I got my CDL A; will my MVR disqualify me from bulk?

I'd still get trained on them to not be restricted. Case in point: Had an application for a coming vacancy, its a local job, home nightly driving a day cab glider. It has a 60-series and a 10-speed. An otherwise perfect applicant that lives near the facility in question, but I asked the all-important question and found he has an automatic restriction, so he can't take that home daily position with us.

Having a restriction on your license only closes potential doors in your career... but don't specifically seek out manual transmissions as a reason to be employed somewhere, as there are far greater items of importance.

 

Roehl I think said they only had automatics, or mostly automatics.

 

"a driver has to learn how to drive that particular truck" and this should go both ways and could possibly cause some of the manual over auto rants.

I had to ask one of our 'soon to' [soon to be retired] guys why he didn't like the 'rental' with an auto.
His only gripe was having to adapt when backing having to adjust to the 'dead' idle.
The auto stopped 'driving' the drive line when a manual with the clutch out would still be turning the drive line as he would back in.
Having to 'goose' the throttle with the auto to keep rolling slowly just messed with his style of doing things.

Now considering how many guys started in manual only circles it is easy to see the bias can exist although the continuing bean counter inspired switch to autos will continue until a manual is only common in severe duty small markets.

Back in the 60's my uncle, a maintenance manager for a large fleet using mostly R model Macks, answered my question of why they stuck with the maxidine/maxitorque 5 speed setup was that it was easy to learn and therefore easier to fill the seats.

Automatics are now the equivalent of the old Mack 5 speed in the fleet boardrooms and bean counting offices.

 

Going from a synchro manual to a crash box was easy for me. Just remember if your rpms arent right no amount of clutching will help you.

I still tap the clutch in certain Trucks if I need to downshift quickly. Every one you drive is different.

 

In all honesty, take EVERYTHING you hear about this job with a bit of healthy skepticism. EVEN things such as promises made by carrier recruiters!!!! About that transmission thing. YES, if you can get that automatic restriction removed you are in a better position. HOWEVER, you are no less a trucker if you can't!

 

Understandable.
No reefer experience but I have delivered dry goods to food distribution places. And yes the delivery times could be annoying.

 

Depends upon the company, the lane, the customer, etc. Night driving is more common, yes, but you just might find out that night driving without all the idiots in the 4-wheelers running around is a lot easier and safer, you cover more ground, encounter less traffic, etc. The only part that is worse to me is the increased likelihood of turning a deer into pink mist.

 

New to this forum and on the very first but firm approach at getting into truck driving, initially looking for a CDL-A and unsure if manual or automatic. Thank your comments, now I feel safer going for automatic.