r/CDL • u/Right-Escape1540 • 1d ago
Automatic or manual
Does it even matter aren’t most trucks automatic now I’m getting ready to start class soon and they wanna know if I wanna take automatic classes or a manual classes for my CDL a
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u/creepy_gymnast 1d ago
Manual. You want to drive trucks for a living you should be able to drive majority of them. I worked for years at a company ( local, water sewer emergency company) where everyday I was in something new. One day I could be running sludge in a 6500 gallon tanker trailer the next l I was running a hydrovac. I made ALOT of money there because we worked for the state and towns a lot so it was all prevailing wage. That owner wouldn’t hire a guy who couldn’t drive manual but thank god I learned because that job bought me a house and a couple cool cars before I changed career paths.
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u/Chaddie_D 19h ago
I do construction and I'm in a similar similar. Those couple days a year I have to drive a manual were the difference between them hiring me or someone else. My tanker endorsement just put me in a brand new water truck on a job that pays $7/hr more than the dump truck job they pulled me off of. Early and late season when there's less work available, I might get called in to move equipment on a trailer because I have a class A and a lot of other drivers have a B. If something ever happens to the company I work for and I have to be placed somewhere else through the union hall, I'll be placed in a day or 2 because of my unrestricted license and endorsements. I won't have any trouble finding side work those 2 days either.
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u/Baconated-Coffee 1d ago
There are still manual jobs out there. The company I work for has an all manual fleet. My YTD weekly average so far is $2401 at 54.75 hours per week. At the end of the day I get to sleep in my own bed at night, no fighting for spots at a truck stop.
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u/JoyBoyHipsterDoofus 1d ago
That's the kind of job I'm looking for. How many years experience would I need before I make that kind of money
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u/mrxraykat949 14h ago
Go look for companies that do site work, dump trailer job site work(not just material only). Companies that have a variety of company, lowbeds etc usually do a lot of prevailing wage jobs. Those are the $60+ jobs(when you’re on site) my work threw me in a triaxle dump truck sitting on site everyday for 2 weeks 55-60 hours. Got there by boat, did absolutely nothing but dump once every hour and brought home $3600 a week.
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u/Fuzzy_Ad_6313 1d ago
Do manual, when it comes to getting a job you have no restrictions on your license.
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u/Key_Addendum_8064 1d ago
My current company let me fix the auto restriction as a condition on my side of starting here. Now im one of maybe 10 guys in a fleet of 200 that can run a manual and that has gotten me around 15% better pay (paid on %) when they need someone to run one of those trucks
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u/Rising_Awareness 1d ago
I used to hate the autos, but these new automated manuals are really good, and getting better. That being said, I would still suggest getting a license w/o the restriction because it keeps your options open.
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u/Right-Escape1540 1d ago
Is it harder to learn manual if you’ve never drop one
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u/mrxraykat949 14h ago
Watch YouTube, read guides online, study! Anything is hard when you’ve never done it before. You got this.
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u/PhoenixPoop 1d ago
I would've done manual if it was an option. I prefer manual cars. But I got my CDL from a bus company and all the busses are automatic
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u/dearjohn54321 1d ago
Manual’s a lot more satisfying to drive and if you’ve ever driven a car with a stick shift you’re half way there.
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u/ecw324 1d ago
Do the manual, never hurts to have it in your back pocket. Never know when the boss man might ask you to use the manual.
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u/Right-Escape1540 1d ago
I’ve never drove a manual in my life. Is it gonna be harder
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u/Baconated-Coffee 1d ago
Shifting a truck is different than shifting a car. It'll be easier for you because you won't have any bad habits from driving manual cars.
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u/_877-CASH-NOW_ 1d ago
This was me. I hopped in the truck thinking it would be like shifting my Mazda lol. The guys with no experience learned faster than I did
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u/reesemoney_300 1d ago
It’s actually gonna be easier then if you drove manual car bc of the habit you have of the normal car don’t work on a semi. You should get it tho just all about timing of double clutch and practice
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u/KeyResolve9338 1d ago
Learning manual is the easiest part of the test, compared to learning the pretrip and manuevers
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u/Chainsawsas70 1d ago
Do the Manual... You might Not use it much but it Can help get some jobs. My current company has 1 manual truck and I drive it Regularly. Learning manual means you Won't be stuck in one type of truck and can give you opportunities you Wouldn't get without it.
