Companies That Are Hiring CDL Automatic Transmissions Only

HI everyone, I'm in CDL school right now and the automatic endorsement seems easier to get than the standard stickshift. what companies are hiring for automatic transmissions ? or should I go with the standard stickshift ?

Totally up to you which you'd prefer to drive. I , myself did the auto since I only was driving 3 threes, until retirement. I can drive anything out there, and have driven manuals in all types of vehicles. Hell, @ 15 1/2 took my DMV drivers test in my 10th grade girlfriends 1966 VW beetle.....Which I barely passed lol because the tester didn't like my speed shifting up & down.

But I digress, I did NOT want to be driving a manual big rig, and having all that extra to deal with. The auto tractor was great, and fun to drive, besides my training company had an all auto fleet. Besides the auto's can be driven as a manual to some extent, with downshifting the lever, plus using the jake brakes as needed.

And most big companies use auto's anyways. The U.S. has pretty much eliminated manuals in pick ups and automobiles. Here in the Philippines, ALL the taxi's are Toyota Vios w/5 speeds (Toyota Corolla in USA)

Efrain, technically the automatic thing is a restriction, not an endorsement. But it's not really going to "restrict" your career. Like Stevo says, automatics are easier to drive. I learned on a manual, but when I was assigned an auto-shift, t said I'm not going back. It's too easy to drive!

Any truck fleet owner will choose the automatics because the tranny is more fuel efficient, easier to work on and less prone to getting "ground up" by drivers.

A "secret": the automatic shift transmission is actually the old style gearbox with a computer controlled clutch and shifter.

I say go for the manual, pass the test. If i did it you can as well!

You may never drive a manual outside of school, but one day there maybe a job you want woth manuals and it will be beneficial to not have the restriction.

I chose my CDL school based on the fact that they taught manual. It definitely added another layer of difficulty during training...stalling in a busy intersection during rush hour can truly be a nerve wracking and humbling experience. I am glad I persevered though as I have no restrictions and driving an auto is an absolute breeze after dealing with shifting.

I would say go with the manual if you are OK with having a definite added layer of difficulty during your learning phase. Looking back I think it was worth it to have that flexibility.

It's NEVER a question of automatic vs. manual. It's a question of do you want to drive a NEW truck that's well maintained and pretty clean or do you want to drive a rig that's a decade or more old that has an interior that looks like drug addicts squatted in for a few months. There are some exceptions, where an industry NEEDS manual because of the weight of the loads or some other valid reason, but usually when you hear about a job driving a manual it's because some manager/owner is a lunkhead who looks at it like, "I got it cheap and it's paid for" instead of, "It's cost per mile is going to be higher because of lower mpg and more things breaking on an older truck". In my experience, these are the same folks that will tell you to drive your truck past 3 scales with a flat tire, trailer ABS light or smoke pouring out of your hood to get it fixed at the terminal instead of pulling over and paying for a roadside repair. Now, just because there are fewer drivers WITHOUT a manual restriction and there are more hassles driving an older truck that doesn't mean the jobs where you have to drive a manual pay any more than the jobs where you drive an automatic.

Automatics just started being bought in bulk by the major carriers about a decade ago. I saw one of the first ones CRST bought at their Cedar Rapids terminal. Manuals are definitely in the minority now and won't be coming back anytime soon.

Now that is a loaded bunch of statements.

Alot of us have older trucks. Take a good look as your out and about. The problems are far less than all the stuff on newer trucks. Yes they are paid for and my maintance bills are far less than paying for a 200k + truck payment.

Manuals are still out there. The majority of auto’s are the mega carriers. They represent approx 10-15 percent of the total trucks out here. That is in no way considered a majority. Many auto’s mega’s have sold off are out here. Still a smaller percentage of overall number of trucks on the road each day.

No drug addicts hiding out here yet. My ride-some companies still buy new manual trucks.