Why Not Automatic?!

I have only driven our auto trucks on test drives and on a 100mile job.
I learnt on trucks that had 2 levers coming out the floor so shifting a manual is no big deal.
I don't think I was anything special because everyone could do it.
I never could understand the fear of missing a gear in the mountains as you could recover if you were half decent at shifting.
To those who are battling don't worry if you are new at it , you couldn't walk at 3 months old either.
I now if possible only buy auto trucks even though I detested them 10 years ago.
They turn all drivers in to good shifters and cost us less on maintenance.

 

YUP......

[video=youtube_share;j7YZPYXC23s]http://youtu.be/j7YZPYXC23s[/video]

 

Once you learn the gear pattern and how the truck wants to be driven, youll shift both up and down without even thinking about it. Plus a manual has soooooo much more control in reverse.

 

Shifting - the hardest thing for me to learn when I was in the rookie stage and the first thing to suffer when I'm getting tired at the end of a long/hard day! Yes, metro Atlanta at the wrong time/place can be trying on the patience and the left leg, but as others have said, you just deal with it.

Being able to handle a manual can make you a more versatile driver (not "I can only drive an auto" on the interview).

Read a line somewhere that shifting a big truck trans gives you "a great feeling of mechanical accomplishment". Tell normal 4-wheeler folks you shift without the clutch and they find that amazing and think you're special!

Autoshifts add quite a bit of cost to the truck's initial pricetag and I would imagine aren't cheap when something goes wrong, either.

 

To me I think it's imperative for any new driver to get to learn how to drive a manual. At first I was hesitant because of this whole double clutching thing. First time out I think on my first shift I almost stalled the truck. Made some horrible noise and I thought this is impossible. Next stop light same thing crazy loud grinding sound I thought I was literally breaking the truck and I was as I found out later. Of course every single student that went through that school did the same thing and those trucks just keep going.

Then I learned of this neat trick. Now it only works once you hit 15 MPH. At 15 MPH you should be in 6th gear you add 1+5=6. Next time you shift it should be around 25 and you should be in 7th gear as 2+5=7 then 35=8th gear 45=9th gear. This tricks works all the way up to 55 when you are in 10th. Now this was only a 10 speed truck so I am sure it works differently on other trucks but for the first 10 gears the trick works.

Downshifting though is a tad harder and that took quite a bit of practice but what helped me the most was always remembering to rev up the engine to I think around 1500 RPM or a little above and downshifting while the RPM is in the green on the rpm dial. That is the "sweet spot" to shift. I am not sure if most trucks have that green spot on the rpm dial but I would doubt it.

Once you learn how to do it though it's really a lot of fun and such a tremendously valuable skill.

 

Wut????????

 

i can attest to drivers feeling the same way about power steering in 1975
"We can't feel the road" blah blah blah
only thing the standard does is make believe your more manly a REAL truck driver
being a real truck driver is the important part
a standard transmission and a chain drive wallet are just the costume

 

I hated driving an automatic. You always looked like a dummy when you had to wait for a few minutes until it decided to go in reverse. A truck without a stick just ain't a truck. Goodness folks no stick you need to stick to an RV. Automatics are for steering wheel holders. Sticks are for TRUCK DRIVERS. NO stick you just holding the wheel. The thought of it just makes me sick. Like the guy said it will be second nature in no time. Just like backing without doing 10 pull ups will.

 

LOL @ double clutching what's that. Oh automatics are good if you have knee injuries but other then that. Forgettttabout it.

 

Every driver must up his own mind as to what kind off truck he/she prefers to drive.

But to say that one isn't a real driver because there isn't a big stick in a truck is wrong.

I have 19years experience driving all kinds off stick.
I have run with 160 000lbs gross.(i dare you to tell me that i'm not a real driver)
6y with an automated gearbox.
Next truck will be an automated gearbox again.