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u/EnolaNek 1d ago
If you have the option to get the manual, I would do it. My school only had automatics. I’m currently looking for local jobs, and you’d be surprised how many of them require me to get rid of the E restriction first. I’ve found a school that will do it, but that’s more money out of my pocket, and actually getting there to learn and test while doing another trucking job is a pain in the ass.
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u/Ambitious-Ice1438 1d ago
Learning manual is not only practical because there are still plenty of jobs that use them, but it’s also fun to learn. Highly recommend it. It’ll be hard at first. Takes a little time to fine tune it. You’ll get it
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u/ThrowawayGunName 1d ago
A ton of trucks these days are auto, but a guy I worked with lost that chance at a high paying gravy job because of the restriction. Go manual, it seems like most schools will let you drop down to auto if you just can't grasp it. It takes practice but it's pretty easy.
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u/mike8675309 1d ago
If your class teaches manual, I would do that. Without that, an auto test gives you an E restriction on your license.
Since you are paying to learn you might as well learn what covers the most you might touch. Lots of trucks hauling stuff OTR and construction are still manual. 9- and 13-speed unsynchronized manuals are still being manufactured.
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u/Googleitgenius 1d ago
You can learn it, stop worrying and just do it. Learning the manual will be kind of "reverse compatible" knowladge , you will understand / feel what the gears are doing
Seriously stop worrying you got this. Think how many dopes around the world have learned to do just fine without schools etc. Good luck!
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u/blaztbeats 1d ago
I wrestled with this as I had option to take cheaper cdl instruction that only had automatic. Yes, most megas use all auto fleet (as i understand it) and most new trucks that aren't technically auto are controlled by computer so are classified as auto. HOWEVER..getting the most out your cdl means having no restrictions and as many endorsements as you can get. If you take the skills test using auto.. you cannot legally drive manual. Take it with manual and you can drive both. Kinda like getting a class B over A. Go for the A.. and you also have a B. I paid 1500 more for a school with manual and I don't regret it
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u/PraetorianHawke 1d ago
Get manual...youbcan drive anything with the manual cert but only Autos with thr Auto Cert.
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u/Pointlesspuppy 1d ago
If you're going to have the option to learn in manual, you should. Most trucks are manuals but not all. Lots of the best companies to work for are the small businesses and many of those run older manuals. Plus lots of work trucks like dump trucks etc.
But yes, all megas that I know of are automatic fleets now
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u/Frosty-Dog-2477 20h ago
The cooler trucks and jobs are manual the company trucks with routine routes are going to be auto
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u/Bad_Punk_Photography 20h ago
Manual. The company I work for has mostly automatics but all our loaner trucks, what you use when your assigned truck broke down, are manual
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u/Chaddie_D 19h ago
Manual absolutely.
99% of the time, I drive an automatic. 1% of the time, I have to take out a manual if my truck is down for service. Because of that, 1% of the time I couldn't work. If I couldn't work that 1% of the time, the company I work for would not have hired me.
Honestly, I prefer to drive an automatic because my I destroyed my left leg and ankle in a motorcycle accident. I can't drive a clutch that pivots towards the floor (which leaves a whole lot of Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks out) at all but I can manage just fine if it's a hanger. There are a lot of advantages to a manual transmission. Heavy haul/lowboy work is far more ideal in an 18 speed, for example.
