I've driven a 10-Speed for Schneider National before, but I've never had a 13-Speed. Thank you for demonstrating it for us. Some of us DO appreciate it! ;-)
I showed this to my dad and it was just what he was looking for this has helped him out tremendously thank you for that lesson keep them coming to help those new drivers out there...thanks again
Thank you for posting this video. I have always driven a straight 10 speed. And now I drive for an owner operator who has 13 speed trucks. I watched your video the morning before I got in the truck. But of course it took a couple of days to get used to it, nothing major, just sometimes in the heat of the moment I forget to use splitter. Now I have two months driving over the road with this new truck, and I really like the 13 speed. I drive a reefer from Houston to the Pacific Northwest and back. Thanks again.
Good job on the video driver. I just rode from CT to New Hampshire with a soon to be new coworker who was driving a 13 speed Kenworth and I sat with him in the cab and you gave a better explanation of how to switch gears than he did. Thank you very much
I wanted to say thanks for your video on shifting the13 speed. Outstanding instruction. I currently driver a 10 speed and needed to brush up on the difference for my new truck. You make it very simple and easy to understand.Thanks for the help.
You should move the splitter button right before you make the shift. When you move the button it puts a load against the shifter fork so that it will shift as soon as you release the fuel pedal. The earlier you preselect the shift the more wear you are causing in the transmission. Actually, you are supposed to move the shift lever before moving the splitter button when going from 6th high to 7th low, for instance. Check with Eaton, that's what they say.
Fred Mills one of our 9 speeds have a failing synchro from low to high after 504k miles of that. Who knows how it has really been treated before though. That's the only truck I've ever seen/heard doing that.
Pretty straightforward. 5 low gears. Use front selector, 8 high gears, use splitter. No clutch once rolling, unless you are road testing. Just on and off throttle. And don't forget about the 50 plus feet behind you.
Thank you Sir. I've been driving for over 20 years. 12 of those years as an Owner Operator, and this is the very first time I learn to shift a 13-speed. You are a clear comunicator. Muchas Gracias.🤠
So say a steep downgrade and you're warned on signage use low gear. What would you're gear be to maintain 30 to 35 mph loaded and unloaded and some on a 10yard dump truck?
Thanks for this video, I'm a beginner and this is so far the best video I have found! Every other video confused the hell out of me, now I finally get it!
as a driver mechanic you should point out some important facts while you do pre select your range and splitter you don't want to pre select before your ready to shift as it causes pre mature wear on the shift forks. a good driver will understand what happens inside the transmission when you do something you might not think is a big deal but it can do a lot of damage. the 13 speed is used mainly in the hills under normal driving you do not use the splitter as it waste a lot of fuel.
Thank you for this video, I just started CDL for my Class A last week. While we won't get into the trucks for a few more weeks (20wk program) The more I can go over it in my head with an example like this the better I'll do.
I drove an Autocar in 1968 with a 13 speed only mine was a bit different. It had two four speeds which still gives you 13 gears but lots more shifting. I wish driving schools would teach drivers to not shift the road ranger into low until they're going slow enough to be in low range. If you shift too soon you tear out the back end of the transmission at which time you have to take the truck out of service to rebuild it. That transmission should last as long as the truck if you treat it right. What some maybe most driving schools seem to miss is teaching about the clutch brake. When at a full stop I've seen so many drivers grind gears going into first gear. The reason that happens is they're not pushing the clutch to the floor. The last inch or so of clutch is where the clutch brake works so if you're too short to push it all the way to the floor slide forward until you're in gear. Skip shifting; on a downhill you do not need to hit every gear. There are many variables like how much payload and how steep the grade but I've shifted from 5 to 7 high on a 13 speed when the conditions called for it. Another thing driving schools seem to miss is teaching about drift. I'm not talking about what they do with little cars but how your trailer acts on a curve. One run I used to do had a correction curve just before a small town. It went from a hard left curve to a hard right and at a slow speed the wheels of my 48 foot trailer would be slightly over the center line. At a higher speed the trailer would track closer to the line the tractor took and stay within the lines. I drove from 1964 to 2008 and I've driven everything on wheels so if anyone wants me to share my knowledge I''ll be happy to. Sorry to the gent who posted this for kind of hijacking his post. Stay safe y'all
Hey man you are a good teacher. You missed your calling haha. I have driven a 5 speed straight job (Ten pallet) down in Fla, going from Tampa Produce Mkt to Vero and Brooksville etc. But that was yrs ago (1980s) and you explained it so well that I felt like I could really do it. Great job. Wish I was younger, I would try it again.
