Are "manual transmissions only" types of drivers supertruckers?

I don't say they're for sissies or anything like that, I just don't like them personally.

 

My daughter was reading through this thread and was puzzled about why this is a question. I sit and thought a minute and told her, Keri we are talking about truckers. You could ask 25 truckers how is the best way to get from Norfolk to Richmond and you would get 25 different answers and at least 10 would argue about traffic. At least 2 would say something about the scale houses. Keri looked confused and went on to the kitchen.

 

Not super truckers, just the difference between a truck driver and a steering wheel holder.

 

I can't speak about tankers as I have never done that. But I can understand the desire for a manual trans with all that sloshing around.

But with a dry van the right auto combination is better than a manual.
Detroit DD15/DT12 combo all the way.
It has a nice creep mode to make backing easier, and it allows better control on hills both up and down.

 

You get slightly better gas mileage because there is no computer to get confused, but otherwise it isn’t much different. I’m currently yanking tanks in a manual. Hazmat. It never stops to amuse me that the hazmat hauler gets no “safety” crap on his truck or micromanagement, but the guys delivering potato chips have driver facing cameras.

 

I didn't read all 15 pages, but I'll say it: Automatic restrictions should not be a thing. Period. Everyone should have to take their performance evaluation in a non-synchronized manual truck.

Teaching in autos leads to one very bad habit that I have seen: Waiting entirely too long to decelerate for a coming intersection, turn, or ramp. Drivers trained/experienced on manuals slow well in advance, while those who only drove automatics wait until the very last second to slow down. I can see it every day I am on the road and I can tell when someone is an auto-only driver from this specific trait.

 

What, not grinding off brakes and skidding tires….

Crazy new breed. One has to wonder if they were ever taught anything.

 

You think we have a lot of tittie babies in the industry now wait another ten years.

 

They were taught how to find the ditch when it snows, clearly

 

Never put two and two together but yeah I can believe it. There have been a ridiculous amount of rollovers in Louisville this year. Truckers tearing up #### left and right not securing loads dropping coils blah blah blah. Definitely more than it used to be. Makes sense.