Swift Changing To Automatics

I drove a KW 600, 680 and T-700 all with Eaton Autos for TransAm trucking. I have been all up and down steep grades, with all kinds of loads, the auto can handle it. An auto trans is like any piece of equipment, you just need to learn how to use it, how to use the accelerator to trigger the auto to shift for the smoothest performance. IMHO, it is the right tool for the job of OTR trucking.

Thanks Mike, its good to know.....beginning to warm to the idea after reading these positive responses.

Mick

I remember back in the day with USA a driver went down a grade and pop the truck into 4th going 70 mph. The motor went grenade i said." At least you SOB's are paying for something you're sure not paying us." Detention was bad there of course not payed for it. Bret Speed in meetings would tell everyone there was no problem. All the driver tucked their heads in and said "okay".

We had a recruiter from werner come to class a couple weeks back. He said a lot of their newer trucks were automatic, and if you get your license with an automatic you'll have a restriction.

We had a recruiter from werner come to class a couple weeks back. He said a lot of their newer trucks were automatic, and if you get your license with an automatic you'll have a restriction.

I did my training with guys that only knew automatic trucks and they had to re-train on trucks with gears......that could be a further problem for guys coming into the industry.

Mick

We had a recruiter from werner come to class a couple weeks back. He said a lot of their newer trucks were automatic, and if you get your license with an automatic you'll have a restriction.

I did my training with guys that only knew automatic trucks and they had to re-train on trucks with gears......that could be a further problem for guys coming into the industry.

Mick

Yes I agree, get your training done with Manual Trans to get your CDL , I read a while back about the No manual trans Restriction, beware also of getting your CDL A, with a Pintle Hook, as you will end up with a Fifth wheel, restriction, I had ended up with an Airbrake restriction on my CDL A , you Don't want to go thru the hassle to remove a Restriction.

We had a recruiter from werner come to class a couple weeks back. He said a lot of their newer trucks were automatic, and if you get your license with an automatic you'll have a restriction.

I did my training with guys that only knew automatic trucks and they had to re-train on trucks with gears......that could be a further problem for guys coming into the industry.

Mick

Texas, I believe you have to take your test in a manual to have the manual endorsement. I hope I get on with a company that will train stick for a while just so I can get it under my belt. All the recruiters except for TMC said that all the companies will sooner or later go with automatics. Soon after that it will be disc brakes as they become less expensive to maintenance. With the way traffic is becoming worse maybe it will be an advantage?

My first assigned truck was a 2012/2013 Volvo 670 automatic. It's the basic version, so no +- buttons to select the gear you want, all you need to do is to step on the throttle or brake pedal. And by the time I stopped by Denver Terminal , I saw the 2016 Automatic trucks, I decided that I need to switch to a MANUAL truck immediately! And that's what I did! I want to feel the stick shift trucks over the road as long as possible, until Swift got rid of all the stick shift trucks, I will keep mine big time!

Replied on a 2012 Cascadia stick shift.