anyone train and run on full automatics??

Why? Just out of curiosity. I can understand wanting an auto- hey, we all have our thing. No big deal with that. But actually "WANTING" a restriction for something you could choose not to do is kind of of odd

 

Boy I need at least a thousand week for my family. Driving a truck for a steady $500.00 per week is just plain dumb! All the challenges the job demands, no one should even think about anything less than $850.00per week.

 

500 a week, that's only 24k a year dude. A fast food manger makes more than that over here. You have odd goals.

 

Yes Im going to start with that.

Automatic is nice we been there done that, but they have flaws in my day. I don't know if they have been corrected since.

Manual is the joy of trucking due to precision you can apply power just so to the drives. In fact you are expected to do better in manual.

Do not use the auto as a crutch. Sooner than later you will find yourself in a truck that makes decisions for you turning you into a brain washed lump unable to function. Sure you want this future?

Full training takes all of 5 minutes. Literally push this clutch in, put in D just like a car and then ease off clutch in gear walk away to the big road. And the other 2 minutes will be on a mountain, put into manual, engage jake and settle it at 20 mph or so for a 8% or slower for steeper in a single gear. Usually the one you used to climb it. Which is why manuals is superior to auto.

Again auto is nice. But you want to show a desire to learn manual. You will hate me today. But thank me later.

 

Rather enjoying my auto. {shrug}

 

My honest opinion is that all should start with a manual. You shouldn't even be allowed in a truck if you can't shift. Autos have there place but the majority of trucks still come with a stick for a reason

 

Opinions vary...

Drove stick just long enough to get my CDL.
Hope to never have to again.

 

Autos are nice. But if you do not understand the subtle mechanics behind WHY and HOW they work the way they do such as torque and horse on a given engine chart versus what you need to cruise with steady power for the best fuel mileage hour after hour regardless of weather you are nothing more than a push button trucker.

Now be it far from me to trash talk, I have had auto before and enjoyed them because the one we had would shift either way when my hand reached for the stick that was not there. I consider myself lucky that way. But unlucky repeating again as a team losing loads and getting towed to boot when the #### things brick on the software.

I worry that we will lose the very essence of what it means to be a trucker when the manuals go away (Never.) and what of it? Robots? Not me.

 

Oh yes, of course... Far from you sir... lol