How to Drive a 13-Speed Truck
The 13-speed transmission has its critics, but most truckers who give it a chance end up loving it. The 13-speed transmission is based on typical five speed pattern found in cars. As you shift through the gears, you are merely using and reusing them going though the shifting pattern. It has one flip up lever as on a 10-speed transmission and a second button that splits the top five gears into overdrives. This system may seem complicated on paper, but when you are behind the wheel and going up a hill with a 45,000 lbs load, you will be glad you have this transmission.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Starting in low gear, you shift one through five as you normally would in a 10-speed. When ready to shift into sixth gear, flip up the button and rather than going back to the normal first gear spot (low) as you would with a 10-speed, you move to the second gear position. The second button gives you direct drive, and overdrive in the upper four gears, since the low gear position is not reused in the pattern. At this point your are done with the first button.
-
2
As you reach the top of sixth gear, select the overdrive button. Then release the throttle and the truck will shift to the seventh gear position when the throttle is eased.
-
-
3
In seventh gear you will select the lower position, release the throttle and float the gear lever to the third gear position, which will be eighth gear. Repeat this process up through the gears until you get to the thirteenth. Downshifting is done the same way except in reverse.
-
4
One great advantage to this transmission is the ease in skipping gears. If you slow down before having the chance to gear down, skipping the second button and moving the shifter to the lower level puts you in the optimal gear. Also when deadheading, the driver can shift like a typical nine-speed and reduce shifting. Once you have driven the 13-speed for a few minutes, it will come naturally and you'll never forget how to drive it again--you might even like it.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Experiment with driving different ways depending on your load weight.
13 speeds often have a high and low reverse. High is fast so be careful.
