Okay I’ve been driving class C for nearly 4 years now so don’t class myself as new but I wouldn’t call myself a pro yet. Just changed jobs and got put out with another driver round London and the south in a puddle jumper with an auto gear box.
I’ve gotten a bit fed up with the auto it changes at weird times like at 2400rpm in some gears which seems high compared to where I used to change in the old daf also gears to go brakes to stop seems weird and harsh as I used to downshift to control steep descents etc with the retarder and the gear change is for want of a better word clunky . The guy I am out with is the company trainer, I mentioned the gear change and he suggested overriding it in certain situations to which i laughed it off and said it probably would have been better being a manual, his reply was it cheaper to get trucks in auto, which is a point I understand from a cost point of view but not a driving point of view.
My point is this I am aiming to take my C+E in the next year or so, I know that an auto will take the pressure off while driving test etc. Would having to override an auto gear box and getting it wrong count against you or should you just continue to rely on the box to get it right?
A question relevant to this for the trainers here:
Is there an emergency stop exercise on the current LGV test?
Whether or not there is, is it a fail if you stall a vehicle during an emergency stop?
What if an auto truck (left in auto mode) stalls on a test?
Firstly let me just say that all makes of vehicles do change gear at different rev ranges, so this is just a matter of you trusting the vehicle you are driving.
As for your statement ’ gears to go, brakes to stop ', this has been the way we have been teaching for years, even when driving a manual gearbox.
So what manufacturer’s have done is to put the technology into the auto box, yes I agree to a certain extent that rpm is quite high sometimes but again it’s the technology that makes it do this. For instance going up hill the vehicle may stay in one particular gear for longer and it may even go outside the green band on the rev counter, this is the technology making it do that too.
If you are more of a manual gearbox driver then the auto gearbox does really take some getting used to, all I can say is to persevere with it and eventually you will realise just how good that auto is !
As for taking a driving test there is no need for you to change gear just let the gearbox sort it out itself. The examiners do not have a problem with the auto box and are more than happy for the technology to do all the work.
Peter Smythe:
So what manufacturer’s have done is to put the technology into the auto box, yes I agree to a certain extent that rpm is quite high sometimes but again it’s the technology that makes it do this. For instance going up hill the vehicle may stay in one particular gear for longer and it may even go outside the green band on the rev counter, this is the technology making it do that too.
If you are more of a manual gearbox driver then the auto gearbox does really take some getting used to, all I can say is to persevere with it and eventually you will realise just how good that auto is !
Just finding it difficult and annoying when said tech basically abandons you going up a 1 in 4 over revs changes up realises it doesnt have the revs for that gear changes down over revs and changes up again.
I had to learn gears to go brakes to stop for for my C but have since returned to old ways. Guessing I will just have to as you say persevere with it all.
Thanks to all for the replies. Will keep it in auto.
The post with my name on it was kindly posted by a member of staff at my request during my short holiday this week. I would like to add that there really is no need to “persevere” with it provided it’s reasonable vehicle. We are now 100% auto and none of them suffer with "when said tech basically abandons you going up a 1 in 4 over revs changes up realises it doesnt have the revs for that gear changes down over revs and changes up again.
Many older autos suffer this way, though. But technology has improved in leaps and bounds and these problems have all but ceased.
It really is up to you to satisfy yourself as to the quality of the vehicle you propose using for your training.
Is there an emergency stop exercise on the current LGV test?
Whether or not there is, is it a fail if you stall a vehicle during an emergency stop?
What if an auto truck (left in auto mode) stalls on a test?
No emergency stop on current LGV test
Was never a fail to stall during emergency stop
An auto truck wont stall unless you try and move away with the park brake on. It could be a serious fault (fail) if it causes a problem to another road user. If no-one affected, more likely to be a driving fault (often called a “minor mark”). But much safer not to do it to start with!
If the truck stalls under any other circumstances, it needs looking at.
A well maintained, modern auto will move away uphill effortlessly and it’s easy to master the technique.
Is there an emergency stop exercise on the current LGV test?
Whether or not there is, is it a fail if you stall a vehicle during an emergency stop?
What if an auto truck (left in auto mode) stalls on a test?
No emergency stop on current LGV test
Was never a fail to stall during emergency stop
An auto truck wont stall unless you try and move away with the park brake on. It could be a serious fault (fail) if it causes a problem to another road user. If no-one affected, more likely to be a driving fault (often called a “minor mark”). But much safer not to do it to start with!
If the truck stalls under any other circumstances, it needs looking at.
A well maintained, modern auto will move away uphill effortlessly and it’s easy to master the technique.
Hope this helps, Pete
Thanks for the reply Peter.
Clear enough on the test requirements etc.
If you “just drive” an auto, it will do weird things. You’ve got to learn how to work with it - for example, of its holding a gear too long, ease off just a little and it’ll shift. Or flick it into manual and do the same thing.
If you “just drive” an auto, it will do weird things. You’ve got to learn how to work with it - for example, of its holding a gear too long, ease off just a little and it’ll shift. Or flick it into manual and do the same thing.
Absolutely correct for many autos. But I’m finding that the bang up to date autos seem to perform a lot more predictably and you can “just drive”.
