Prime and Automatic Transmission

They have switched, but new students are still testing in standards last I heard...

 

They probably have manuals left if you want one.

 

Yes they have. You could still get a manual going in as a company driver. it would be a "lease return" truck. But the chances are slim.

 

Manuals would be short lease, and those are drying up.. Automatics are the way to go. So much easier on the legs for us older folks...

 

I disagree, at least with what Prime does to automatics. Restricting this and that, disabling manual mode.

If you are in heavy freeway traffic you can't just give space and creep along. The tranny will sit and shift back and forth between gears. They have disabled manual mode, you can still select a certain gear, but it won't hold it for long.... back to square one.

It is terrible at "getting up and going". Try L.A city streets during rush hour. you can't just whip out and go. It will try to ship shift and fall on it's face, leaving you looking like a dummy right in the middle of the road. if you try and wait for the "extremely generous" break in traffic then the truck will shut down because you are "idling" for too long.

Way, way too much bean counting. Nothing safe about it.

 

I’m in day 2 of orientation at Prime, can confirm Prime has both auto and manual and we got to choose which to train with.

 

I certainly hope you chose to be "trained" on a manual transmission. Otherwise, you are putting yourself at a serious disadvantage. Unless, that is, you plan to spend your entire career driving for a mega carrier (that will be a short career). The true professional can hop in any truck at any time and get it efficiently and safely down the road.

 

Tell us how it goes Once your out of orientation. Just because someone tells you sometime doesn't mean it'll be true.