Newbie here just introducing myself. I have been a dental nurse for the past five years and am fed up of looking at the same four walls everyday so I have taken the steps to obtain my dream of being a truck driver. Have had my assesment drive at GTG in Glasgow. I was advised 7 days training but will go for 8 just to be sure. My instructer says I came across a wee bit hesitant as I wasn’t expecting to be out in the main road right away. I was worried about using the splitter gearbox but my instructor said I seemed to pick it up quite quickly, just need to concentrate on my road positioning and checking the mirrors. My theories are booked for the end of May and I’m looking to start my training in October. Only time I can get holidays from work, and I cannot wait to get started.
Newbie here just introducing myself. I have been a dental nurse for the past five years and am fed up of looking at the same four walls everyday so I have taken the steps to obtain my dream of being a truck driver. Have had my assesment drive at GTG in Glasgow. I was advised 7 days training but will go for 8 just to be sure. My instructer says I came across a wee bit hesitant as I wasn’t expecting to be out in the main road right away. I was worried about using the splitter gearbox but my instructor said I seemed to pick it up quite quickly, just need to concentrate on my road positioning and checking the mirrors. My theories are booked for the end of May and I’m looking to start my training in October. Only time I can get holidays from work, and I cannot wait to get started.
Welcome KK! I doubt it was a splitter box, did your assessor use that term?
Sorry to hear you are a bit ‘down in the mouth’ …groan.!!!.. about your current job.
Good luck for the theory test.
If you have any questions ( however daft you might think they are ) don’t feel afraid to put them on the forum and one of the more experienced and knowledgable guys and gals will gladly answer it for you .
Newbie here just introducing myself. I have been a dental nurse for the past five years and am fed up of looking at the same four walls everyday so I have taken the steps to obtain my dream of being a truck driver. Have had my assesment drive at GTG in Glasgow. I was advised 7 days training but will go for 8 just to be sure. My instructer says I came across a wee bit hesitant as I wasn’t expecting to be out in the main road right away. I was worried about using the splitter gearbox but my instructor said I seemed to pick it up quite quickly, just need to concentrate on my road positioning and checking the mirrors. My theories are booked for the end of May and I’m looking to start my training in October. Only time I can get holidays from work, and I cannot wait to get started.
Welcome KK! I doubt it was a splitter box, did your assessor use that term?
She did use that term yeah, all I know is that 1-4 were the lower and 5-8, the upper.
Welcome kittykat
Good luck with your theory and HP tests and as was said any questions just ask away the newbies forum is very helpful no matter what your question we’ve all been there !
Jennie:
Welcome kittykat
Good luck with your theory and HP tests and as was said any questions just ask away the newbies forum is very helpful no matter what your question we’ve all been there !
Jenx
As said above, welcome KittyKat to the forum. I only passed my Theory and Hazard Perception a week ago and will be taking class 2 test on 19th May. just go for it but do carry out revision though.
Newbie here just introducing myself. I have been a dental nurse for the past five years and am fed up of looking at the same four walls everyday so I have taken the steps to obtain my dream of being a truck driver. Have had my assesment drive at GTG in Glasgow. I was advised 7 days training but will go for 8 just to be sure. My instructer says I came across a wee bit hesitant as I wasn’t expecting to be out in the main road right away. I was worried about using the splitter gearbox but my instructor said I seemed to pick it up quite quickly, just need to concentrate on my road positioning and checking the mirrors. My theories are booked for the end of May and I’m looking to start my training in October. Only time I can get holidays from work, and I cannot wait to get started.
Welcome KK! I doubt it was a splitter box, did your assessor use that term?
She did use that term yeah, all I know is that 1-4 were the lower and 5-8, the upper.
Correct terminology is important to avoid confusion! What you describe is a range change box which can have a split button as well but would be unusual in a training vehicle. For future reference if there’s one button/switch on the stick then it is a range change. If there’s two then it will be a range change with a split switch. You can ignore the split switch when training with an empty vehicle. There is another kind of splitter box but you won’t experience that as a trainee and very unlikely even when you pass. I suggest you clarify things with your assessor if you go back there. There are links to recommended training schools on this site too which might help you.
Out of interest, and not to start an argument!!, it’s perfectly possible to get a splitter - in the correct sense of the word - on a training vehicle. It’s a bit odd but the minimum test vehicle regs require at least 8 forward gears. For this the DSA accept a splitter.
But the fact remains that the majority of drivers refer to a range change as a splitter. And yes, that’s very confusing and disappointing when that’s an instructor.
When I trained I had a gear stick with one switch to flick up half a gear
Question is this the range change that you are all refering to or is it called a splitter as it is splitting the gears into half
hope that makes sense ?
