Shifting Gears: Upshifting, Downshifting, and When Not to Shift
Shifting Gears tests clutch control, gear selection for grade and load, and the specific situations where shifting is prohibited.
Upshifting
- Progressive shifting: shift at the lowest rpm that still pulls the load. It saves fuel and reduces wear.
- Push the clutch to the floor, move the lever through neutral into the next gear, release smoothly.
- Do not rest your foot on the clutch or hold the pedal down while waiting at a light; use neutral.
Downshifting
- Slow to the correct road speed before you downshift, then match engine speed to that speed.
- Select your gear before the downgrade begins, never partway down it.
- Do not skip gears on a grade unless you are certain of the ratio and the engine speed.
When not to shift
- While crossing railroad tracks.
- While turning, where both hands belong on the wheel.
- Never coast, with the clutch in or the transmission in neutral, especially downhill. Coasting removes engine braking and is illegal in most situations.
Worked example
You are loaded and about to descend a six percent grade. You climbed it in fourth at 30 mph. You select fourth at the crest, at 30 mph, before the grade steepens. Waiting until you are at 50 mph means either over-revving the engine trying to find a lower gear or riding the brakes, which is the failure the exam is testing for.
Traps that cost marks
- Coasting to save fuel, or coasting downhill for any reason.
- Shifting in a curve or over tracks.
- Riding the clutch on a hill instead of using the parking brake and neutral.