Bit worried here - I see lots of messages on this board about the different gear arrangements found in trucks. I’d appreciate a quick run-down (aka Idiot’s guide) to the sort of things I’m likely to find when starting out.
it would take all night to sit here and talk you through the different gear boxes.the advise i’d give you is when you start with any company and you step in the truck have a look at the gear system,most will opererate the same.if you ain’t sure ask one of the drivers to give you a quick run down on how it works and then take it round the block a couple of times just to get used to it.you’ll probably find that’s what most of us do.just play it by ear mate.good luck 
Raymondo it gets even harder when the company have a few of the same trucks but with a few different gearboxes in them i talk of a company i recently worked for with Scanias some had the little flick switch and some had the sliding thing you pull up or push down.
Well seeing as I have a bit more time then most 
As Kitkat has said, there are many types but to break them down a bit.
Constant Mesh or Synchromesh?
Range change
Splitter
Twin Splitter
Automatic and semi Automatic
Most Truck boxes are either 4 or 5 speed with a kind of overdrive (splitter) on each gear, they may have a range change which doubles the amount of gears again. A 4 speed box with a splitter and a range change is known as a 16 speed box.
A Sixteen speed box can be either double H or air / electric switched with a small button on the stick, it will also have an electric switch for the split gears
A 5 Speed box with a splitter will be a 10 speed box
A Twin Splitter is like it sounds, it splits the gears twice, it could be known as a twin range. It is a 4 speed gearbox which splits once and then splits them again giving 12 gears. This was a variation of a 9 speed Fuller which progressed to a 13 speed and evolved as an Eaton Twin Split 12 speed
You cannot talk about different truck gearboxes as manufacturers offer a choice and cause more arguments between drivers about which is the best.
Crawler Gears are not necessary nowadays as engines have more power but it is normally ok to start off in 2nd or 3rd gear so really giving you a low gear you dont need.
Most of the automatics are a variation on this theme,
Mercedes spent years trying to make a gearbox work. Its called EPS, which means Extremely Pointless & Stupid, You still have to press a heavy clutch and push an electric gear knob.
Scania tried and failed, but they have now got an intelligent gearbox as have volvo with I - shift.
Man have a comfort shift which does away with using the clutch between moving shifts. only needed for initial start
A Fuller box used to be driven like this, as a constant mesh box you can change gear without breaking drive, by matching engine speed to gearbox speed by ear. This is the one that became the best gearbox for drivers, easy fast shifts and a joy to drive properly
The Eaton twin splitter was automated for a while and called SAMT, Semi Automatic Manual Transmission that too evolved to the comfort shift system
That will no doubt raise a few questions and arguments 
Oo-err - It’s even more complicated than I thought! Ah well, one step at a time I suppose. Best to concentrate on getting my licence before I worry too much about the cog swapping mechanisms 
Denis F:
try reading here
It looks like I need to tidy that up. It seems to have corrupted somewhat.
Bloody Rikki, it’s bound to be something he did. 
Don’t panic. It’s not too hard to grasp most gearboxes. The only wierd one is the Twin Split (God’s own gearbox) and they’re getting rarer by the day 
If you get a new one, try and run it round the yard before going on the road with it. You’ll work it out sooner or later.
Wheel Nut:
Well seeing as I have a bit more time then mostAs Kitkat has said, there are many types but to break them down a bit.
Constant Mesh or Synchromesh?
Range change
Splitter
Twin Splitter
Automatic and semi Automatic
Most Truck boxes are either 4 or 5 speed with a kind of overdrive (splitter) on each gear, they may have a range change which doubles the amount of gears again. A 4 speed box with a splitter and a range change is known as a 16 speed box.
A Sixteen speed box can be either double H or air / electric switched with a small button on the stick, it will also have an electric switch for the split gears
A 5 Speed box with a splitter will be a 10 speed box
A Twin Splitter is like it sounds, it splits the gears twice, it could be known as a twin range. It is a 4 speed gearbox which splits once and then splits them again giving 12 gears. This was a variation of a 9 speed Fuller which progressed to a 13 speed and evolved as an Eaton Twin Split 12 speed
You cannot talk about different truck gearboxes as manufacturers offer a choice and cause more arguments between drivers about which is the best.
Crawler Gears are not necessary nowadays as engines have more power but it is normally ok to start off in 2nd or 3rd gear so really giving you a low gear you dont need.
Most of the automatics are a variation on this theme,
Mercedes spent years trying to make a gearbox work. Its called EPS, which means Extremely Pointless & Stupid, You still have to press a heavy clutch and push an electric gear knob.
Scania tried and failed, but they have now got an intelligent gearbox as have volvo with I - shift.
