I once pulled up to a stop light. The guy in the car next to me had his seat as far forward as it would go. He had a doughnut in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, and his knees propped up against the steering wheel supporting the magazine he was reading. :dead:

I have been guilty of steering with my knee in the past. I was shifting my two stick truck. I have also held the steering wheel straight with the crook of my elbow while shifting as well.
The only reading I ever did on the road was a road map. No GSP in those days.

About 8-10 years ago, I was driving down the highway going to work. I saw this car in my mirror. When I looked in the mirror, I got the weirdest first impression.

It looked like the driver was blowing a bugle while driving. Man, I needed some coffee. Weird how first impressions can be made like that.

Except when he pulled next to me I got a very clear look. A guy blowing a bugle while driving :o

I guess first impressions can sometimes be right.

Now I know you've been around a long while if you drove split shifters. :salute:
Those only got hairy on skinny mountain roads with lots of curves.:timeout:
Has peak torque been the same since those days?

With the gassers I drove the rule of thumb was wind her out almost to the governor and then grab another one or two. Most times one. Down hill just shift the main. On the flat, shift both (auxiliary first until you run out of gears then both auxiliary and main at the same time and start all over again on the aux.) Goes like this M=Main trans. A=Auxiliary trans.; 1M+1,2,3,4A, 2M+2,3,4A, 3M+2,3,4A, 4M+2,3,4A, 5M+2,3,4A That is a 5x4. 500 rpm between shifts on the aux. 1,000 rpm on the main. Once you come out of first on the auxiliary you don't go back into it until you are stopped. Either tranny in neutral, you go no where. You had a lot more control over your drive axles than what we do now with those new fangled air shift 18 spds.
We called them twin screws. Or two sticks.
The only 5x4 diesel I ever drove was a 555 Cummins and it had all kinds of balls.
Watch this His auxiliary is the shorter shifter.
http://youtu.be/ol7StdtHEMc

My pop drove just about everything out there, starting with the Euclid dumps.
Nice video. :up: As soon as I saw the setup my first thought was Mack Bulldog.:yep: Then the passenger panned out the windshield and confirmed it.:up: Me, I got spoiled on a split ten in a Freight shaker during CDL school and then spoiled even further by going to work for a carrier that ran super tens in International Golden Eagles.:)

There is a video on you tube of a guy with a KW with 3 trannys to shift. I almost posted it, but that would only lead to a lot of confusion if you've never had the joy of shifting two.
I still would rather have 5X4, they have more control over your drive axles and are way easier (cheaper) and simpler to rebuild.
Air shifts sometimes shift faster, but I can still 'beat the air' and end up in between gears (effectively neutral) with no grind. With 5x4 there is no guess work. You are either in gear or not.
I have taught about 6 people to shift 5x4, one was a 14 year old (his Dad was the loader operator for the pit I was hauling out of).

This ^

I would go so far as to say that the disparity in reporting is responsible for much of the cynicism our folks experience about our country.

and this country too.