driving tips

[blackangus86]

I am starting my job with penn dot on tuesday and have to pass a driving test in a tandem mack. I have only driven 9 speed top kicks that were single axle, both empty and hauling a backhoe. Any tips on this situation?

[Dirt Digger2]

what trannys do the macks have?

i work with a guy that use to be a driver for PennDot...well i don't think you have anything to worry about...HAHA

[blackangus86]

i know. i left a job at the telphone company to go there. Starting as a temp. You cant beat the hours.

[salopez]

dont allot of the pendot trucks have autos? you should be fine.

also keep us all in the loop as to the newest pendot auctions!

[ksss]

Practice the pretrip inspection........alot.

As your driving watch the bridge max. weight limits and the overpass height restrictions, seems every DOT across the Country likes to ask you "what the overheight and or weight was on the bridge or overpass you just past".

Read the book, and do everything it says and you will be fine.

Macks can have any number of trannys just like any other truck.

[RockSet N' Grade]

What KSSS said.......and then in real life - it is easier to go fast than it is to stop. For me (since we live near an infamous pass named Parley's Canyon), when you go down hill always keep at least one gear down from the one you went up on........and my favorite, good brakes are cheap insurance.......don't get lazy and always do your pre-trip inspection.

[NateV]

You should have went on as a winter temp in the fall..not summer temp. Summer help doesnt drive the big trucks, plus they dont hire there full time people from the summer temps..Everyone gets hired from the winter. And another screwed up thing is if you work the summer temp, you CAN'T work the winter. You have to wait till the following winter to come back, its screwed up. I worked as a winter temp this year and most of there trucks are either 8LL or 9spd.

[Gravel Rat]

If they are Mack transmissions you will be if you can't find it grind it. Not much you can do with Macks they are a tough transmission to shift. Took me a little while to get used to a Mack 8spd.

If you already have experience driving a Fuller 9spd your not going to have any problems with 8-13-18spds. If you get something like a double over which I doubt they have.

This is a double over watch where 3rd/7th gear is

www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9KQrLC2u8s

This is a standard 13spd actually a 12513 transmission

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUk8IQXAQIw&feature=related

Heres a 8 LL Double over very rare

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQFZzfcgUjw&feature=channel_page