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

I am soooo glad I'm at the end of my career. I drove an auto Pete the other day over the pass. I felt like I was in a car pushing buttons. Started thinking gosh a Soccer Mom could drive this and there in lies the problem. Any yahoo w/ a CDL and a couple of endorsements could get this 90 foot/105,500# truck careening down a 2 lane mountain road. My point is a driver should put enough time behind the wheel learning how to operate a manual trans. before getting behind the wheel of a LCV extended weight truck. IMO. Sad part is I see plenty of experienced drivers with terrible driving habits. I don't get it but I guess when your as old as I am you don't get a lot of things.

 

You just didn't feel like a trk driver with that auto did you,lol.Im getting a mental picture of this.

 

Exactly! Wait until they have to go over Snoqualmie or Donners in Dec, or Jan. Last year I saw a driver, won't say what company, they take enough crap on here....but he was stopped in the middle of Donners, on the uphill side, looked like he was praying or crying, but he would not answer his radio when I asked if he was ok. I don't know if he had auto or manual, but either way he was not experienced enough to take that hill.

I almost forgot to mention, he was on the California side heading EB. So he was not on the STEEP side.

 

It was slightly embarrassing. I went for the low rider position so none of my log truck buddies saw me. Could you imagine a Auto driver slipping in behind the wheel of a set of sticks.

 

Blame a lot of what happens out there on companies and the laws.They keep enforcing more and more laws and won't bother finding the root to the problem because that's too easy,lets make all drivers take the heat because it means money.I,ve been thru Donners,not a mountain to take lightly.Ppl prefer autos because like I said they refuse to learn how to shift and many are just plain lazy to shift.

 

If folks knew you had auto that day you'd give your company a bad name,lol.

 

Did anybody really look at the posters screen name?
I wonder if that's where he's working now and wants to better his future?? Haha

 

I wonder if they have automatic burger flippers now?!?

It's the whole attitude of those that whine "I don't wanna learn/drive a stick" that is the issue/problem.
A real driver SHOULD want to start out learning and knowing every single mechanical item that allows your full control of the truck, not the opposite, where you have less control over it, with less driver input. This kind of attitude also shows itself in other areas of truck operation, such as half-aas knowledge of the 99% other mechanicals on a truck. Or not learning true map reading or sense of direction, in favor of relying solely on a GPS unit.

Seems like the truck driving industry now is expected to have to suddenly lower it's standards, just so steering wheel holders can put their cruise control on, crank the stereo up, not be bothered with shifting, all while rolling down the highway, oblivious to true control of your tractor/trailer. I've seen them clueless and whining, broke down on the side of the road, while I point out a simple fix (after they had called dispatch, saying "they're not a mechanic"). For basic stuff every true truck driver should know.

Personally, I feel I wouldn't deserve this job at all, if I never knew how to proficiently drive stick. After that point, sure, THEN you can "choose" automatics.
As for me,, I'll let the computer control the diesel coming thru my injectors... but I own the gears.

 

Food service/beverage companies.

Some will even train you.

Stay with them and you can drive an auto forever........