Automatics..for newbies..really???

To my knowledge all schools train on manuals is this correct?

If you can't get a handle on a manual shift while driving HOURS a day for at least 3 weeks then you don't deserve a CDL.

To my knowledge there is no bump in pay for driving a manual at companies that have both in their fleets. So wouldn't the dummy be the one putting extra wear on their shoulder and elbow joints for the exact same cpm?

 

Is there some pay bump that I'm unaware of for being a "real truck driver"?

 

Just got out of school and do not want to drive for a company with Auto only...I think I need to drive a stick at least 1 or 2 years.

 

I live in the Pacific Northwest, we have a hill or two out this way, and I don't care much for automatics and I've never been givin the option to drive one Class A. I did drive a Class B 2007 Freightliner M2 with an Allison automatic (does class b 33K count?) fused with a Mercedes MBE engine. Was not a fan, I don't know whats worse now that I think of it. The MBE gutless engine, or the automatic.

All I remember from the winters on the back roads and in the mountains is the Interstate Dist. and USX (both automatic truck companies) drivers always asking how the road is up ahead because they don't trust their automatics. And if I can "stay in front" because they wanted to stay driving slow, then we'd shut down together and eat dinner and talk about how much they hate automatics.

I don't mean to undermine your experience, and I respect your opinion and expereince (congrats on 12 years by the way). We all have our prefrence, I first did not intend on commenting on this but could not help it.....I took the bite.

It can happen anywhere, post a thread saying Freightliner is better than (insert brand here). See what happens.

Stay safe.

 

If your vehicle does'nt shift, it's not a truck.

I have an auto. There are very few reasons why i'd prefer a manual.

1) when bobtailing, the highest I can start in is 2nd. So it takes just as long to get to speed when Bt as when hooked. I'd prefer the option to manually set a start in 3-4-5th.

2)refer to#1
3)refer to #2 & #1

I've never dropped a clutch or stalled my auto. I'm pretty sure no matter how many miles a pro has driven, they have dropped the clutch-stalled.
I don't think that's a big deal, but it's not ideal.


My truck came cheaper because 'real drivers' don't want them. 275k miles so far, no maintenance issues(715k total on truck)

The main reason I got the auto- I bought it to train my co-driver-
"to guarantee success"
It was an easy business decision. i took business risk to lease on to a 'training co' to make sure she got the the proper resume.

She was the best in her class shifting the freightliner's 9 speeds(so she said)
Plus, with an auto, you can eat your in-n-out while your leaving the parking lot.

 

Anyone who couldn't find a job, period? No, not for only having experience in an automatic. Anyone who couldn't pass a road test with a company/outfit which used manual shift trucks because they hadn't actually shifted since driving school? Yes. A few, actually.

One area where I have to disagree with you (respectfully) is the statement that it "doesn't matter if they learn it one year later, ten years later, etc.". Someone goes to a company as an experienced driver, that company will expect them to already have a grasp on the basic things they need to do as a driver.. in the case of a company which runs manuals, shifting will be one of them. Technical aspects about automatics aside, this is why I feel it would be pertinent for a new driver to learn shifting beyond the very basics they learn in school.
As for the autoshifts themselves, I'll leave it to others to rate them. Only automatic truck I've driven have had the Allison six speed, as part of my current job function is to plow snow for the city (they have a couple 13 speeds, and mostly automatics). Comparing the Allison to an Eaton 18 speed autoshift is apples and oranges, and I'm sure the former and latter are quite different. With the six speed Allisons, the one advantage I've seen is that they're a bit more convenient in sparing a snowplow operator from having to deal with shifting if they're doing anything with the plow at that time. But I think they shift horribly.. really rough, which I wouldn't think would be desirable on a slick road, which is what makes me uncomfortable with them. Again, never driven the Eaton, Meritor, I-Shift, etc, so I can't comment on those.

Concur.

 

There was a driving school having their students take the road test the same day as us that only taught in autos. Not sure about other states, but if you take your test in an auto in CA you get a restriction placed on your license.

 

I think you have a point but only in theory. The reality is, autos are becoming more common everyday. If a driver gets out of school tomorrow and drives for 2 years behind an auto, they'll still have 2 years of driving experience. I would say that most companies which hire with 2 years of experience would at least be willing to look at that driver. Perhaps they'll run the driver with a trainer for a couple of weeks to get the shifting down but a driver with 2 years under the belt is a driver with 2 years under the belt period as far as most will be concerned.

Are there companies that will turn the driver down flat because of the lack of manual shifting experience? Perhaps one or two. But you're just as likely to run into a company that wouldn't hire you because you smoke the wrong brand of cigarette or drive the wrong band of car. IOW, its just not worth worrying about IMO.

A first job is a first job and I think there are so many other aspects that end up being far more important, i.e. how you're treated by the company, whether they do what they promise in terms of miles and home time etc. So I think its silly to advice a new driver to walk away from a job opportunity simply because of the transmission type. I just don't think matters all that much right now and its going to matter even less with each passing day going forward. The writing is on the wall. That's all I'm saying.

 

I've driven a 2009 western star with a full auto (no clutch at all) behind a Detroit series 60. For the in city driving and primarily pulling a sliding axle trailer for a towing company it was great. It caught me off guard once or twice when slowing down empty and it downshifting unexpectedly but that was really my only complaint with it. I now drive a western star with an 18-speed behind a Detroit series 60 and if I wasn't up in the mountains with with 140,000 lbs behind me all the time I'd drive an auto hands down. Even with less weight I would, but I don't want to trust that much weight to a computer. I know several guys that have run into problems in the mountains around here with autos. And have been able to make direct comparisons between an auto in the same truck with the same motor pulling the same load up the same mountain as one with an 18-speed. The manual out pulled the auto up the hill and was able to go down the hills with less brakes and more control then the auto.

I'm sure there will be Improvments just like anything, but for now each I think have their advantages and disadvantages, and because of that each have their places in the industry.

Here in BC Canada if you take your road test with an auto, you are restricted to only driving an auto and have to retest in a manual trans truck if you want the restriction lifted.

 

If you drove only automatic's other than your CDL school truck, you would never get a job at alot of places that I know of around me here in PA. I can imagine the road test's now when you tell them you've drove for 3 years but only shifted for 2 weeks of that 3 years experience. I've noticed a couple of people say on here "they mastered shifting" so they can go right out of their CDL school into an auto and be fine. I just dont understand how anyone can "master" shifting in less than a month? So you can jump right in an 18 speed and skip around gears with a load on all day, without grinding up a bunch?