Use the minus button on your shifter to limit the number of gears available. Keep pressing it to limit more and more, undo with the plus button.

 

Thanks, I will try it!

 

You could try the cruise control, it will downshift to slow you down.
I’d still initially lockout 8,9,10 cause who wants to be in overdrive going down hill.
If you are used to manually shifting, you can select transmission mode M, and then use the +/- buttons on the shifter to control ALL your shifts and stay in the gear that works best for you on that hill.

 

I am into maybe 7 months owning my first F150. I haven't tried any setting on anything beyond my old knowledge of cruise control on other vehicles. I manually shift on my Ranger, so I am excited to see if my 2018 XL can do that fancy button stuff.

 

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First, know the truck is all Computer control the older ones never had and do many more things.
5 shift modes selected from the push switch on the end of the shifter.
1 from the left end is the normal mode at each start-up.
3 is wet / snow mode that does two changes. A. softens Throttle response for the driving conditions. B. Uses the ABS Braking system to improve Traction by detecting one side wheel spin, adding some Brake action to that wheel forcing the other into traction instead of just losing all traction. When this happens, you may not even feel it.
4 Is ECO mode to soften shifting and skip some upshifting that may not be needed in an attempt to save a little gas.
2 is for Towing and hangs onto gears longer before upshifting.
The others you normally might not ever use.
On the shifter, there is a two-direction switch that can force Down and Upshifts to gears as you might want even in the overdrive gears 8,9 &10 or Cruise control if you turn it on from the steering wheel switching.
Lots of other things going on you may not feel or see.
There is a switch that sets the rear into full lock-up for straight away driving traction at any time but auto turns off at 25 mph and back on at 20 mph.
Then there is 4 wd Hi & Lo. In 4 Lo and locking the rear up, it will stay locked up at any speed in 4 Lo only for extra pulling traction if needed.
You should have an Owner Manual to read about all these features. When to use then and when not to as a responsibility to driving the truck.
Good luck.

 

I recognize this is a bit pedantic, but I think it's an important distinction:
The plus and minus shifter buttons ask the truck to shift. The computer may or may not agree with the request depending on speed and what the RPM range would be, and—especially if not in "sport" mode—is likely to be a tad slow to actually make the shift.

Coming from an actual five-speed and a couple of motorcycles, this took a bit of getting used to, especially when you go to downshift further while heading downhill or maybe into a corner, and your speed increases a hair because the computer is slow to actually make the shift and get the benefit of the engine braking.

 

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I understand your point, but my reply is to the op who has no idea what can be done and not for high performance intended, for this discussion.
Just what is designed in the vehicle.
We have a 5L Gen 2, Coyote 6 speed Manuel in a 2003 Mustang Road and Hill Climb race car.
Good luck.

 

Just to mention that my 2018 XL just offers "Normal/Tow/Sport" with column end pushes.