If it comes on and cools well you are probably not low on refrigerant. Gauges will confirm that though. If the low side drops enough as it cools, maybe it is cycling off?
If you can directly power the clutch and it cools like it should, the clutch is not the problem.
If the clutch only engages above 1000 RPM, it sounds like the knob on the A/C amplifier needs to be adjusted. What I would try first if it was me. At idle, turn on the A/C and turn the knob and see if the clutch will engage. It usually only needs a little bit of a turn in my experience.
If adjusting it works, THEN you turn the knob on the idle up valve on the intake to set your idle speed.
If it still doesn't kick on after adjusting the knob on the amplifier, it's bad or something is probably wired wrong. Assuming you ruled out the clutch by directly wiring it.
As far as how much to charge it, IDK what "volume" is specified. I typically charge using gauges as a guide but I also put a thermometer in one of my vents and stop when it gets the coldest. My personal experience after converting entire company fleets of vehicles from R12 "back in the day" is that they cooled best slightly under the recommended charge from the conversion guide manual that was supplied back then. I had a charging station that could add or subtract refrigerant by 1/10 of a pound and we monitored the temp coming out of the vents. It would get colder up to a point and then start going back up. At that point we pulled a little back out to where it was coldest.
As far as how much refrigerant on these trucks........I don't think I've ever used an entire can of R134 in any of mine. I'm talking the ones Walmart sells. 11 or 12oz cans I think. I probably use most of that size can.
Pressures depend on temperature and where you live matters. I'm in AZ and even when it's 110 or higher out here I think my high side gets to around 200 PSI when I'm charging. I don't remember what pressure the compressor vent valve blows off at but it will pop off if you go too high.
Sounds like you're making progress.