Learning on an automatic... Worth it?

I'm not saying companies with autos don't exist (I drive an auto) but most companies require you to know how to drive a manual transmission and starting out from scratch I can all but guarantee you'll be handed a truck with a stick. Autos are significantly more expensive for one thing and for another they can be very touchy, especially in reverse (remember you have no clutch so you are relying on the fuel pedal- If I put my foot even a quarter of the way down I do 10 m.p.h. backwards in about 2.5 seconds which is much faster than backing up in first gear and very dangerous for a beginner)... that and I think most starter companies like sticks because it forces you to pay attention to your speed. Autos may be easier to learn but they can also be harder to control and take some getting use to.

In my honest opinion, auto is the better option for fuel economy and its easier to drive BUT they have slower takeoffs and get stuck easily. For instance, getting stuck on ice or mud in an auto can really suck due to lack of power (kinda hard to chain up when the wheels won't turn because the computer is registering a "traction loss event") whereas with a manual you can usually just shift into a higher gear and just peel out- a manual trans gives you more power when you need it. Due to the traction issues alone, I can't imagine an automatic in an oil field... might be fun to watch... could be comedy gold.

Unless you know someone personally with an auto shifting is pretty much a prerequisite for employment, ESPECIALLY the type of stuff you want to do.

I really like my auto but I am very grateful I learned on a 10-speed manual first... even if you wind up with an auto later on, learning manual first is safer and makes you a better driver.

 

You have obviously never driven a Volvo I shift. Takes off better than any stick. Outshifts any driver. Does not jerk or rev up in reverse. Those are characteristics of Eaton Fuller UltraShift. They do every thing you described.
Only problem I have had is with smooth bore tanker. Surge would fool it into up shifting too soon. Put in manual mode on that stretch and no problems.

 

Actually yes, I have an UltraShift in my Cascadia. I did actually get to try out the Volvo I while my truck was in the shop due to ECM & ABS issues (not that shocking). My issue with Volvo I is indeed just the opposite... it jerked going forward and had so much power I felt every bump in the road- not to mention Volvo's legendary electrical problems. UltraShift has its fair share of fail but I've never had all my crap go flying around the cab even once. With the Volvo I had to get inventive with bungee cords and tie downs. I liked the manual D-13 more and even that was a bit jerky on the shift... but I liked my shifting more than the auto (at least my back did).

 

People who have driven sticks in cars typically take longer to learn to drive sticks in trucks. This because you have to 'unlearn' bad habits before you can learn to do it the right way. I can tell you not to go to the floor with the clutch when shifting and you can agree that you won't go to the floor with the clutch when shifting. And I can guarantee you will go to the floor with the clutch every time at first. And then you will go to the floor with it or darned near every time you blow a shift until you retrain yourself not to. People who have never driven a stick tend to have a much easier time with that because they have zero muscle memory when it comes to shifting. I'm not saying you won't be able to get it. Just preparing you for what's in store.

 

You got an I shift that was not working correctly if you experienced any type of jerking. Have driven one for last 14 months. Never even thought of spilling a drink. Only problems we have had are with the drivers who just floor it. You can do that with an Ultra Shift. It's going to poke along at it's own pace. I Shift has to be driven. Just like your own car/truck. If you floor it at start and every shift it's going to jerk. Drive it like a driver and it is smooth as silk. I have had one electric problem in that time on my truck that is shared the other 12 hours. About 85,000 miles local fuel delivery in that time between the two of us. Our hot rods experience trouble all the time. More I see more I think 75% of Volvo problems are caused by bad driving. Only gripe I have is giant cab. Day cab is hard to reach for something if you didn't place it correctly. Would like a KW T800 size cab with all the guts my truck has now. DD13 and 12 spd I Shift.

 

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree as the students who have shifting issues have no one to compare themselves with but someone who is an instructor and it makes it discouraging when there is only perfection and no one to share the struggles with. We have had cases where there was only one student in class.. from classroom, to range to roadwork.. its just less interesting and engaging for the students with no peers to go through the process. There was no cruelty between students because if it was even close to happening, a good instructor can always make some loudmouth look like they don't know as much as they think they do. It was always better and the learning curve smoother with several students. (two trucks, two instructors X 4 students in each truck). Moving students around in the trucks and between instructors always solves the problems.

 

I had this issue training our new hires to drive the yard goat. We had one guy fresh out of CDL school , scared as hell and a bit submissive. He was hired on with this alpha male supertrucker wannabe who tried to even tell me how to do my own job. It was awesome making that guy feel stupid. I would assign him all the hard tasks and take the new CDL grad with me for "training" which was like a 3 hour paid lunch break at the taqueria around the corner. He knew everything so I figured he could handle 4x the responsibility. He tried to throw the other guy under the bus all the time and I was always cutting him down to size.

 

Well... My a/c blew on my Cascadia so I've got another D-13 w I shift for a couple days. This time its way different. The truck itself has 530k on it and no DEF tank (which is nice) but yeah I totally take it back, I Shift blows UltraShift out of the water... this thing is smooth like butter. I think part of the issue might be the ECM programming... Just finished driving 200 miles with it after spending most of my day at the terminal. Its running solid of course this time I have an older truck (2010) without all the "fuel-saving" programming modifications. So yeah, I'm a believer now. I wish trucking companies would just leave the original specs alone. This one is very responsive with twice the miles of the other Volvo... of course the windows have yet to roll down on their own yet so that's probably a good omen.

 

I'm also in the San Antonio Area looking into the sage school nearby supposedly one of the best to get into at almost 5k cost.my plan would be to pay for it and the company that hires me pay me back.im actually looking into Schneider trucking doing a dedicated route then eventually purchase my own truck and work for myself.