Offered a great paying job close to home, but manual trucks only.

As a company owner, manual transmissions cost more in maintenance than they save you on the purchase price. That's why companies are going to auto shift transmissions. Drivers can't tear a drivetrain out with an auto shift, but they routinely do that with manuals.

 

If the company doesn't hire you, find a company with stick shifts and change jobs. Later you can try again with this company you really want.
Probably go through a refresher with a company that uses stick shifts and work for them until the other company has another opening again:
Jim Palmer Trucking
Wil-Trans

 

That's because they don't know how to drive a manual. I have routinely put 500,000-600,000 miles on trucks and have never had a manual transmission repair.

 

but all $80k perfect jobs dont. besides its not your pipe dream anyway.

 

LOL - man those tranny gears must be made of the hardest metal there is, I never heard so much gear grinding in all my life when I was in school -

 

Honesty is the best policy! If you are straight up with them then they might keep you and train you. Just tell them you wanted this job soooo bad and you highly respect the company which you do. Then you might gain their trust to keep you.

 

that boat sailed already. hard way is the only way.

 

Don’t listen to the naysayers.

Everyone get out and stand along the highway from a truckstop to the interstate.
Ignore the auto shifts and you’ll hear 40 terrible shifters for every good shifter.

 

Can any of you give me some tips on upshifting/downshifting so i wont stick out like a sore thumb?

 

Well that wouldn't be true if nobody would cater these manual handicapped "drivers" and yes if that's all there is in trucks they will figure it out