Is the first step in becoming a trucker learning manual trannies?

Manual transmission isn't mandatory, but it does help you learn important skills like listening to the engine, watching rpms, and knowing when and why to shift.

Ask around to your buddies. Someone's bound to have a stick and a Saturday afternoon to teach you the basics.

Good luck

 

You're best course of action would be to go to a trucking school of some kind. Guys like you, that have never driven stick do MUCH better at learning (in a school environment with patient instructors) than the guys that have as I've noticed in my short experience because you don't have bad/unnecessary habits.

It sounds like this guy you paid wasn't very patient with you. Also try to find a school or individual with a "newer" truck (like not a cabover) and try that. Sometimes the newer trucks have easier transmissions to learn on.

That's about all I can say. I'm just a few months out of trucking school myself so I only know what little I've experienced.

Is there a reason why you haven't been to a formal CDL training program?

Where are you located currently?

 

Being able to drive a car 5sp really has no effect on your ability to drive a 10sp. If anything it may hurt you. I know it hurt me when I was learning. Just go to a professional school and learn the right way. It's well worth the investment.

 

Alot of people do not understand that shifting a truck is all in the feet you just have to learn how to tap you feet while listening to the motown beat while sitting in the seat of your pete.

 

Search youtube for videos "Shifting 18 wheeler" and the like. But just realize, probably half of the videos are teaching and showing "poor technique" that examiners don't want to see. Watch and study enough of them, and you'll see what is "by the book" and what is not.

It's easy once you understand the dynamics and timing involved and don't try and make it into something it isn't.

A car really won't help you a lot other then to learn timing and muscle control, but will hurt you with the "double-clutch" needs of big trucks (that cars don't have), and the fact there are many more shifts required, much more often.

You'll need to learn that down-shifting and up-shifting are two separate actions requiring different techniques. But after a while (soon hopefully) it becomes second nature.

 

Pay the money and go to CDL school. You need the training because what you've learned so far is just enough to be very dangerous. I'm not trying to insult you or anything like that but this industry has too many inexperienced drivers out there now that are right on the edge of either killing someone else or themselves. They might just be lucky enough to not hurt themselves but then have all the legal issues you'll have with a major accident. People think that shifting the gears in the truck is the major hurdle and once they can get through the gears they're ready. Let me ask you this, would you want a pilot flying the plane you're on to just know how to use the throttles? I think not. Also please do not think these CDL school are the answer either. They teach you to get you'll CDL but while doing that hopefully they come across as a job that you never stop learning and there's a whole lot more after school. But the schools are a start.

 

Also, to answer your question. If you're going to drive in a world where manual transmissions exist in your fleet, I'd say "Yes, learning to shift is probably the first hurdle you need to clear, and backing into holes is the second"

If you can't do either of those fairly proficiently (or learn fairly quickly), you probably won't make it as a truck driver, plain and simple. Being able to log, navigate, and manage your time well does not mean anything if you're always on the side of the road with shifting problems, or afraid and struggling greatly with every backing situation.

First thing to learn regarding shifting is the ACTUAL pattern you're having to follow, either forwards or in reverse
Such as

And learn to keep track in your mind where you are and where you'll go next in the process, depending if you are accelerating or slowing.

 

But have no fear. Lot's of large carriers who hire new drivers are going exclusively to automatics for a lot of reasons. But one of those reasons is to not restrict their level of applicants coming in to only those who can grasp manual shifting.

But just know that at some point you're going to want to move on to better opportunities, and chances are they'll only have manual transmissions and you're going to be screwed if you decide to forego learning them today.

 

I don't know if I buy that experience in a manual car does not help driving a truck trans. My experience is, most that have driven a stick seem to take to the truck much quicker. There is always the exception to the rule. There is much more thought going on when shifting then most drivers realize since it becomes second nature if you are use to driving a manual. The car manual shifting technique just has to tweeked not re-learned.

If interested, better get a manual car now before they disappear; Less then 4% of the cars and trucks sold now are manuals.