Removing Automatic Restriction on CDL

I was talking with a Prime driver the other day, he said the company no longer allows him to train students because his truck is a 10 speed manual.

What is happening here is companies want drivers of all kinds, (CDL with or without restrictions) but train them and put them in Auto trucks exclusively with the intended purpose of rusting out their Manual shifting skills to back of the hand force driver retention (DR) and help eliminate driver churn (DC) so when a driver tries to move to another company they typically will fail the new company road test in the Manual transmission and have to come crawling back to their old Auto job.

When I road tested at my current company, the other driver failed his road test (said he had been driving only Autos), in fact we almost died getting back to the yard, his shifting was so bad. The company desperately needs drivers so they agreed to re-road-test the driver the next day. But you can see what is happening here.

 

I have no restriction and consider automatics a blessing for working local around L.A.

 

Seems I have the exact same problem. I went threw usx for my cdl. Same situation. I live in Alabama though. They sent me to mtc in st. Louis. But anyway, Alabama law is I have to get a cdl permit for at least 14 days and I can bring a class b vehicle if need be. The way the said it was I have my class a so they won’t take it away but I have to test in a 10 speed or better. They come out and inspect the truck and a road test. Even bobtail. All together including the truck (from my boss) around 120 is wat it’ll cost me. If I have to rent a truck from Penske or Ryder it may be 150 more. But it ain’t that bad. For Alabama anyway. For the record usx is a joke. I stayed broke with them... I went to Roehl pullin flatbeds and it was a gravy train.

 

I got my class A in a dodge 3500 with a 30' gooseneck in Iowa but I had an air brake restriction on it. The only way to get that restriction off was to take the written test, pretrip, and road test in any vehicle with air brakes. This was back in pry 07.

 

I Personally grew up on a farm and learned to shift those old hay trucks that were so hard to clutch and shift and then when I decided to drive OTR and the school taught me to drive clutchless but still manual shift I thought that was awesome. I was a champ at that. BUT,.... THEN ....... I was put in an automatic new truck and I hated it and I called my owner of the truck and told him to get me out of this SH@#$$%ttttt!! I did not want it and nor did I want to even try to adjust to it! It was horrible for me! Well, As with trucks go, It's not an option to just park it and walk away, so I had to go with the flow and learn! I Learned the Automatic and did well. Not saying to this day that I choose it over a Manual, But I learned to live, work, and be happy with it!

 

Which outfit you driving for now?

 

I am not driving at the moment. I got off the road 7 years ago but I am wanting to drive again now that family life has changed and I am looking into how to get back into it! I loved it!

 

I am not driving at the moment. I got off the road 7 years ago but I am wanting to drive again now that family life has changed and I am looking into how to get back into it! I loved it!

 

@Mo6270

Company-paid Tuition
With a 12-month commitment to drive for CFI, qualified students can now receive fully paid tuition to attend driving school in Missouri. We’ll even cover your room and board for the duration of the four-week course.

 

@M06270 - here's a link to "female drivers at CFI."
FEMALE DRIVERS