How common are local companies with automatic trucks?

Cant. The brake (when in reverse) activates the clutch and you go into neutral.... friggin maddening!

 

How does it compare with your native TN? The eastern part of that state looks beautiful. Are there many local companies in Johnson city?

 

Shouldn't you consider the entire cost of living picture as opposed to just the presence of state income tax?

 

East Tennessee is beautiful, but if I never see ice & snow the rest of my life, I'll be happy.
Johnson City is good for trucking jobs. Reinhart Foodservice is the big one.
Southeastern Freight Lines
Saia
LandAir - home weekends
There's some tanker jobs around Kingsport that haul out of Kodak. Schwerman Trucking or Rogers Cartage are two of them.

 

True, but weather is a big factor with me personally. Cost of living is relatively inexpensive in Tennessee, Texas, Nevada compared to many other states.

 

Are any of these local with auto trucks?

 

I don't know about the auto's. Schwerman, Rodgers, LandAir do longer runs, but out & back, but the others are local.

 

but did you at least go to a CDL school and learn on a stick? if so, yes you will be "rusty", but it'll come back to you. you really cannot depend on getting a job with an all automatic fleet.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like Vegas is a better truck job hotbed than eastern TN.

Oilfields in W. Texas might be an option for OP to consider. Although the future of domestic oil output is iffy. Plus no offense, that area is so close to Mexico that I feel there'd be too much competition for jobs.

Any big city would have lots of the normal local jobs like food service, gasoline delivery, and LTL, all of which sound pretty stressful... especially in a big city with lots of traffic.

From what I've gathered dry bulk tank work could offer the best work/life balance and not be too stressful.

My impression is that most local jobs haven't made the switch to automatics. This is a concern of mine, as shifting was a perennial concern of mine during cdl class. I passed my cdl exam in spite of my poor shifting. Some local companies might be willing to train for a week or two if you've got a clean record.

Still the idea of another company test in a manual truck is unnerving to say the least.

 

i think it'll be a very long time (if ever) the entire industry switches to an all automatic fleet. right now i think if i recall, they are still overly priced.

if one cannot shift a manual and only wants a job with automatics, then best of luck finding that dream job. what's gonna happen if that truck is in the shop for a simple PM service and the spare trucks are sticks?

everyone should know how to shift for thier own sake and livelihood.