Apologies in advance as this will be a long one as I’m reeling off my thoughts.
Im still a new boy of four weeks experience (I’m sure I’ll still be using that excuse in five years time) and driving for a great agency. Because I dont have regular work its a different truck everytime and takes me a few minutes to get used to gears/controlls/instruments.
I was really thrown on friday when I got into a scania something or other and whacked my knuckles on the engine block trying to find the non existent gear stick. I thought Ok its an auto like my old work Terrano so it cant be too difficult. Then I discovered a cluctch pedal which confused me even more. Luckily the panel screams CLUTCH DOWN at you as I would have no idea how to drive it. Theres an R (reverse-see im learnin), an N (neutral) D (i assume drive) and H/P (i assumed high revs simikar to sport mode on a car). Theres also a M/A switch on the end of the stalk to swap between the two but I had more trouble using in it M than in auto.
My main point is the truck seemed really slow to change gear, as in was out of gear between changes and not accellerating. Is this just the nature of autos/scania autos or am I doing something wrong?
I’ve now driven three Scania autos and found them all sluggish, even more so last night because the limiter was somehow keeping me at 50mph instead of the stickered 56, which doesn’t help an already slow driver.
It doesn’t make you a fool to ask before you leave the yard, in fact, it makes you a fool if you don’t ask before leaving the yard !
My personal experience of Scania’s version of an automatic gearbox was over 2yrs ago, so it’s been clouded by more recent experience of Volvo’s excellant example of how to do it properly
If you want your 4wks experience to last as long as 4yrs, then don’t be afraid to ASK someone before leaving the yard, it doesn’t mean your stupid, there’s blokes out there been driving for 40yrs who’ve only ever driven 5x differant trucks.
Good point Chas, I should have asked. The job I’m talking about was for a parcel company and I was the only driver there that day so it prob wouldn’t have got me very far asking one of the sorters.
I’d sussed it enough to take it out after driving around the depot and warehouse, it was just slow to change and I wondered if that was because I wasn’t doing something right.
The M button permits the driver to make gear changes manually by moving the stick. A is for Auto which will be the simplest option until you become more familiar with the workings of various boxes. In the Scania use the clutch pedal to move off from stationary and when coming to a halt just like a manual car. You can ignore it the rest of the time. You have passed the test but that only equips you with the basics and there is much to learn. Asking questions is an excellent way of building your knowledge base so please don’t be afraid to ask.
Also if you have a rummage around in the cab, you may find a copy of the trucks drivers manual which will explain in detail what all the dials and switches are for and how the gearbox works. Otherwise as others have said ask, you may get a copy of the drivers manual as well.
and how the gearbox works. Otherwise as others have said ask, you may get a copy of the drivers manual as well. 