I agree that block changing is safe and efficient, which begs the question
why did Scammells always have a gate on the gearstick to make you go through every gear ?
Personally in my tipper I block change and seldom use the clutch be it loaded or empty.
Loaded I use 2 4 5 7 8
Empty I use 3 5 7 8
I’m not as used to the new lorry but I block change the same way (albeit with more clutch) and I always clutch the splitter.
muckles:
I passed my test over 20 years ago and was told to block change, we also used to double de-clutch.Also Renault Premiums used to have a sign stating you must pull away in first and where I worked at the time we were told directly by the boss to always use first after he had to replace a load of clutches caused by drivers pulling away in to higher gear.
Apparently starting in a to high create a lot of heat on the plates and thy can’t handle it leading to premature wear.
You can easily go from 1st to 3rd without bouncing and putting loads of stress on the clutch and gearbox.
I would agree to start off in a low gear as that is when you are slipping the clutch most.
Once you’re rolling,block changing,the changes should be smooth enough so as not to cause any clutch slip.
Years ago when I was doing middle east,I met a Brummie lad in southern Turkey who had a 290 Volvo like mine.As he had never been to Baghdad before he asked if he could tag along,no problem.
At the first stop for a brew,he asked why he couldn’t keep up with me from a standstill considering he only had about 4 tonnes on whereas I was fully freighted.
I enquired about his driving style,and he’d never driven a 16 speed before,and he thought you had to use them all!
Even fully freighted I only used overdrive on the top 4.
I think the word is EDUCATION.
Well lasted 5 days with latest job. Now been blamed for clutch going on Volvo 480 ■■■■■■ says I’ve ■■■■■■ it by pulling away in wrong gears ie high not low WHICH I CAN ASSURE IVE DONE NO SUCH THING been in truck 3 days previous driver was in it 2months but nope I’ve done it in. Unreal told him to poke job and pay me up
You’d have to be hitting it pretty hard for it to fail in 5 days. Maybe it’s not such a bad thing if he trys to pin that sort of thing on you.
m1cks:
You’d have to be hitting it pretty hard for it to fail in 5 days. Maybe it’s not such a bad thing if he trys to pin that sort of thing on you.
. I thought exactly that mate , I’m old and big enough to admit my mistakes but this is ridiculous , he had a Romanian driver in it for 2 months who never got any faults sorted ,just cracked on regardless I fixed them when I took over. I also refused to take trailer out at 4 am and rang him to say MOT expired in November. Think I dug my grave then
del949:
I agree that block changing is safe and efficient, which begs the questionwhy did Scammells always have a gate on the gearstick to make you go through every gear ?
If you had a Scammell with a 150 Gardner lugging 24 tons you wouldn’t consider block changing unless you were going downhill with the wind behind you! 
I thought we were all seen as just steering wheel attendants, now we’re expected to be gearbox attendants too, wtf next…■■?
del949:
I agree that block changing is safe and efficient, which begs the questionwhy did Scammells always have a gate on the gearstick to make you go through every gear ?
I had a go on my Dads eight speed Scammell eight legger with the gate change. How many people get that sort of start nowadays. Block changing ? only way to go. Saves fuel and no clutch use means less clutch wear. Simple innit.
Pimpdaddy:
I thought we were all seen as just steering wheel attendants, now we’re expected to be gearbox attendants too, wtf next…■■?
Strapping & Load Security Attendants. Lol.