The Daf i have just learnt’ in, i was told to pull away in 4th and go straight to 6 on level or 5th if up hill. Set off in 5th down hill.
18 ton 8speed. Plenty of power no clutch riding.
As an old hand I try to be as sympathetic with the equipment as i can but I do admit to probably using too high a gear initially. I was brought up amongst ZF, Fullers and Eatons as well as F86 and F88 gearboxes. It was perfectly acceptable to set off in 3rd 4th or even 5th on the level without slipping the clutch. (The cardinal sin) But as with everything technology catches up and overtakes us 
In my laymans views the modern vehicle is not built to last, but it is built to be reliable and less labour intensive for the workshop staff. So engines, gearboxes and chassis components are built lighter and smaller, therefore cheaper.
If you can take your eyes off the pretty lady for a moment, there is a selection of clutch driven plates and pressure plates. You can see the differences and the lack of contact area on the front 2 plates compared to the one on the left of the pretty lady 
With different facing materials being used, ceramic instead of asbestos linings the plates are more reliable but have to be treated with a bit more respect. Nowadays you hardly ever smell that sickly sweet warning of a clutch about to self ignite, the modern ceramic clutch will just stop working more than likely resulting in a recovery.
Im sure a technical person will be able to explain better, but I understand that a rubber Exide or Oldham battery would spin a poorly engine over for 3 hours to try to get it running, where now a modern battery will be dead after the second attempt.
Its called progress 
having just learned in a iveco 8 speed i was told when empty of course
3rd when on hill
4th on the flat
5th when on a downwords hill
as the professional that we all are, it should be common sense that if you are fully loaded on a slight hill it is better to pull of in first gear as the first gear is there for this purpose if it was not needed then it would not be put there as a first gear. I carry a heavy load of steel about in a volvo when fully loaded it is always first gear that i use to pullway after coming to a stop, it relives stress on all parts of the truck and driver,when empty i will happily pull away in second then to fourth flick the switch and away, if empty facing down hill i pull away in third, a trick is as you approach a roundabout decrease your speed before your on top of it look to see what is going on and keep a good space between you and the car in front,if you can keep the truck moving slowly there is no need to come to a stop and pull away,keep moving slowly in second as you approach then get ready to accelerate if its clear to do so.
kemaro:
as the professional that we all are, it should be common sense that if you are fully loaded on a slight hill it is better to pull of in first gear as the first gear is there for this purpose if it was not needed then it would not be put there as a first gear. I carry a heavy load of steel about in a volvo when fully loaded it is always first gear that i use to pullway after coming to a stop, it relives stress on all parts of the truck and driver,when empty i will happily pull away in second then to fourth flick the switch and away, if empty facing down hill i pull away in third, a trick is as you approach a roundabout decrease your speed before your on top of it look to see what is going on and keep a good space between you and the car in front,if you can keep the truck moving slowly there is no need to come to a stop and pull away,keep moving slowly in second as you approach then get ready to accelerate if its clear to do so.
PERFECT
A lot will depend on the gearing of a particular truck and whether it is empty or loaded
some of the empty trucks I have used for training will pull away very nicely in 3rd gear
Exactly. Not all trucks are the same and not all gearboxes either so you have to do what suits the vehicle.
One of ours pulls off happily in third the other one likes 2nd so we give them what they need.
They say pull away in 1st because the heat generated in the clutch pulling away in higher gears ruins the clutch.
If you do some reseach about the heat tempretures generated pulling away in high gears you will soon find out why manufactures state this it can also invalidate the warranty
thanks rog
There seems to be some confusion in this thread, people are referring to what gear is convenient for them to pull away without clutch slip, but Sceptic’s company are almost certainly thinking of what’s best for the vehicle in the long term.
Sure you can pull away in higher gears without clutch slip but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the vehicle isn’t being harmed.
It’s generally believed that pulling away in first gear will cause less wear and tear on the clutch because as 26 years an Lgv Trainer said it puts less heat into the clutch.
One of the goals of any company running road transport is to get it done as cost effectively as possible, with this in mind many companies are paying more and more attention to the subject of economical driving styles.
The subject of fuel economy is always at the forefront of any discussion about economical driving, but economical driving also means getting the most out of the vehicle in the long term with as little wear and tear as possible, if you persistently rub tyres against kerbs the result will likely be damaged tyres, likewise if you persistently put more heat into the clutch than is necessary the result will be a clutch that doesn’t last as long as it could have.
I’m currently split between a rigid 6 wheeler tanker. Which has an auto gearbox and an Urban Artic of which the tractor unit is an oldish Daf with an 8 speed range change. The Daf will pull away in 2nd loaded. Thats usually around the 30 to 35 tonnes and unladen pulls away in 3rd easily. Not much help i know but i’ve always been led to believe its to save clutch wear the first gear thing. Its takes a while to get to know a knew truck and suss out what it can do over time 
tachograph:
It’s generally believed that pulling away in first gear will cause less wear and tear on the clutch because as 26 years an Lgv Trainer said it puts less heat into the clutch.
This is the bit I don’t understand. Surely the heat generated is a product of the amount of power being delivered (which will depend on gradient, load, etc.) and the length of time that the clutch isn’t fully engaged? By that logic, as long as you choose a gear where you can bring the clutch up quickly and smoothly, there shouldn’t be any additional wear. On the other hand, if you always start in first and then have to make extra gear change(s) to get to your driving gear, you’re increasing the length of time, albeit with cooling-off periods inbetween, that the clutch is being used.
Not disagreeing with you here… ok, I probably am, but I’m more than willing to be corrected
The heat generated is a product of the friction between the clutch plates whilst engaging, and logically must be at the greatest when pulling away, so this is the time when friction needs to be minimised the most, once the vehicle is moving I wouldn’t have thought the friction between the plates and therefore the heat produced would be anywhere as great as when pulling away from a stationary position.