Manual trucks?

CDL Jobs | Hiring Now in Utah | Pride Transport
New trucks; drivers have a choice of automatics or stick shifts.

 

When I worked for Pride you did have a license without the restriction and had to pass a road test in a manual. They had manuals, but not a majority of them.

 

Heartland still advertises them.

 

Automatics are the next big thing, and when those "senior" drivers go, so will the manuals. Don't take it personally, industry-wise, an automatic brings in a lot more potential drivers than a manual ever will again. I read, Freightliner claims only 5% of new trucks are manual today. That's an amazing number, and tells a story right there.

 

Well, that's Freightliner, the favorite brand of the mega-carriers. Somehow I'd bet that KW, Peterbilt, and especially Western Star still sell a lot of manuals.

 

That’s a negative, the carrier I haul a few loads for, his last 4 new Pete’s came only in Automatics. Manual’s are an option “If” you can order one.

 

Automated manuals mean more money. More money to the manufacturers for more technology, more money to the the repair techs for when the technology fails, more money in fuel savings to the carrier. I think they will cling in heavy haul, specialized and off road applications. That said you can spec an automated 18 that has the capability as a manual in pulling pounds. Would it survive 500k-1mil miles in a dump truck pulling rock loads? I don't know...but I would like to see a side by side.

 

Lots of manuals are still available and is an option to order on both Pete and KW across most models. Also manuals have the lowest operating cost and maintenance cost over any automated manual. If I really needed an auto, it would be an Allison, despite the huge initial cost.