Will automatic transmissions ever replace manual tranny's in the trucking industry?

It would not hurt to train for some other type of employment just in case you are incapacitated or reach a point that you cannot pass the required D.O.T. physicals. Relying solely on driving as an occupation is literally an "accident" waiting to happen.

At your age, you may want to learn a skilled trade, possibly in one of these 19 fields:
1) air conditioning & heating
2) automotive mechanics
3) carpentry
4) composite work
5) computer technician
6) dental technician
7) diesel mechanics
8) electrician
9) electronics technician
10) printing
11) machine & tool
12) millwright
13) nursing (registered nurse)
14) optician
15) plumbing
16) sheet metal fabricator
17) surveying
18) x-ray technician
19) welding

NOTE:
If you are still interested in driving a truck after learning and working in one of the above trades, then you may want to start your training as a truck driver after getting a full 10 year work history behind you. Also, be sure to keep your driving record as clean as possible. Equally important, stay out of trouble with the law and stay as physically fit and healthy as possible. Whatever you do, stay away from drugs!

Good luck to you.

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!

 

You've got a Hell of a lot to learn don't you????/ So autos are to blame for the mass influx of terrible drivers last 20 yrs?? Quit worrying about some inatmant object and worry about learning to be better then the next guy/gal who you will be applying against. I pay you $1500-2000 a week with full benefits you going to turn it down because they use auto shift/ultrashift/I shift or some other???
Quit listening to the losers. A driver can drive anything , anywhere, any time safely and on time. Got it??? He may have his/her favorites. But the ones making the money that is left in this industry aren't sitting around talking trash about a transmission that most have never even used. They have good driving/attendance/financial/criminal records. They have all the endorsements they can get. Not crying about having to spring for $75 or some other trivial amount. They are able to show up looking decent without tats all over and piercings that the employers customers might not like. Can read/write. Can follow instructions. That is just a start for you to work on. Man you got a lot to learn.

 

IMO I believe the industry is heading in that direction. Back in my Army days late 80's, the DOD was already converting all vehicles over to auto shift as they were replaced. One reason was everybody could drive an automatic we did not have to teach the new guys to shift the old 818 and M52 that was a lot of time lost during training. I believe all are now autos. As the technology advances and the equipment gets better and less expensive we will see more of the auto shifts. First in the larger training companies like CR England, Swift, Werner, and Knight. then the rest of the market will follow along or be left behind.

As all technology gets better the old ways will disapear just like log books, CB radios, paper maps, and pay phones. All of it right on your smart phone. Just like the Buggy Whip maker of the past, technology will make it better or render it obsolete.

 

There is ONE big factor that will make more and more companies go to automatic. And that is MILES PER GALLON! If an automatic truck can get even 3% better fuel economy than a manual that alone would save a big trucking company like Swift literally millions upon millions of dollars. And aren't the new automatics coming out supposed to get better fuel economy than manuals? I thought that was one of their big selling points of the new automatics coming out now.

 

My company has purchased a few Automatics to try out, I truly hope they don't go to all auto's, I have already told them that I would have to seek employment else where if they did, I drove one back in the mid 90's, they $ucked back then, I'm sure they have improved since then, but still have that sour taste in my mouth, Was told that the drivers that are in them with my company, like them, I said, great for them, not ever driver is the same, But here is one driver that has one of these auto's mentality, He told me, "It's not a automatic", I said, I thought the truck did the shifting for you?, No clutch, no gear shifter?, He replies, "your right, but it still not a automatic, The computer shift's the truck, not the tranny, all I could do was laugh, This in my mind, is not a very intelligent driver

 

http://www.techhive.com/article/204...-cars-will-actually-be-a-bunch-of-trucks.html

http://www.capradio.org/articles/2013/07/25/california-prepares-for-a-future-of-driverless-cars/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_driverless_car

 

Computers will probably replace drivers before autos replace manuals.

Google already has driverless cars with tons of hours/miles accident free. It will happen eventually. Obviously there is a lot more to consider with trucks , but I don't think it's too far fetched.

 

WRONG....only when they find a way to give a computer the ability to reason...BUT...I'm sure glad I'm retired. Drove a couple auto's before retiring though...they're ok I guess...but on a slippery/icy road...they made me want control back.

 

I'm on my second auto with my outfit, and it's generally alright. Actually kinda handy in traffic situations, truth be told. But if my air drops too low, the darned thing goes into System Malfunction, and I gotta shift it (almost) like a manual. Which wouldn't be a big deal, except I can't skip shift in manual! If I had that capability, I'd probably complain a bit less about this darned transmission...not much less, you understand...just a bit. I gotta complain about something, after all. Otherwise, how will dispatch know I'm still alive?