Found your channel by accident. I've looked and looked for how this is done in a sequential manner. NOW I understand. YOU did a great job of explaining.....appreciate that. Subscribed to your channel. *thumbs-up*
I'm about to go into a 13 speed Monday. I have driven a 10 speed and automatic, and while I was driving the auto, I kept it in manual mode most of the time. The side splitter reminds me of how I was shifting in the auto. I think I'll be right at home in the 13, looks a combination of a 10 speed and manual mode on the auto. Thanks for the video! Very informative and well explained. Cheers
Thats a great video I drove a 10 speed and I thought a 13 speed would be hard and watching this video makes a lot of sense and you explained it very well. Take care and be safe out there.
Good video you explained the shift pattern & what to do clearly. You have 64 thumbs down as I write this & they all must be from old truck drivers that think they can make a better video. I know a lot of Truckers & my best friend is one. I myself as a Diesel Mechanic know how to shift the truck in low to get it in & out to work on it but I don't take them out on the road. I think a regular car driver will find this interesting.
His description of the transmission is wrong. His rpm use is wrong. To me he seems like a guy that hasn't been doing it all that long. It's not about how he did the video, it's about how he described the shifting and he described it wrong.
I take exception to your method of range pre-selection (i.e. selecting the range immediately after shifting to top gear. If you do this and then have to down-shift (slowing of traffic etc,) you will have to remember to RE-select the lower range before down-shifting, or the shift will not sync. Instead, I recommend you pre-select high range just before you reach your shift rpms in top low. This applies to any multi-range transmission.
13 speed is the easiest gear shift I've had to work with. I started 45 years ago on a b61 Mack 21 speed 2 sticker. Thank god of the 13 fuller lol I am now retired from trucking and I can tell you I really miss it. Keep on Trucking Driver.
You have the best video for teaching shifting different trans on the internet, my opinion sir!!! Helps alot when you are coming back into it.... Highly appreciate both your videos!!! 💵💵💵💵💰💰💰💰📹📹📹🎥🎥🎥🚚🚚🚚🚛🚛🚛🏆🏆🏆
Yeah I have automatic on my current truck and it's not smooth at all. My earlier truck had 8 gears if I remember correct, and about skipping, you could (and should) start accelerating (on flat surface) with gear 3 and then gear 5 and normally after that. :) But this is way more complicated.
A previous employer had a truck that would go so far as to use a Jake Brake to drop the RPMs down faster to shift. These trucks shift so choppy, how does the drive line survive?
Throughout this thread people are screaming NEVER preselect! Calling this guy an idiot! Well that's interesting maybe you guys should tell Eaton Fuller that since it's in every driver manuals to preselect, lol. Here's a link to their 13 speed documents read it for yourself. www.eaton.com/Eaton/ProductsServices/Vehicle/Transmissions/heavy-duty-manual/super-13-transmission/index.htm#tabs-3 Here is a quote from Eaton Fuller Transmission Driver instruction manual TRDR0670 EN-US June 2014: Page 4 Transmission features: (Preselect Note: Always preselect all range and splitter shifts when upshifting or downshifting. Preselection requires that the range lever and/or splitter button are moved to the needed position before starting the shift. Preselected range shifts are completed automatically as the lever is moved through neutral and into the next gear. Preselecting all range shifts prevents damage to the transmission and provides for smoother shifts. Preselected splitter shifts allow smooth and faster shifts. However, do not delay, start and complete the shift immediately after preselecting the splitter to avoid unnecessary wear on internal transmission parts.)
