Drive transit currently would like to drive big truck - advise

by Warren Wheeler
(Kernersville, North Carolina)

Looking for answers to these questions.

I have driven nothing but transit buses for the last 14 years, (with my A class license).Can I get back into driving trucks on the weekends?

Do I need to give up the bus driving and take up truck driving full-time to get my gear grabbing skills up to speed.

I graduated from North Carolina Truck Driver Training School, Johnston Community College December 19, 1997.

Don't have skills to downshift on-the-fly, when the speed of the truck is dropping fast, and you don't get a second chance to choose the right range.

Trained to watch the tach when changing gears while in school. Isn't that a slow process for selecting a gear when you need to drop from highest gear in high range to some gear in the low range?

There was never time for this slow mind to analyze what would be the best gear to choose when the speed of the rig is dropping like a lead balloon and your climbing the hills of some
two lane Virginia backwoods road with a tanker load of
gasoline, (true story).

So I got told to stop trying and I listened. But I want a long second chance.