i want to become a truck driver but not if it's manual

Sadly you have a generation who wants to do the least amount of work possible and take home the biggest check. I want to drive a truck make 50 grand a year, and not have to shift gears, open my doors, and be home every night. Also I want my pay upfront.

 

I love automatics! Read that Watkins & Shepard is getting some automatics now.

 

Shifting gears, double-clutching, and knowing the correct gear for the situation, etc, does take a skill.
By saying that you can't/won't do that skill makes me wonder what other trucking skills are lacking, or will avoid doing.

 

I resisted the whole automatic-in-a-truck concept for years, figured they had no place in a truck. I swore I'd never drive one, let alone own one. Then, the truck I own now came available. 200,000 on a Cat reman with all new accessories, new clutch, very well maintained and at a good price. But, it had an Ultrashift. I talked to a couple friends that drive them, one of which was running Chicago to LA when it was still Rte 66 and cut his teeth on a triplex. Well, he had me drive his a short distance. I made the deal the next day and haven't looked back. Sure, I get ribbed about it, but I take it in stride, since I put a couple million miles behind me with a shifter. I've paid my dues.

That said, I am of the opinion that every new driver needs to learn on a manual box, not an auto. Once proficient, then, and only then, should they move on to the autos.

 

I drive an auto and pull down around $1500 a week-2 days off-sleep in my own bed every night. Full coverage with BCBS, dental, vision for $190 a month. Free uniforms. Free coveralls. Free gloves/hard hats/safety equipment Retirement. Paid holidays. 5 sick days a yr. Free to work another day each week if I want to make more. Safety bonuses. No dispatcher yelling to hurry up. A REAL safety dept. Last yr drove 379EH-550Cat-18-fridge, microwave all the other BS. Ran like Hell and listened to dispatcher and oil people gripe. Was good for a little while. Then the stray dogs showed up and started the throat cutting. I'm not living in truck for chump wages less then $400 a day.. Don't spew that schidt that you are any better a driver or not trucking if you aren't constantly shifting. I loved driving an 18. But I love that jingle in my pocket and bank a lot more. And I run off and leave other 10spds behind with my 12 spd auto leaving rack. You want to shift that's great. But don't put yourself above anyone else because they have been given the chance to work for a company that chooses for what ever reason to purchase autos. And they are not automatics anyway. 90% of the big mouths don't even know the difference between an autoshift and true automatic like an Allison or others.
I go out that door to MAKE REAL MONEY. . Not to blow smoke out my poop chute about how shifting makes me an inch longer or gives me a woodie. I don't care what tranny it has as long as it's safe and you're going to make it worth my while to drive it. And 75% of the truckers don't ever make squat and never will because they are concentrating on stupid things like this. Shifting any of them is about 2% of what is required to be a top notch driver who good companies come looking for instead of you crawling to them begging for scraps.
Merry Christmas to all!!

 

I love these threads.

Get rid of the autos. Let's get rid of A/C. Bring back spring ride coe's with bench seats. Sleeper trucks, sheesh, a board over the seat is fine. Interstate system, we don't even want pavement. Bye bye GPS. Cell phones are silly.

Real men don't need all that fancy stuff, it just makes you soft.

 

You should drive a Volvo I shift. It is light yrs ahead of Eaton Ultrashift. None of that jerking in reverse. We have some 2011 Shakers that have them. Used as spares. They can get your attention in reverse. But it's still just a truck.
I agree about learning to shift . Or at least they need to know why you MUST shift a truck. And that even an auto driver must be ready and trained to go to manual immediately if that is required. Gear ratios, speeds in each gear, etc. All will be 2nd nature to a good driver.

 

Actually, Duker, my friend's truck is a Volvo with the I Shift. I agree, it was much nicer than my Ultrashift, but the object was to push me past that whole auto=baaaad mindset. It worked.

 

Thought it meant cry over evolution.

 

Is that what it means? I always thought they were called nosebleed trucks! At least, that's what I call mine.