Roadranger vs Synchromesh

May 31, 20200

ROADRANGER VS SYNCHROMESH: WHICH GEARBOX SHOULD I LEARN?

So you have decided to get a truck driver’s licence; that’s good. Now you need to choose the gearbox that you should learn to drive. There are many factors that you need to consider before choosing one type. Below, we will discuss the options that you have in detail and give you tips that you cause to decide which gearbox is best for you.

1. Road ranger gearbox

Road ranger, unrestricted, crash box, constant mesh- these are all names for this type of gearbox. What makes it different from the others is the fact that a driver needs to match the road speed and the engine speed in order to change gears. Doing so is called doubling the clutch. This requires more driver input into how the truck runs when compared to other gearbox types.
A lot of older trucks have this type of gearbox as it used to be very popular some years back. As technology has advanced, other gearbox types have become more popular.

2. Synchromesh

The synchromesh or standard gearbox is the second option that is available to you. With this gearbox, you do not need to double the clutch because the gearbox has synchro rings that match the road speed and engine speed to allow you to change gears. This means that the driver is less involved in how the truck runs when compared to the road ranger gearboxes. A lot of trucking companies prefer these gearboxes.

3. Automatic gearbox

These have been increasingly popular over the years. They are very easy to operate when compared to the previous two and they are fuel-efficient as well. This means that many trucking companies have fleets of trucks with automatic gearboxes as they have less running costs.

Now that you know the different gearbox choices and what makes them different, you can now answer the following questions to determine which one will be best for you.
What job are you applying for? Different trucking jobs will require you to know different types of gearboxes so you need to choose one that matches the type of job that you will be applying to.

What is your budget? The three gearboxes have different levels of difficulty and you need to choose one that you can afford to pay for all the lessons. The road ranger gearbox requires more training time than the other two and as such you will need to have more funds available for you to qualify.

At Highway Truck Driving School you can learn all the above gearboxes, contact us today and we will be able to help you get your Licence in Sydney.