Morning guys. I’m having lessons the first week in February for my Cat C. Yesterday I went along to the driving school for an assessment drive so they could assess my current skill level and then workout how many hours I would need.
The Lorry we used (and will be using) is an Iveco EuroCargo. When I saw that is has a simple six speed box, I thought “this should be easy”…blimey, how wrong was I !!! It’s nothing like changing gear in a car and I found it quite hard going. I struggled to find and engage 1st and I had problems getting it into reverse, 3rd and 5th seemed to be in the same place
I know that it will all slot into place with the lessons etc but I was wondering if there are and secret tips and tricks of the trade which makes this easier, I appreciate I’ve got off lightly having a basic gearbox with only 6 gears, but would love some insight before I start my lessons
i thought “C” test had to have at least 8 forward gears, if you have the choice shop around to find out what else is on offer, if you are 100% going for lessons and test in a manual, make sure you allow plenty time to go down the box on junction approaches etc, and make sure you have chosen a suitable gear for taking off, i done my training and test in a 4+4 slap over, having drove manual all my life i wasnt worried about gears, (and the gearbox had no issues), but also as lots say passing is a lot easier in auto, and leaves so much more time to do other stuff, road position, signaling, mirrors etc, so well worth considering, other tips try to get a good understanding on the width, length, and height of the vehicle, and forward planning , the reversing part is fairly easy for most, so no need to worry too much, and most of all enjoy.
Thanks for your input guys, I’ve driven buses and coaches for 2 years so length and height etc is not an issue, they were all automatic though so I have zero experience with such a beefy gearbox. I’m sure I’ll get there, I have never driven a truck before yesterday so I didn’t do too bad, mirrors, road position were good, although he said we need to work on speed (I approached a couple of roundabouts but was going a bit quick for push pull steering ) and obviously getting my gear changes nice and smooth. The other thing is going down through the gears on approaches to junctions etc as pointed out by Trotsky3 but hey, thats what lessons are for
"thats what lessons are for " good point, you will have more time during lessons to master the manual, than what you would at an assesment drive, or agency. making you a more experienced drive, and able to turn up more prepared for any vehicle you my encounter. manual or auto.
With any modern manual gearbox used in normal road conditions there should be no need to go down through the gears because the brakes are designed for that
I demonstrated this a few years ago with a fully loaded artic doing 50 on a dual in top gear 8 high and then needing 3 low for a tight roundabout
I used brakes only to slow and then went directly from 8 high to 3 low once the correct speed for 3 low was obtained
1 gear change = must less work to do and perfectly safe
sometimes an intermediate gear is ok especially when used as a ‘covering gear’ on the approach = perhaps in gear 8 then slow down on brakes to 20mph - select gear 5 and then approach hazard in gear 5 … often gives better flexibility and control for learners
ROG:
With any modern manual gearbox used in normal road conditions there should be no need to go down through the gears because the brakes are designed for that
And the cost of constant wear and tear on the brakes should be ignored ?
Presumably you’re only talking about when training.
ROG:
With any modern manual gearbox used in normal road conditions there should be no need to go down through the gears because the brakes are designed for that
And the cost of constant wear and tear on the brakes should be ignored ?
Presumably you’re only talking about when training.
Brake pads are designed to be replaced easily - unlike the old shoes!! - they are also cheaper to wear out than the gearbox and its components
Many of the modern autos now hold the gear they are in until the driver applies power again to mimic what I said about manuals
ROG:
With any modern manual gearbox used in normal road conditions there should be no need to go down through the gears because the brakes are designed for that
If that is the case, why does the exhaust brake system in an auto also step down through the gearbox and use decreasing gear selection to bleed off the speed? My instructor told me much the same as you - that brakes are for stopping and gears are for going - but the exhaust brake system seems to tell another story.
ROG:
With any modern manual gearbox used in normal road conditions there should be no need to go down through the gears because the brakes are designed for that
If that is the case, why does the exhaust brake system in an auto also step down through the gearbox and use decreasing gear selection to bleed off the speed? My instructor told me much the same as you - that brakes are for stopping and gears are for going - but the exhaust brake system seems to tell another story.
Its a bit of both. The exhaust brake can be used to keep your speed under control coming down a hill or such like without rolling on the brakes all the way down. Also, exhaust brakes work best at high revs so part of the reason auto’s kick down the gears to get the maximum braking force.
If you are using the exhaust brake to regulate speed then yes, you’ll want to be moving down through the gears as you reduce speed (just as the autobox would) in order to keep the revs at the appropriate level for effective engine braking. But if you are simply slowing down on the service brake then go straight to the appropriate gear when you come off the brakes (again, just as an autobox would).
On the older Volvo’s in the engine speed Rev counter or tachometer whatever you called it it was coloured green band, blue band, red band.
Green for driving/accelerating at optimum engine speed, (1000-1500rpms)
Blue for jake brake or exhaust brake area (1500 to 2500rpms)
Red for excessive engine speed. (2500-3000rpms)
It’s only £60 for a set of brake pad nowadays for a truck, as for a clutch it’s £2000 fitted or more if you need a new flywheel. The exhaust brake turns the engine into a single stage compressor, so the faster it pumps the more it slows the vehicle, more applications per second basically. It develops the same pressure per stroke but at lower frequency at low revs, so it has less effect.
