parking to offshift parking... then during the road training portion of the program they spent an entire day out on a little used highway teaching you how to shift up and down.
They did not have a simulator.
I disagree. Shifting is very similar to a passenger vehicle. Double clutching can be done in either, and no. You are not "required" to double clutch to shift a semi. You can single clutch double clutch, or float (which is what I primarily do; Same for my personal vehicle).
Now down shifting in a personal vehicle? I never really did, as braking works fine. I still use brakes more than down shifting in the semi. Lol. After I hit 7th: I usually just use brakes.
My $0.02 (from 1st hand).
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.
You'll have to double clutch for your cdl exam unless you already know how to float and can fool the examiner by only pressing down on the clutch pedal to take up the slack. Most people I've found after testing will get down the float method but some will still double clutch. Personally, I'll do a mix of both. I'll double in my lower gears (especially if heavy) then float the high range. It's always good to know how to double clutch though for when you miss a shift.
As far as being worried, don't be. A new driver with no experience can be easier to teach than someone with several bad habits. With a bit of practice and some seat time, you'll be shifting just fine :)
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.
Swift DOES have truck simulator, but it's.an AUTOMATIC, with an artificial manual shifter as decoration tho. At least from what I saw(& experienced) in Jurupa Valley.
Swift DOES have truck simulator, but it's.an AUTOMATIC, with an artificial manual shifter as decoration tho. At least from what I saw(& experienced) in Jurupa Valley.
But, they are not for student training purposes, more towards advanced trainings.
Yeah, the simulators are mostly used for simulating worst case scenarios (little kid running in front of truck on city street, dead elk in travel lane on icy road, logging truck flipped over on an upgrade, losing your brakes on a downgrade) and seeing how you'll react. I cringe everytime I get scheduled for simulator training because the machine makes me incredibly nauseous.
As for shifting, don't worry too much about it. I also had never driven a manual car (still haven't in fact). My fiancé had. The biggest advantage you'll have is not having the bad habit of pressing the accelerator as you release the clutch taking off from a stop. It took him a while to get over that.
Shifting seems like the second hardest thing in the world (next to backing, of course) until one day it just clicks and you're fine at it.
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Hello all- I will be taking my permit test this week and then on to school at Swift. I am very nervous about working the manual transmission. Does anyone know if Swift has a truck simulator for their students to use when not in the truck? I am so nervous about this I've even considered renting a car with manual transmission just to get the feel of the transmission. Thanks in advance for any advice given. Ann