As per title really. Do the training schools including forum sponsor train you in manual or automatic gearbox ? Reason I ask is I would kind of dread learning in a automatic and then being asked to drive a manual without having had at least an hour or two using one. Reading some old posts it seems quite different from a car/van gearbox and if they are still on the roads then surely it must pay to be able to drive them with confidence ?
PSTT uses automatic.
99% of lorries are automatic these days, so it’s not likely to be a problem.
Don’t compromise your chances of passing the driving test first time by training in a manual.
EuRefrigeratedTrans:
As per title really. Do the training schools including forum sponsor train you in manual or automatic gearbox ? Reason I ask is I would kind of dread learning in a automatic and then being asked to drive a manual without having had at least an hour or two using one. Reading some old posts it seems quite different from a car/van gearbox and if they are still on the roads then surely it must pay to be able to drive them with confidence ?
In 2 years driving hgv I haven’t come across a manual yet
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As said manual trucks are pretty rare these days unless you drive a very old truck or specialised jobs requiring a manual gearbox.
In a rigid most are a standard 6 speed gearbox no different to a car gearbox.
Some rigids use 4 over 4 gearboxes and really are not that hard to learn to use but generally they would either be skip trucks or 26 ton trucks as a general rule.
Units arr almost exclusively automated manual gearboxes these days and have been for a number of years unless specified by the company to be manuals.
So i would say 95% of the time it isn’t a issue in most jobs. Specialised jobs don’t tend to be jobs new passes will get as a rule anyway as they would usually want someone with experience.
Working for larger logistics companies and I’d say 99% of fleets will be automatic.
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Yes, PSTT is a auto fleet. However, it does have access to manual vehicles if anyone really wanted to follow that path.
Personally, I believe it’s a waste of time, money and makes the job more complicated/expensive than it needs be.
Even when range changes, splitters, twin splitters etc were commonplace, the training industry used 5 and 6 speed straight boxes. There was no Google to ask. Yet everyone coped. No-one ever taught me how to use anything but a straight 5 box.
Yes, by all means train on manual. But you will only know how to use ONE type of manual where there is a variety out there - albeit becoming less and less the case.
Hope this helps, Pete S 
I did my Class 2 in a manual in the early 2000’s but my Class 1 in an automatic within the past few years. I haven’t heard of a single truck driving school who currently have a manual: the cost of maintaining one “just in case” or “for extra training” just wouldn’t be worth it.
I do see more than a few adverts stating “must be able to use a manual gearbox”, so there’s still some call for this kind of ability, and I know of one company who ended up with a serious lost load incident when they put a driver into a manual artic and he hadn’t a clue what he was doing with a 16 speed box.
Personally I prefer a manual, unless there’s a lot of very urban stop-start driving.
Ah ok thanks for the replies. It was just something that crossed my mind when i had a glance at the tips/etc thread. some of it is pretty old though so that would be why the gear changing was mentioned.
You might want to proactively remove the advert from your signature - forum rule No5, no advertising without approval from the Mods
Zac_A:
You might want to proactively remove the advert from your signature - forum rule No5, no advertising without approval from the Mods
…but then there’s rule #6, as long as it’s followed with care.
You’re mellowing Dave, but then again the link doesn’t open any website, at least not on my device