A 10-speed transmission is one of the most common and easiest to shift in tractor trailer trucks. it looks like the manual transmission in a car, the shifting pattern is designed in a standard (H) pattern. The only difference is that in big trucks there is a lower and upper or high range. Driving a semi truck requires the driver to upshift and downshift using a selector. however, is as easy as driving a car or other smaller vehicle with a traditional manual transmission.
# for Upshifting:
- place the shift lever with double clutching, to the next wanted gear position in LO
range.
- Range shift (LO to HI) Range (5th to 6th)…
at last gear position of LO range and for the next upshift, pull up the Range Selector and place the shift lever with double-clutching, to the next wanted gear position.
because the shift lever is passing through neutral, the transmission is going to shift from LO to HI range automatically.
- place the shift lever in neutral position to allow the range shift to complete,then place the shift lever back into gear.
- Continue upshifting with double clutching, to the next wanted gear position in HI range.
The purpose of the high range gear system is allowing the driver to continue to use the same gear positions again, without having to place the shifter into a pattern that would require the shifter to go into a position that would be hard to reach.
- don't move the range lever with the shift lever in neutral position while the truck is moving.
- when shifting from 5th gear to 6th gear, splitter up before shifting.
# for Downshifting:
- place the shift lever, double clutching, to the next wanted gear position in HI range.
- Range shift from (HI to LO) Range (6th to 5th)…
when you are at 6th gear position and ready for downshifting, preselect LO range, push the Range Selector down.
- place the shift lever with double clutching, to the next wanted gear position in LO range.
because the shift lever is passing through neutral, the transmission is going to shift from HI range to LO range automatically.
- Continue downshifting with double clutching, to the next wanted gear position in LO range.
Downshifting is a little more difficult than upshifting. You perform much the same steps, but before shifting down to the next lower gear position you will need to press the acceleration pedal to raise the rpm.
use hard walls and soft wall to assist in finding gears and shifting easily.
finally, note that the common mistake of students is shifting from 6th gear to 7th gear instead of 6th to 7th, you have to push the shifter forward to the neutral to allow the spring to push the shifter to soft wall then shift to 7th gear (as a solution).