+Russell Turley Well I don't know what part you're reading but it clearly says "do not delay, start and complete the shift immediately after preselecting the splitter to avoid unnecessary wear on internal transmission parts". NOT preselct your 'range' as this muppet calls it, which is actually the splitter, as soon as you change gear like this muppet does!
How can anyone remember the shift patterns here , confusing, memory and synchronization a skill no doubt .I,ve seen and heard truckers shift through multiple gears , can,t believe how fast they can shift .
WOW! Thanks so much for posting this educational vid sir. At last I understand what is happening and the next time I drive I will at least have an idea what I am doing and thus will learn in time. Much gratitude to you sir. Marvellous vid!
just got my learners. and I thank you for posting this video. I'm subscribed. aiming to be rolling with the big dogs soon. just jumping from class 3 tandem units to semi.
What most non-truck drivers don't know is the variety of transmissions/gear combinations available. 4 speed split rear (3 - 10 ton dump trucks gas or diesel) 5 speed split rear (same) 8 speed (many plow trucks) 9 speed, 10 speed, super 10, 13 speed, 15 speed, 18 speed. Once you get to 9 speed you are now into dual range transmissions. The 15 is a 10 speed but also has 5 deep reduction gears. Now as far as why the large number of choices? Different gearing for different jobs! To the guy who keeps harping that his bike can out accelerate a truck? Well no duh Dick Tracy! A 700 - 800 lb gasoline engine motorcycle vs a 19,000 - 20,000 lb (without trailer) diesel tractor....really? The bike should likely be around 100 HP so the weight/HP ratio is 8:1. The tractor with let's go with an average 450 HP engine comes out to 44:1. Notwithstanding is that even if you equalled that out you are still dealing with diesel vs gas. Gas engines will win the drag race.....diesels will win the pulling competition...EVERY TIME! Why so many more gears? Mechanical advantage vs weight vs momentum vs traction.
Jumped in a 13 speed after only driving 10 speeds pulled over watched this video and now I can drive a 13 speed this is the video guys and girls that will get it done ! Thanks OP!!
My dad sold trucks. Now, admittedly, I would ride with him when it was only a tractor, but he did similar. I think he either 5L-5H-6H-7H-8H,or 5L-6L-7L-8L-8H. He wouldn't split every gear on the high range.
+Roshard Watts I drove many 13's and 18's back in the day, but I've been out of the game a long time so please forgive if I remember incorrectly. Did you count 10 speeds by skipping LO in High Range for 9 speeds, then moving the splitter from HI Direct to HI OD on the last gear for 1 more gear, so to speak?
chris scott; So you are saying you can't pull a 48K load with a 10 speed. Millions of truck drivers will call you a liar. A 13 speed is a 10 speed with overdrive on the gears on the high side of the transmission. I have driven 10, 13 and 18 speeds and I only use the overdrive gears when I need to maintain a speed that is between the direct drive gears and when I get to the top gear. For a 45 MPH zone I will use 6H because 6L is to low and I am at the top of the RPM range and 7L is to high. 6H puts the RPMs where they need to be for 45 MPH.
got it best tutorial I have seen on this. I think the trick is that you were not running the truck which made it easy to hear and understand. Great job!
SemperFido9915 BULLSHIT, everybody says pre selecting that early & floating gears damages the transmission BS, I drove for 27 yrs like that and never had transmission problems
Won't hurt a thing. Preselecting simply puts air psi to the clutch but clutch won't move until shifter is in neutral . Also pre select splitter to avoid unwanted neutral on rear of transmission.
