Glad to be of help. I teach this stuff at school to my newbie truck drivers. We even have a cutaway tranny with an electric motor driving the input shaft so they can see what actually happens inside. The motor don't apply enough torque to do any damage but when you miss a gear, the noise gets their attention right away.

Personally, I never use a clutch in anything except for starting out and stopping. If you don't use it but you shift it right, you'll never hurt the transmission and you'll never wear out a clutch.

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Very true mate.
I still get a few slight crunches every now an then with the 18 speed road rangersso im sticken with the clutch till I improve(truck only)

I drove over road for 35 years. My last 18 years I worked for a private carrier hauling steel in Michigan with an 11 axle unit gross weight 163,000 pounds. My final 3 years with the company I oversaw their scrap operation and drove a 7 axle roll-off. Always had a Western Star long nose conventional with a double bunk and big Cat power. Always 13 double overs with 3.70 rears. When I retired I obtained my Instructors permit and now I teach newbies how to drive and shift gears. You know, one-two, one-two. When I teach, I always instruct double clutching even though if I drive the unit, I don't clutch at all. It's all about 'feel'. My left foot never leaves the floor and you'd swear it's an automatic but then I've moved that gear lever zillions of times.

I have a Volvo Integral sleeper unit now (furnished by the school) with no bunk. 2 air ride seats in the back plus a passengers seat and a drivers seat. The truck is set up (by federal law) so I have control from the passengers seat as far as the brakes are concerned and on more than one occasion I've had to get in the drivers seat (with the student) to get out of a tentative 'bad situation'. Newbies tend to forget about the 48 foot trailer on the back when negotiating a corner and the Volvo has tremendous wheel cut, unlike the Stars.

It's interesting work but it takes a certain temperament. You get a great deal of satisfaction teaching something you take as second nature to someone who's never driven a big truck before.

Until you've been behind the wheel, you never appreciate just what it takes. I liken it to piloting an ocean liner in a crowded harbor all the time.

Nice to have another driver on the forum. I guess we are a minority here.

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We only get little Kenworths to use,401s and a few other sorts.They are all only 350 to 430HP Cats and Cummins power plants.They do the job as its pretty easy going on most runs.
The biggest problem is that there are so many trucks,and there all a little different.18 speeds,10 speeds,super 10s and even a couple of autos,they have gone to the city now.
I mainly cart refridgerated loads,pies and frozen good and some times cart a full load off salads,hehe they are super light.The fridge vans we use are 48 foot and 50 footers.
Other than than I do some timber loads,its all good and I realy enjoy it.

The truck job is only part time,I do runs to Melbourne and some local jobs after my bus job and on weekend also.Here is a pic of my school bus

I have a friend who has a camper like that....A Prevost. Been in it a few times. 500 Detroit with an Allison. Major bling at 1.3 mil. I stay at the Super 8.

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Pursuing the never ending quest for cheaper bling.......

This has a little C9 and an Allison,a lazy mans bus