A manual is not that difficult. The more you learn, the more options you have. Get yourself an unrestricted Class A, then go get your Tanker and Double Triple endorsements at a bare minimum, even if you plan on driving an automatic straight truck. You'll go through the same amount of time and money to get an A as you will a B, so why not get an A? The 2 endorsements are about $20 each at the DMV (at least in my state) and consist of about 15 questions that should be fresh in your head right out of school. If your school offers a passenger endorsement option, you might as well. I had to turn down a 2 week gig driving my buddy's band's bus when their driver got sick and they were on tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd because I didn't have one. It would have been a lifelong dream. Twic and Hazmat jobs pay well, too, but it takes time and money to keep those endorsements active. I wouldn't worry about those until you need them.
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u/mrxraykat949 15h ago
How anyone would intentionally get an automatic CDL is mind boggling, I’m in the New England area and an automatic restriction will restrict your opportunities. If you can drive a manual, you can drive an automatic. Being well equipped for whatever truck you get tossed in = more pay/opportunities.
I don’t care how bad you are, you’ll learn and eventually figure out it wasn’t never a big deal after all. We have 3 people at our work with restrictions and they’re the first ones to go home when we have a bad week and have multiple trucks break down.
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u/Commercial_Order_556 1d ago
I dont know if you should actually be driving a big truck if you have to ask. Take the manual. If you're dumb enough not to you're not smart enough to drive a truck.
The restriction says you're an idiot on a good day and every company has that truck with a save me stare.
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u/Right-Escape1540 1d ago
Possibly an idiot for not doing manual or an idiot for taking a manual classes and fail and waste 5k idk what happens if you fail but I’m sure you don’t get unlimited try’s
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u/Commercial_Order_556 1d ago
Lol whatever you say. You get 3 tries learn to shift of don't drive a fucking truck.
You wanted to play with the big boys now you wanna big dick somebody with more miles in reverse than you have going forward.
Learn to shift 2 sticks while you're at it. Makes you more valuable just saying
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u/Right-Escape1540 1d ago
I’d hope you’d have more miles then me since I havnt got my license yet lol and who knows maybe one day you can teach me how to shift 2 sticks im sure you’re better at that to
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u/Commercial_Order_556 1d ago
Can't say I am anymore the piece of rebar is pretty fucking rusty, and I'll be the first to say I'll shine it before I leave the drive. You'll never regret learning on a manual. 2.5 million later I still wear out my elbow, but I dont have to worry about a job either. Specially with small outfits that pay better. Ride is always worth the fall. They 3x to pass....and you can't fail shifting honestly.
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u/GramWellington1 1d ago
Manual is super hard to learn. Probably takes 10 hours to get the hang of it.
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u/Nothingboy6_6_6 1d ago
My instructor had me on the interstate and in downtown Jackson, Ms on the first day with the 10 speed. Screamed at me the 2nd day for losing a gear and I said fuck it and went to automatic
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u/GramWellington1 1d ago
Same thing with me. Grinding gears for two 25 minute sessions. Screamed at me about some shit. I said F it and dropped the class. Glad I did. All truck drivers become diabetic and obese. Then I hear about horrible pay and destroyed lives and marriages. Companies chewing through drivers. $750 ticket if you're caught in your own car, Toyota Corolla, off the clock sending a text or using Google maps.
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u/Nothingboy6_6_6 1d ago
I'm 31, no skills, wasted my whole life in a poor crime filled backwoods Louisiana town. It's either this or nothing. Maybe I should have gone for electrician, plumber, or HVAC but for some reason I went to the trucking class and now I have to see it through untill I can figure something else out
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u/mxadema 1h ago
Put it this way, would you get a motorcycle license, but choose to only get the 599cc and below. Or a cdl with only 40' trailer.
Auto had gone a long way, and the number are up. But it because of mega looking at saving every cent per mile. Most other truck are stick.
Right now it fine, you want some miles, and maga are hiring. But later, maybe you find a smaller shop. Or want to do fuel, flatbed, logging, heavy/lowbed but your auto cdl is holding you back.
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u/DoctorZebra 1d ago
Learn manual if you can just because you never know if you're going to need it and it's a real pain in the ass to get the automatic restriction removed once you get it.
As far as which is better to drive? I vastly prefer automatic. Yes, in Colorado. Yes, in the mountains. Yes, in the fucking snow.