I start with x company this weekend no manual only auto

whats the big deal learn to shift on down the road get that money rolling i truck driver

 

Personally I think it is actually smoother pulling a tanker, especially a non baffled tank, with a genuine shifter. I always timed my shifts with the surge, if a guy doesn't he will eventually have tranny problems, at least in the mountains. I have no complaints with my one truck with an auto shift, but I have to really work at it for it to shift as smooth as I can, now it will shift quick when it needs to.

 

the one thing I hate on the auto shifter tried in several company trucks is that when it gets up in rpm it jumps up a gear yet the rpm it jumps is very very low so low it would halt if I didn't take over. Most time I have to have it set to manual before the hill because it's acting dumb irritates me.

 

I honestly never put a lot of miles on mine myself, and mostly kept in manual mode and just shifted it myself when I did drive it, especially in mountains or on snow or ice. I did have a driver on it pulling rm double tankers in the hills, one tanker baffled and one not. It literally shelled a tranny on a hill, busted several gears a month or so into the job. He was a good driver and usually drove a manual, but I think the thing shifting when it wanted to instead of with the surge is what got it, it could have just been just time to explode though too. lol

 

for new drivers, an amt shifts better than we can

i drove otr in a ten speed manual for about 4 months and I prefer the amt hands down (dt12)

 

I see your point, but then I have to think you will never get good at shifting and there might come a time when you need to. Maybe not, I just can't fathom a license with an auto only restriction. I never even heard of such a thing until I started reading this forum. I still get my land line mags, but haven read one for several years.
There are exactly no auto trucks that I know of, OO or company running north out of here. Several companies have tried them, but even with factory reps never really made them work. A guy that is not very good at handling a standard, would be a danger to himself and others on the haul road to say the least.
There is probably a few town trucks that are auto, and I know of at least 2 here that guys brought up and run dirt with, I would imagine there is probably more down Los Anchorage way, but I don't know for sure.

One of the loggers I haul for has to use his own trucks on a remote job down on the coast, it is all flat ground and easy loads, but he bought 3 new autos for that job. It is all off road, and this way even the cook can drive, no license needed.