I know the academy you test and practice on Manuals. Take ya CDL test in a manual. But whats after that? I know they said we have a road test in the morning, is this on a auto or manual? What about with your trainer and your own truck?
The road test will be on a manual in an older truck. Whatever your mentor has is what you will use, obviously. When you get your own truck it will depend on if it is a newer or older truck.
The mentor program is going 100% auto. All new mentors have to have auto trucks. The only sticks are those already in the program. Academy is still doing sticks, and will likely continue to do so, so their graduates don't have the auto only restriction on their license.
It is an indirect mind control retention program. You train on a manual but run an automatic for about a year when you have that magic amount of 'experience' to upgrade to a better driving job but it has been over a year since you drove a manual so you fail your road test at the new company see and have to come back to Swift.
Manuals are going away, fast. Two years ago people said you would never see a big company like Swift switch to all autos - well they are. Just like almost all modern trucking companies. In 5 years they will be as rare as a manual in a 4 wheeler. In 10 years manuals will be ancient history and museum pieces.
Maybe for you OTR drivers. Autoshifts still have a LONG ways to go before they're ready to take on any sort of severe duty work. Sure, the Allisons can do it... but the gaps between gears are a bit much for trucks which have to function in both environments.
Na they are fine hell, in the army the hett's been automatics for over 20 years. With both Allisons and Eton fuller. They haul over 70tons with them.....
