[elhigh]

First > Third > Fifth, when unloaded and on level ground.

It's really a question of the driver and the mission, so it's up to you to be aware of what you're doing to know when to skip, and if you should.

My truck with nothing in the bed, First is way low. Second would work but demands just a bit too much clutch slippage for my preference. Third, coming out of First, is low enough engage without lugging but still tall enough to comfortably pull all the way to 45mph, by which time Fifth is in the torque zone. Know your engine, transmission and loading and the shifts will suggest themselves.

My original clutch went about 200,000 miles, and I've been driving this truck this way the whole time. It was my second kid learning stick that killed it. And that was worth the sacrifice.