How Bad Is It If You Don't Train On A Manual?

My point is don’t let the auto/manual issue get in the way of becoming a driver. Nervous about learning manual? Forget it and realize that you are probably going to put your butt in a truck with a auto.

In a nutshell.. I agree with Bruce. I never drove a manual car. Trained on a manual. That was 2015. I have been in an auto since 2018.

Now . Just imagine you train in a manual then stay at the auto company for a few years. How easy would it be for you to test drive in a manual you haven't driven in years?

The flip side of that is that if you test in an auto now....in a few years you can pay a school and test in the manual without the additional stress of the exam. Think about it. You would have years of turns, lane changes, and red lights. The exam to get the restriction lifted would be less stressful.

In the meantime, more and more companies are going to auto.

Manual transmissions and the drivers that operate them have been around since the dawn of trucking. Drivers have always been able to learn the relatively simple function of shifting the gears. It isn't rocket science.

Now that automated transmissions are in the game, suddenly nobody thinks they can figure it out, and the common advice is to just not try. I highly disagree with that advice. That's just taking the easy way out for a short-term gain. I say put your boots on and get to work, get it done now.

The fact if the matter is there are still companies out there running manuals exclusively, and you will never have a chance of working with those companies with an auto restriction unless you go through the painful process of dishing out more dough in the future to upgrade your license. If given the option, why not just get it done now? Then every option will be available to you. Don't let timidity take that from you.

The first time you proficiently float gears , you'll feel like an absolute boss. Why would you want to deny yourself that experience?

I agree with Turtle on this as I always will. Manual was simply how you got your cdl until autos came out. Than suddenly that was just the best way to go. I can promise you op I didn’t have a single lick of any kind of manual driving experience prior to getting my cdl. Three and half weeks of cdl school and I was shifting gears.

You never know what opportunities you may come across out here. Below are just two trucks from my company I get to drive everyday. We have no auto’s. Sure coming company across a company like mine might be rare. There are probably a half dozen if not more different companies in the Chicagoland with different niches where the majority of trucks are manual.

Totally 100% agree with Bird-One. Like his employer, our fleet is comprised entirely of manual transmission trucks.

I agree with Turtle on this as I always will. Manual was simply how you got your cdl until autos came out. Than suddenly that was just the best way to go. I can promise you op I didn’t have a single lick of any kind of manual driving experience prior to getting my cdl. Three and half weeks of cdl school and I was shifting gears.

You never know what opportunities you may come across out here. Below are just two trucks from my company I get to drive everyday. We have no auto’s. Sure coming company across a company like mine might be rare. There are probably a half dozen if not more different companies in the Chicagoland with different niches where the majority of trucks are manual.

Manual transmissions and the drivers that operate them have been around since the dawn of trucking. Drivers have always been able to learn the relatively simple function of shifting the gears. It isn't rocket science.

Now that automated transmissions are in the game, suddenly nobody thinks they can figure it out, and the common advice is to just not try. I highly disagree with that advice. That's just taking the easy way out for a short-term gain. I say put your boots on and get to work, get it done now.

The fact if the matter is there are still companies out there running manuals exclusively, and you will never have a chance of working with those companies with an auto restriction unless you go through the painful process of dishing out more dough in the future to upgrade your license. If given the option, why not just get it done now? Then every option will be available to you. Don't let timidity take that from you.

Turtle, what you are saying is true, I can’t argue with that. But there are people out there that want to become drivers and hopefully they will be good, safe drivers. However, they may be intimated by the manual issue. If they want to pursue a manual path, more power to them. But no driver should shy away from a truck driving job because of this issue. There are too many companies that will hire a qualified driver without manual experience. You and I can drive a manual, but I would still be driving if I couldn’t shift a manual. I love my auto mated tranny.

Totally 100% agree with Bird-One. Like his employer, our fleet is comprised entirely of manual transmission trucks.

I agree with Turtle on this as I always will. Manual was simply how you got your cdl until autos came out. Than suddenly that was just the best way to go. I can promise you op I didn’t have a single lick of any kind of manual driving experience prior to getting my cdl. Three and half weeks of cdl school and I was shifting gears.

You never know what opportunities you may come across out here. Below are just two trucks from my company I get to drive everyday. We have no auto’s. Sure coming company across a company like mine might be rare. There are probably a half dozen if not more different companies in the Chicagoland with different niches where the majority of trucks are manual.

G-Town, I know you are proficient with a manual, as is Turtle, Bird One and many other drivers. I can do manual, but have been an auto-mated disciple since I first drove one. While it is good to know how to drive a manual, wouldn’t you agree that newbies should not let that issue determine their career path?

If I could go back and start with a company that offered the training on manual, I would. I had no desire to drive manual but as previously mentioned, it has cost me an opportunity already that would be ideal for where I live and the hometime I am looking for.

Shame.

Totally 100% agree with Bird-One. Like his employer, our fleet is comprised entirely of manual transmission trucks.

I agree with Turtle on this as I always will. Manual was simply how you got your cdl until autos came out. Than suddenly that was just the best way to go. I can promise you op I didn’t have a single lick of any kind of manual driving experience prior to getting my cdl. Three and half weeks of cdl school and I was shifting gears.

You never know what opportunities you may come across out here. Below are just two trucks from my company I get to drive everyday. We have no auto’s. Sure coming company across a company like mine might be rare. There are probably a half dozen if not more different companies in the Chicagoland with different niches where the majority of trucks are manual.

G-Town, I know you are proficient with a manual, as is Turtle, Bird One and many other drivers. I can do manual, but have been an auto-mated disciple since I first drove one. While it is good to know how to drive a manual, wouldn’t you agree that newbies should not let that issue determine their career path?

If I could go back and start with a company that offered the training on manual, I would. I had no desire to drive manual but as previously mentioned, it has cost me an opportunity already that would be ideal for where I live and the hometime I am looking for.

Shame.

Totally 100% agree with Bird-One. Like his employer, our fleet is comprised entirely of manual transmission trucks.

I agree with Turtle on this as I always will. Manual was simply how you got your cdl until autos came out. Than suddenly that was just the best way to go. I can promise you op I didn’t have a single lick of any kind of manual driving experience prior to getting my cdl. Three and half weeks of cdl school and I was shifting gears.

You never know what opportunities you may come across out here. Below are just two trucks from my company I get to drive everyday. We have no auto’s. Sure coming company across a company like mine might be rare. There are probably a half dozen if not more different companies in the Chicagoland with different niches where the majority of trucks are manual.

G-Town, I know you are proficient with a manual, as is Turtle, Bird One and many other drivers. I can do manual, but have been an auto-mated disciple since I first drove one. While it is good to know how to drive a manual, wouldn’t you agree that newbies should not let that issue determine their career path?

Klutch, that is very reasonable. You drive for Schneider, correct? Did they train you on manual? What would it take for you to qualify on manual, or is that even possible for you with Schneider?