Gerald Hawkins yes you want to use the pedal as much as possible. It helps you control your speed and power. The speed selector also helps you maintain control by selecting a speed range from 0.8 to 3.4 ( makes you go faster or slower without pedal being used ) the deceleration pedal is a backwards throttle. Use it to stop completely or use it to maintain a speed without having to select a certain speed. I use it a lot when operating in tight spaces around curb.
A little bit of experience and a little bit of feel. Work on pushing a full blade of material while keeping it from spilling over the top of the blade. If the dozer stops pushing, you're probably pushing too much material. If that's the case, just lift the blade until the dozer starts pushing again!