Be Warned About Automatic/Manual CDL

PACCAR came out with a new autoshift last year weighing in at 657 pounds. That’s very light.

Weight of Eaton-Fuller 10 speed? How about 653lbs. plus clutch and linkage.

PACCAR came out with a new autoshift last year weighing in at 657 pounds. That’s very light.

Weight of Eaton-Fuller 10 speed? How about 653lbs. plus clutch and linkage.

Interesting. Yeah, it doesn't seem like the autoshift should weigh that much more than a standard. I could see a few hundred pounds even, but not enough that you'd avoid ordering them because of the weight unless almost every load you haul puts you at 79,000+

Heck, take out the passenger seat and you're good to go.

Eventually “what”, is going to happen? The inverse of your concern; companies will need to purchase auto-shift trucks in order to find any qualified drivers. Maybe not before I retire, but l’ll bet during your career this will occur.

I disagree with that notion as for the current company I work for do not hire student.. And now will not hire those with this restriction on the license.. Smaller companies that are under 500 trucks Are not going to Auto shifts.. And you are missing the point of why I brought this up.. I have had potential drivers who are calling me and saying "I got screwed by being force to test in an Auto, the only ones that will hire me are the big companies that I do not want to go to.." The point is that taking a test in an auto is Limiting drivers to where they can go.. Sure Auto is good for those with certain disabilities and such.. I would never knock someone who needs or want one.. The issue is I am finding several companies that are sending new students through and forcing them to do Auto shifts when taking the test.. Making them get the restriction. And NEW DRIVERS need to know that they are being limited as to what companies will hire them in Future..

Cost wise for a smaller company is repair.. Less goes wrong with a manual shift.. Sure you replace clutch and adjusts and such with Manual like 10 speeds.. But the over all cost of an auto shift and weight is why many smaller companies are turning away from them.. As far weight, our 2014-16 Pete 386 fleet is what we have a few Auto shifts.. They each weigh right at 300lbs more then the 8 speeds of same make and model.. Stat on the auto transmission that we have is 969 lbs.. The Manuals are 656lbs..

G-Town, I know you work for a big company and you been years on the same route running dedicated.. But the industry is much bigger then what works for your situation and life style..

Daniel, the industry is much bigger than your limited understanding. Autos are going to be the norm in a few short years. They are not here for people with disabilities! Puuuuhleeeez, GIVE US A BREAK!

Daniel thinks he knows...

G-Town, I know you work for a big company and you been years on the same route running dedicated.. But the industry is much bigger then what works for your situation and life style.

OMG!

Daniel what exactly does the above statement have to-do with the industry trending to auto-shift fleets? How about nothing. Am I somehow a lessor driver because I run Dedicated? What exactly are you saying here?

I offered you technical and business logic and a look into the future based on the current trends.

I never suggested NOT to test-out in a manual. Reread my reply, all of it. My point is; over time it will become less and less of a limitation. And the notion auto-shift trucks are primarily for people with disabilities is total none sense. It shows just how little you know beyond your own back yard.

I know this industry like the back of my hand Daniel; it extends way past the artificial boundaries of my territory and my experience as a driver.Keep that in mind the next time you decide to lecture me about something that has everything todo with running a profitable/efficient trucking company and not about an individual driver.

Daniel, not long ago I started to ask you not to speak for the industry and the direction it's going in because you say a lot of absurd things. I never posted it because I thought it might be a little harsh. But it's not. You do say a lot of absurd things and you really shouldn't be speaking for the industry, for why companies do what they do, and the direction it's going in.

To say that automatics are for people with disabilities might be the most absurd thing you've said yet, but it's far from the first thing.

I forgot to add that it also doesn't make sense that your company stopped buying automatics because they weigh 300 pounds more. For starters, 300 pounds doesn't mean squat on an 80,000 pound vehicle. On top of that, they knew exactly what they weighed before they ever bought their first one. It's not like it was a surprise.

But the overall cost of an auto shift and weight is why many smaller companies are turning away from them..

If they were cost prohibitive, weighed too much, and cost too much to maintain you wouldn't see the largest, most successful carriers in the nation all switching to them. The reason the best companies are on top is because they're innovative and they make smart long term decision. You're basically implying that the large carriers don't know what they're doing but the small ones do. That's baloney.

I recently got loaded with a 49,138 pound load. I still had some room to spare on my weight even with my fuel tanks full. That was accomplished with my auto shift tractor.

The idea that 300 pounds is limiting your options could only come into play if you had a dedicated customer who had a specific heavy load that they needed done on a regular basis. That scenario is possible but most unlikely.

Eventually “what”, is going to happen? The inverse of your concern; companies will need to purchase auto-shift trucks in order to find any qualified drivers. Maybe not before I retire, but l’ll bet during your career this will occur.

I disagree with that notion as for the current company I work for do not hire student.. And now will not hire those with this restriction on the license.. Smaller companies that are under 500 trucks Are not going to Auto shifts.. And you are missing the point of why I brought this up.. I have had potential drivers who are calling me and saying "I got screwed by being force to test in an Auto, the only ones that will hire me are the big companies that I do not want to go to.." The point is that taking a test in an auto is Limiting drivers to where they can go.. Sure Auto is good for those with certain disabilities and such.. I would never knock someone who needs or want one.. The issue is I am finding several companies that are sending new students through and forcing them to do Auto shifts when taking the test.. Making them get the restriction. And NEW DRIVERS need to know that they are being limited as to what companies will hire them in Future..

Cost wise for a smaller company is repair.. Less goes wrong with a manual shift.. Sure you replace clutch and adjusts and such with Manual like 10 speeds.. But the over all cost of an auto shift and weight is why many smaller companies are turning away from them.. As far weight, our 2014-16 Pete 386 fleet is what we have a few Auto shifts.. They each weigh right at 300lbs more then the 8 speeds of same make and model.. Stat on the auto transmission that we have is 969 lbs.. The Manuals are 656lbs..

G-Town, I know you work for a big company and you been years on the same route running dedicated.. But the industry is much bigger then what works for your situation and life style..

What are those companies going to do 20 years from now when every new driver on the road trained in autos?

Eventually they will either have to buy autos or start their own school. As drivers retire, they will have to hire from schools and/or hire drivers with auto only restrictions

I mean with all the other benefits you get with an auto-shift, I feel like you would get stressed out more if you had to worry about shifting during certain times due to unforeseen events. Although I tested out on a manual simply because I didn't want that restriction on my license, I was pretty happy with the auto-shift truck I got when I came to Schneider, not like I had a choice but I'm glad I got it afterwards.