Progressive shifting is a technique for changing gears commonly practiced by driverss of semi truckss. It is meant to reduce fuel consumption—something very important for drivers who travel several hundred miles each day.
Progressive shifting is accomplished by changing gears upward as early as possible when accelerating. After each shift is completed, the engine and transmission should be operating at or near the lowest rpm speeds recommended by the manufacturers of those parts. This is contrasted by the technique most commonly used in automobiles, where the engine is brought to a high rpm near the redline before up-shifting.
When done properly, progressive shifting often results in quicker acceleration due to the fact that diesel engines produce the most torque in lower rpm ranges. Additionally, this technique reduces wear on the transmission because synchronizers only need to compensate for relatively small differences in rotational speed between different components in the gearbox.
