How to Shift a Tractor Trailer

If you have never drove a tractor trailer before learning how to shift the gears can be challenging at first. It is not something that you should shy away from doing, because it can be mastered with a little practice.

Steps to Shifting a Tractor Trailer

1. Use your left foot to press down on the clutch and then slowly pull the shifter into the second gear.


2. Slowly pull your foot off the clutch and the truck will begin to roll forward. It will move forward without pressing down on the accelerator.


3. Press down on the accelerator to increase the speed once the truck is moving forward.


4. Pay close attention to the tachometer and speedometer because you will need to press down on the clutch again when the RPM's are between 1500 and 1700. When this happens pull the shifter out of gear.


5. Remove your foot from the clutch and allow the RPM's to drop between 1000 and 1200.


6. Press down on the clutch with your left foot and move the shifter into the next higher gear.


7. Take your foot off the clutch and press down on the accelerator.


8. Repeat steps 5 through 7 until you have shifted through all of the gears in low range, which are gears one through five. The gears for high range are six and up. Some tractor trailers will have more gears, but it depends on the type of transmission it has. If you want to drive in the higher gears you would need to turn the range selector button located on the shifter.