M65Chris:
I have an auto only Cat C. So I can give you some insight on my first 9 months. I passed auto in a car due to impatience after a car accident, which resulted in 2 slipped discs and issues with the nerves in my left arm. I can use my arm fine in most situations. Dragging half tonne cages, carrying 120kg mattresses all fine. What’s not fine is repetitive movements, which, as many will know, includes sitting in traffic, changing gears.So I passed last October, and got my last card back about a week or so later. I called up an agency, went in the same day, filled out some paper work and started at 6am for a local company. This was 7.5t work for Bensons for Beds. Hard graft. They had a mixed fleet or 16 plate DAF LF 6 speeds and DAF LF automatics. The automatics were bigger, which meant quite a few of the lazy drivers avoided them, but these were by far the best trucks on the fleet. Cleaner, more mod cons (like functional aircon, radio).
I did this mostly for 6 months, with the odd shift for another of the agencies clients. Not once did I have any issue due to having an automatic licence.
6 months in, I fancies a change so rang up an agency in Manchester. The next day I started for one of the major retailers on class 2 work. Entire fleet auto. Been there since. I am looking to change as its nights and after 3 months, they’re not for me, particularly with a young family. I have enjoyed the job however.
Tomorrow I have 2 interviews in the morning and will then be off to Leyland to register with another agency. I am also waiting to hear about another job doing similar to what I do now, but day work. All are aware of my auto licence, all say it’s not an issue.
It’s still early days for me of course, and I am sure I will come across companies where auto isn’t a possibility. As the years pass, such instances will probably become few and far between as we move towards electric (no manuals in electric vehicles).
On a side note, and some older drivers might have experienced this themselves but my grandad, who was a trucker for the best part of 40 years, suffered with chronic pain in his arm which was put down to the old manual gear boxes.
Thanks for this…very similar to me. I have a pin in my left shoulder (gear changing arm) …my impatience led me to pass in a auto and partially it’s medical in the same sense as yourself.
Anyway since I posted this I’ve started working for a builders merchants Mon - friday so decent first job. Just awkward loads sometimes. I did one shift with agency and they offered me a full-time contract.
Sorry to anyone I didn’t reply to as of yet just reading through now…wish you a well…
I’m going for class 1 starting next week btw, wish me luck
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I’m starting HGV training on the 19th (in an auto) and have a manual car test booked for the 15th.
