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

I'm 40 and dont see myself as a senior citizen. The autos to date in a class 8 truck are solely because of under educated drivers. The has not been a class 8 auto trans that is more efficient than a manual. Reliability is superior in a manual. The only time autos are more fuel efficient is over a poorly operated manual trans. IE crappy driver. I have went into this detail so many time on this site, I'm keeping it short. But since you seem to make so many factless claims I'm to guessing your a crappy lazy driver who your local hates and would fire you if they had away. You come in here to bring others down to your uneducated level to feel better about your situation. They are making trucks idiot proof, so they can hire idiots cheaper.

 

I drove for a company that was mainly using Volvo automatics, but when they were in the shop we would get put in Freightliner manuals. I was making over $1100 a week. If I could not have driven a manual I would have been out of work. I am not thrilled with them, especially in Atlanta, but 95% of the time you are in high gear anyway, so really no big deal.

 

I would say some of that is not true. You cannot even manually shift a manual anymore, they shift themselves. Most are regulated to shift at a low RPM, unlike a manual transmission. So there is less wear and tear on the engine. No matter how fast you want to take off, in an automatic you just aren't going to be able to do that. Foot on the floor or barely touching the pedal and they all go the same speed. And yes, this is to idiot proof some of the new people driving so they do not screw up equipment. As far as mileage, most any automatic will get over 8 mpg, so I don't see a factor there.

 

If I do well enough at my company I get to sleep with the bosses wife. Not hiring at the moment though.

 

As all of the real drivers already pointed out, having the skill can and does make the difference. Also, the cost of replacing a clutch in an automatic comes up around the 300k mark since it can't float, something to consider if you ever decide to own. There's also the times when you may have to use a rent/loaner truck to keep moving even if you've opted to drive automatics. It makes no sense financially, or otherwise, to skip on learning a skill that is still used today.

 

Thats all in programming controllable by the owner, not driver.

My 21 yearold truck does a yearly average of 6.5. 2020 3rd quarter average was 7.03 pulling a covered wagon. Cold weather and hopper bottom pulls me down to the lower mpgs. So you realize what it takes to achieve a median of 7.03. That 500hp 13 speed brick.

I still have more years in fleet maintance than owning my own truck. But I hear I'm a senior citizen in these parts.

 

I'm a senior in my 20's!

 

Yes. You never know when it might come in handy. It’s better to have the knowledge/skills and not need them, than to need them and not have them. True, the industry is heading towards automatics and lots of large companies have switched, but you never know what could happen. You could have a breakdown and the only loaner available is a manual. Heck, lots of smaller companies still run manuals. Go ahead and learn it, it can’t hurt.

 

Some fleets have switched back to. Not everything is as promised. Anyone else remember how big the super singles were gonna change the industry back in 2003ish. They work for some, not for all.

 

I should check this out. But I know the pool boy is ahead of me. I write his check and its bigger than mine.


We don't even have a pool! Silly big mega corporations!