Jen x
I’m presuming you had two switches/levers on the stick. One would operate the range change i.e. move from low range 1-2-3-4 to high range 1-2-3-4 typically, the other as you say would split the gears giving the effect of moving up or down by half a gear. If you only had one switch/lever on the stick then you were using a straightforward range change box which doesn’t split any gears but moves from low range 1-2-3-4 to high range 1-2-3-4 typically.
Very good!
If you only had one switch/lever on the stick then you were using a straightforward range change box which doesn’t split any gears but moves from low range 1-2-3-4 to high range 1-2-3-4 typically.
Not necessarily. You can have one switch on the stick and that could be either a range change or a splitter. Jennie is describing a splitter.
When I trained I had a gear stick with one switch to flick up half a gear
Question is this the range change that you are all refering to or is it called a splitter as it is splitting the gears into half
hope that makes sense ?
Jen x
I’m presuming you had two switches/levers on the stick. One would operate the range change i.e. move from low range 1-2-3-4 to high range 1-2-3-4 typically, the other as you say would split the gears giving the effect of moving up or down by half a gear. If you only had one switch/lever on the stick then you were using a straightforward range change box which doesn’t split any gears but moves from low range 1-2-3-4 to high range 1-2-3-4 typically.
Very good!
Okay hears another the gears stick had one switch so thats a straightforward range change okay get that , but another truck I drive now has one switch to change from high to low so have 8 gears and to get the gears you require either have switch up or down ie I normaly pull away in 3rd with switch down then flick up to go into 5th etc depending on load I can either flick up across to 7th then down for 8th or sometimes have to go into 6th before going up so thats a range change ? thing is I have a lot of trouble using this truck as dont always get the revs right to change gears , its not just me either the other guys have all sorts of different ways of driving this truck i dread getting in it now !!!
If you only had one switch/lever on the stick then you were using a straightforward range change box which doesn’t split any gears but moves from low range 1-2-3-4 to high range 1-2-3-4 typically.
Not necessarily. You can have one switch on the stick and that could be either a range change or a splitter. Jennie is describing a splitter.
So how when you get in a new truck that not driven and only one switch on gearstick how do you know if splitter as in goes up half gear or range change ■■
Ps sorry to KittyKat for highjacking thread but all this may be of help to others too !!
You’ve just described a perfectly normal range change. As for problems getting the gears, there’s loads of different reasons. But the technique seems ok.
So, to try and make it clear: a range change is where there are 2 ranges to choose from - high and low. There are normally (not always) 4 gears in each range. The lower range will often only run to around 15/20 mph and the high range will do the rest. There will be some sort of device to change the range. This is either a switch which can be up and down (generally) or side to side (sometimes) or a “slapover”. With the latter, the first 4 gears are to the left and then, in neutral, slap the stick towards the driver’s seat, let it settle, and then you’ve got the top 4 gears. It’s simply 8 gears in 2 lots of 4.
A splitter will be operated by a switch on the gear stick - generally up and down. Each gear has 2 options - high and low. There is only half a gear between them and can be very handy for a bit of extra pep going uphill, overtaking etc. Typically, with a loaded truck and a 6 speed splitter, you would move of in 2nd low, make your way through the gears until you reach 6th and then, happy days, split it up into “high” 6th. Very easy to use but the common mistake is to over use it. Unless the truck is heavily loaded and a bit tired, you can often just use full gear changes with some exceptions.
It’s very difficult to put all this into words. To generalise is dangerous as there are so many variations and I never intended to get this complicated! What happened!!
The important thing is to be aware of whether you’ve got a range change or a splitter.
On a final note, I drove a DAF 3600 some years ago and the foreman described it as a splitter; the yard shunter described it as a range change. Took it all with a pinch of salt. Went happily down the road making strange noises. No-one told me it was a mirror change i.e low gears towards the driver, then a splitter. But got it sorted quite quickly so no harm done.
So how when you get in a new truck that not driven and only one switch on gearstick how do you know if splitter as in goes up half gear or range change ■■
Ps sorry to KittyKat for highjacking thread but all this may be of help to others too !!
With the air up and the gears in neutral, flick the switch up and down. If it’s a range change you’ll probably hear the range changing in the gearbox. Splitters are normally not so noisy.
Peter Smythe:
With the air up and the gears in neutral, flick the switch up and down. If it’s a range change you’ll probably hear the range changing in the gearbox. Splitters are normally not so noisy.
Oh yes know the clunk first time out thought id broke the truck
cheers peter
also invest in the HPT dvd (£20) for all vheicles and a book cant remember what its called but from wh smiths £16.99 i did and it paid off also on the direct gov web site there is a hpt free practice vid
and all i can say is welcome to the shack of all these wonderful folk and good luck on your test n lessons, please keep us posted
I passed my theories last week, it wasn’t too bad so don’t worry about it!
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