Man have a comfort shift which does away with using the clutch between moving shifts. only needed for initial start
A Fuller box used to be driven like this, as a constant mesh box you can change gear without breaking drive, by matching engine speed to gearbox speed by ear. This is the one that became the best gearbox for drivers, easy fast shifts and a joy to drive properly
The Eaton twin splitter was automated for a while and called SAMT, Semi Automatic Manual Transmission that too evolved to the comfort shift system
That will no doubt raise a few questions and arguments
Very well done that man…you know your gear boxes…he he you even scared me with those details…but seriously a very good explanation on gear boxes…if I had to score you out of ten I would have given you 11
Colin in Sweden:
Wheel Nut:
Well seeing as I have a bit more time then mostAs Kitkat has said, there are many types but to break them down a bit.
Constant Mesh or Synchromesh?
Range change
Splitter
Twin Splitter
Automatic and semi Automatic
Most Truck boxes are either 4 or 5 speed with a kind of overdrive (splitter) on each gear, they may have a range change which doubles the amount of gears again. A 4 speed box with a splitter and a range change is known as a 16 speed box.
A Sixteen speed box can be either double H or air / electric switched with a small button on the stick, it will also have an electric switch for the split gears
A 5 Speed box with a splitter will be a 10 speed box
A Twin Splitter is like it sounds, it splits the gears twice, it could be known as a twin range. It is a 4 speed gearbox which splits once and then splits them again giving 12 gears. This was a variation of a 9 speed Fuller which progressed to a 13 speed and evolved as an Eaton Twin Split 12 speed
You cannot talk about different truck gearboxes as manufacturers offer a choice and cause more arguments between drivers about which is the best.
Crawler Gears are not necessary nowadays as engines have more power but it is normally ok to start off in 2nd or 3rd gear so really giving you a low gear you dont need.
Most of the automatics are a variation on this theme,
Mercedes spent years trying to make a gearbox work. Its called EPS, which means Extremely Pointless & Stupid, You still have to press a heavy clutch and push an electric gear knob.
Scania tried and failed, but they have now got an intelligent gearbox as have volvo with I - shift.
Man have a comfort shift which does away with using the clutch between moving shifts. only needed for initial start
A Fuller box used to be driven like this, as a constant mesh box you can change gear without breaking drive, by matching engine speed to gearbox speed by ear. This is the one that became the best gearbox for drivers, easy fast shifts and a joy to drive properly
The Eaton twin splitter was automated for a while and called SAMT, Semi Automatic Manual Transmission that too evolved to the comfort shift system
That will no doubt raise a few questions and arguments
Very well done that man…you know your gear boxes…he he you even scared me with those details…but seriously a very good explanation on gear boxes…if I had to score you out of ten I would have given you 11
tell the truth you wanted to give him one,but thought you might get slagged down for saying it on a truckers website
Ummm yeah its quite confusing with all these different gear boxes, as i’ve found out, if in doubt ask, saves a lot of embarassment (not sure on spelling) and angry drivers behind you trying to get past. hehehe 
Like was said before you can always drive it round the yard til you get used.
have fun
Allrighty
Here in the US, a lot of new trucks are getting “quick-10” transmissions. This is a 5-speed with a splitter. Otherwise, the regular 10-speed (5 speeds with range finder) is the most common.
If you want something really complex, I once drove a twin-stick Mack (2 boxes, each with 4 speeds), and some old construction boxes had 8-speed “square-pattern” shifting, where 1 was up, 2 down, 3 right, 4 up, then hit the range finder and shift the square again. Strange.
allikat:
If you get a new one, try and run it round the yard before going on the road with it. You’ll work it out sooner or later.
Not a good idea if the boss is watching and it your first day on the job. Get down the road and work it out away from bosses and office hangers. 
You can get all the advise in the world, and listen to all of it 
The truth is that every box is different, even when they are the same
You can get an a truck with one type, drive it for ages and get used to it, get into an identical truck with the same type box and find you have to start over again some are easy to change gear, the next may have tight gears or very loose gears
After all these years I still get nervous getting into a strange truck and driving off if someone is watching because i know it could take a few miles to get used to that gear box
It’s an occupational hazard and you can’t avoid it, just stay cool and you will figure it out 
There is a trucker saying over here:
“If you can’t find 'em, grind 'em!!!”
do they not do that anyway?
quote "Mercedes spent years trying to make a gearbox work. Its called EPS, which means Extremely Pointless & Stupid, You still have to press a heavy clutch and push an electric gear knob. "
eps was the old system with the little joystick
the newer version is the “telligent”
dave:
quote "Mercedes spent years trying to make a gearbox work. Its called EPS, which means Extremely Pointless & Stupid, You still have to press a heavy clutch and push an electric gear knob. "eps was the old system with the little joystick
the newer version is the “telligent”
It starts with “unin”
Yeah I took an Actros out the other week, took a while to get used to that telligent gear box or whatever its supposed to be. Got used to it in the end though, sadly i kinda liked it 
Just wait til it breaks hahaha, it wont be fun then.
Allrighty
I used to love EPS boxes, when you think of how advanced they were compared to these crash boxes were still fit in trucks here. Frieghtliner have just invented them, or so I was told last week by a Frieghtliner sales rep trying to sell our company some Argosy’s,… which personaly speaking I would love to have, but alas the other drivers refuse to drive cabovers, so it was not to be