This guy is the best it doesn’t seem like he is still making videos but you are the best I brought a 13 speed manual not much experience with manual transmission but this video will definitely helps me a lot thank you so much sir.
+XoXKyleXXX no.. it's no tougher that learning your Capital and lower case letters.. then learn cursive. I learned on a 10 speed side by side, no splitter or range.. what an awnry shiet that was! patience, and learning, a lot of listening.. you'll get it if you want to
It's been almost 7 years since I drove tractor trailers but after watching this it all came back to me! It's just like riding a bike, I could have it down pat within a half hour or so. I rarely used the clutch..just listen and if necessary watch the rpms. I thought I was pretty good at the time, had plenty of practice for sure! Sometimes it's not really necessary to go from 5 high into 5 low then into 6 low to 6 high, get it? But I find you need to keep your speed and rpms up to do it easy. GOOD VIDEO!
Pretty simple, you shift 4 gears, just like a car! Then you go into high range and do it again! But in high range, you have an overdrive in all of those gears. I call them half gears. And if you aren't pulling a hill, you almost never NEED to split those gears. You will seldom need to use all of those gears. I'm glad this guy ISN'T MY DRIVER! (Probably burns WAY more fuel than he needs too). In an 18 you can split all the low holes. But again you would almost NEVER need to do this, unless your running the mountains on the west coast. This guy seems to think you need, to use all of them! And you don't!
You can actually skip splitting all your high gears until 8th and split that one only. Unless pulling a long uphill grade where u can up shift and your loaded heavy. Most of the time drive it like and ordinary 10 speed and split 8th. Love an 18 speed split lower and upper gears. Easy trans to operate!
You mentioned your boys in the Boy Scouts, keep a close safe eye on those scout leaders. They are not always the good guys like you and I had years ago.
Great video bud. It's kinda crazy/ cool watching you go through all the shifts explaining it all as you shift through vs watching the tractors on the highway going from a stand still at a red light ripping through gears faster than my own truck with the AT can shift Lol Amazing in a sense. Can't really think of a better way to describe it honestly. Again, great video. Got alot out of it.
Jack Caldwell anyone who cant drive a 5x4 should not be in a truck.. move main stick.. split with the aux.. move main to next gear.. restart the split with the aux... EASY!!
Not with the gear sets being arranged the way the are inside the trans to connect the input shaft with the output shaft. Sequential manual trans with a desmodromic selector drum are the solution but it would be a cheap trick to use for anything beyond a motorcycle or race car. Another solution is to use electro-hydraulic actuation to engage the gear set with the output shaft but that requires a mechanical or electronic management system which would make the drivetrain functions a Rube Goldberg machine. So the contemporary system is the easiest way to combine mechanical leverage and torque ratios using a manual lever to drive those gear sets into play.
Your video was more helpful than the other videos. Thanks man. It had been over 10 years since I've been in one and I could figure our for the life of me what I was doing lol
+143Chippy That's fine if the truck has it but lots of trucks don't and if you want your pick of the jobs it's best to know how to drive a stick like this. Also there's talk of having either an M or and A on your CDL which means if you have an A you can ONLY drive automatics.
+Humphrey R. auto trucks are fine. most will say they only have 6 speed but usually split between hi and lo in gear. you can select gears with an auto for obvious reasons but there is no problem with auto trucks. i know, because i drive one and have driven road rangers for a long time too
Alex Williamson Probably a silly question but Since my school doesn't have any trucks with automatic I have to ask, Do automatics have retarders? I believe that's what Humphrey is asking as well.
NEVER EVER preselect on the side splitter. Unlike the front range selector, that one is built for preselecting. The side splitter is NOT. As soon as you slide the side splitter the mechanism is ready to move. Only use the side splitter the moment you are ready to make the split. Never preselect.
Great video I had to learn on my own a few years ago on an 18 wish I knew of your video back then. Definitely going to be a useful video for some driver out there thrown into the fire
