Should I pay the $500 to learn manual at school?

My private CDL school will train in automatic but has an option to train me in manual for an extra $500. Should I do it? I actually don't prefer to drive manual every day but if I need to jump in a truck to help out, I'd be ok with that.

Any advice?

 

I would just because you never know where life will take you might need it one day

 

Don’t do it. Yeah, you can drive a manual but why would you want to? Most of the majors switched to automatics about 5 years ago. They usually run a truck for 500k miles before replacing it with a new one that’s cheaper to maintain and doesn’t break down as often. A good driver can put 500k miles on a truck in about 3 years. In my experience the only companies still running manuals are doing so because they’re BROKE and can’t afford new trucks for some reason OR they still have low mileage manuals in inventory because they haven’t been running for some reason - both are red flags telling you to look elsewhere for a job.

 

alot of small company use manuals still like the current company im at but again as the guy above me said they cant afford new truck so I'm stuck in a 2018 389 18 spd.
Oo don't forget they pay like #### to I'm telling you all week I had runs where I'm only grossing 450-750 a day.
Man o man the life of the lowly scum 7 employee company can't even feed my family on the type of wage wish I could only hit a button and make them big old bucks at swift

 

Get it, you will get hired before the above poster faster.

Not @Coffey, he slipped in while I was typing.

 

Absolutely. One day you might wanna be an owner operator and it's way cheaper to own a manual truck vs automatic.
Also you might find a great private fleet with great pay, but they only own manual trucks. Or you might be doing heavy haul, or oil field, or bus or whatever else is out there.
Don't listen to the steering wheel holder from the above, he is talking from the Mega company point of view.
Don't let that $500 limit you from any kind of opportunity you might get in a future

 

you could not be more WRONG.

 

YES, pay the extra, and BE SURE TO DEMAND a manual transmission for the DMV road test, so that you do not get an automatic only restriction on your CDL

 

I guess I’m old #########. 500 bucks to teach you something I thought you would have wanted to know anyway. Something I would think they wanted to teach anyway. It’s a ####ing rip but you’ll regret not getting it. I will agree that eventually it may not matter but all of us old farts love the feel of that stick under our palms...part of the road romance. But 500 for something they should teach you anyway. #### me!!!

 

You guys hiring? I'm at a one truck operation. My boss is verbally assaulting to me and makes me drive 21 yearold truck with a manual! Then I have to do all oil changes, maintenance, even tire!

I'm dragging up!