Floating gear is something that many drivers do. This process rids the driver of their need for a clutch, as they use nothing but the pedal and a slight movement of the shifter. Upshifting is the easiest to accomplish, but downshifting can also be done with some practice. If you are a new semi-truck driver, you might wonder how you can float gear.
Keep reading to learn how you can float gear on a semi-truck. It might seem intimidating at first, but after a while, you are sure to get it. Floating gear seems unnecessary, but it can be good for both your knees and your clutch in the long run. Learning it is beneficial if you are going to be spending long hours on the road.
Watch Your Surroundings
The first thing to know when learning to float gear is that you need to be aware of your surroundings. This is especially true if you have never done this before. Do not attempt this on a major highway your first time, as stalling could end in a deadly accident that will leave you liable for much more than a failed attempt to shift.
Some other things you should pay attention to before you attempt to float include:
- People: Ensure that there are no people nearby if you are driving in the street.
- Cars: Locate the cars on the road around you and make sure that none will be affected if you fail your attempt.
- Your confidence: If you don’t feel ready, don’t try to float. Make sure you understand what you are doing before you go all in.
All of these are vital to acknowledge before you attempt to float.
Once you are clear on your surroundings, you can attempt to float gear. Making sure that you are in a safe area is critical before you begin.
Accelerate to Your Shift Point
We will first go over upshifting and floating, which is much easier to handle than downshifting. It is better to practice this technique with upshifting and keep using the clutch with downshifting until you feel comfortable with what you are doing.
The first thing you will need to do is accelerate to the speed you often arrive at when shifting with the gear. You will be familiar with this speed, so it should be easy to find. Once you are at this point, you can dive right into the next step and push forward with the process of floating gear in your semi-truck.
Apply Pressure
Once you arrive at the speed you use to shift, start putting a little pressure on the gear lever towards your next gear. You mustn’t be too harsh with this, as pushing too much could damage your car and your ability to shift.
When using this pressure, make sure that:
- You are not forcing anything into place
- You are not yanking the lever and applying unnecessary pressure to it
Avoid excessive pressure to get the job done and successfully shift into gear by floating.
Once your hand is in the process of shifting, you can move on to the next step. Applying pressure will permit the lever to shift into place when floating occurs successfully.
Gently Release the Gas
The next step in this process is to release the gas. This move should not happen all at once. You do not want to drop the gas at the same time. Instead, you want to ease off of it as you would if you were using the clutch to shift gears.
When easing off of the gas, ensure that:
- Your foot does not leave the pedal throughout the process
- You ease up a little bit, rather than all at once, which stops the car
- You do not let go of the gas as you ease up on the speed
Keep these three things in mind as you take on this step, as they are critical to successfully floating gear in a semi-truck.
As you ease up on the gas, your hand should be shifting. We will go over this part in the next section so that you can better understand the purpose of doing so.
Pull to Neutral
As you release the gas, your hand should still be pushing. At this point, you should be able to slip it into neutral without any trouble. This position is located in the center of your gears.
Once in neutral, continue to apply minimal pressure to the gear shifter. Your hand will assist in guiding the stick into place as the final floating step occurs. At this point, you will be very close to the end of the floating process.
Let the RPMs Drop
The final step is to let the RPMs drop. This shift is indicated by a tiny dial that you should be able to see on your dash. You can tell that the RPMs are going down if:
- The needle falls on the dash
- Your car grows quieter as you pull back on the gas and gears
These will let you know that the RPMs are going down and inform you you can move on to the next step.
Once this happens, your stick should fall into the gear that you are coaxing it towards with your hand. From there, you can continue your drive without faltering. Repeat this process when you need to upshift again.
Final Thoughts
Once you have completed all of these steps, you should have successfully floated gear in your semi-truck. If you failed, it is not the end of the world. Floating is tricky to get the hang of at first. It will likely take many practice sessions for you to perfect this unique style of moving gears on the road.
Of course, this process only applies to upshifting. Downshifting is an entirely different story. When downshifting, you can do all of the same steps. However, there is one critical difference. Rather than dropping RPMs, you need to raise them at the end to slip into gear. If you downshift, make sure that you keep this in mind to avoid stalling on the road.