I am a civilian truck driver: Class A CDL with Hazmat Endorsements, and two years bouncing around the oilfields. My question is: Do they teach you Double-Clutching on manual transmissions, or do they teach you "floating" the gears? I know how to do both, but I was just curious.

Actually the vehicles of M35 and M923 have been converted to Automatic. They teach double clutching on standard transmission but as I pointed out most of the Military vehicles are converted to Automatic since the young kids going in have never driven stick.

I didn't learn stick until I was 31, and I'm 34 now......I wish I had learned when I was 16, learning how to drive. Would have saved me a lot of money!

Well, you're almost, but not quite close. All vehicles are automatic now, from linehaul trucks to off road. No manuals left. As far as double clutching, it used to be taught. As far as floating, we only had 5 speeds with transfer cases, so it was almost impossible.

quote:

Originally posted by fritze5:
Actually the vehicles of M35 and M923 have been converted to Automatic. They teach double clutching on standard transmission but as I pointed out most of the Military vehicles are converted to Automatic since the young kids going in have never driven stick.

The Army does, or did, have several commercial vehicles that were stick. Used to drive 10 speed cattle cars and the MFO had 10 speed Macks and 13 speed Autocars. But most likely you'll be driving an automatic because it's less maintenance in the long run and anybody can drive an auto.

But, it sucks fuel more because auto trannies way so dang much. They need to get these troops trained just in case they have to drive a manual for whatever reason.........civilian driver gets ill or worse and there sits their vehicle, a nice, juicy target for Tony the Terrorist.

Just got back from AIT at ft Bliss. They quit teaching clutch back in January is what they told us.

quote:

Originally posted by transport1:
Well, you're almost, but not quite close. All vehicles are automatic now, from linehaul trucks to off road. No manuals left. As far as double clutching, it used to be taught. As far as floating, we only had 5 speeds with transfer cases, so it was almost impossible.

quote:

Originally posted by fritze5:
Actually the vehicles of M35 and M923 have been converted to Automatic. They teach double clutching on standard transmission but as I pointed out most of the Military vehicles are converted to Automatic since the young kids going in have never driven stick.

Not all are auto. ther are still alot of us Guard units still using the deuces and 818's. I'm 88mike20 in a Line haul unit and although our main equipment is the 915a2 5 speed auto and acouple hummers,cucv, our cook section still uses a 2 1/2 ton to pull their MKT and our maint has a old 818 wrecker along with their hemmtt wrecker. so not all are auto's for sure. as for what the army teaches in ait i dont know for sure cause it's been to long since i went through but I know it's only about half as long and they dont teach the recruits near enuf. the ones comming to me and my unit are telling us they only teach them the humm v and 5 ton cargo. th instructors tell the recuits that they learn to drive anything else at the unit. why the send them to AIT if their not gon na teach them how to drive. If I as a nco at the unit have to spend the time to teach the new private returning from AIT how to be a 88mike then why send them to school at all?

When the M35's were converted to auto the Engine (LDT-465 Multi fuel) were also changed to a CAT diesel. Thus the new class of M35A3's. The 5 ton's (M800 class of truck with a cummins small cam) were NEVER converted to auto trans. The M900's had a turbo and a small cam diesel with the auto trans.
In the M35/M800 trucks you really dont have to double clutch, the trans have syncros. When you have a big load on the trucks it seams to help to double clutch but is still not needed to drive.
I own a bunch of M35's and one M813A1 and have driven 10's of thousands of miles. If you can drive a car you can drive a Deuce or a 5 ton.

Ive been a sillyvillan since 92 and driving trucks since 94. Flatbed,heavy equiptment,tankers boxes,oversize loads (height witdh and weight) I was really hoping to just skip out on AIT alltogether since I got talked into 88m. im leaving for WTC Jan 28 and then back to my Gaurd unit that is supposed to heading to Iraq soon.

With your experience, you should be able to hit school and come out as Honor Grad-that might get you a quicker promotion. At the same time, bear in mind that you are going to learn the Army of doing it now. Your experience will either help you or hurt you in AIT (if you get my drift).

i understand what your saying oldguy,myself and bigrick have the same background.i was going to go and as far as anyone knows "i know nothing"

quote:

Originally posted by westech:
When the M35's were converted to auto the Engine (LDT-465 Multi fuel) were also changed to a CAT diesel. Thus the new class of M35A3's. The 5 ton's (M800 class of truck with a cummins small cam) were NEVER converted to auto trans. The M900's had a turbo and a small cam diesel with the auto trans.
In the M35/M800 trucks you really dont have to double clutch, the trans have syncros. When you have a big load on the trucks it seams to help to double clutch but is still not needed to drive.
I own a bunch of M35's and one M813A1 and have driven 10's of thousands of miles. If you can drive a car you can drive a Deuce or a 5 ton.

m800 series doesnt have a synchro im pretty sure.... we still have m818's at my unit and you still need to double clutch it to downshift

I was a driving instructor once or twice. 80s-90s. You'ld be surprised how many id-10-t's couldn't drive a CUCV. (Chevy Blazer)