OK, we just got it. We have a brand new Freightliner Columbia with an auto 'box. It is situated where the johnson brake usually is and its this great big plastic thing. It has an auto and manual option. Our safety guy drove it with me in the cab and OMG what a disaster. He couldn’t drive it, couldn’t understand why an automatic would have a clutch pedal.
We are shipping the truck of to our California operation, primarily to work in LA because of all the stop/start stuff. I reckon after driving it, that it is almost exactly the same as the Teligent 'box in the Actros. Having explained it to the boss and the safety guy, they now both can drive it, but they have been forewarned that any driver, expecially an American driver, we all know how they hate change, needs to be trained on how to use it and get the best from it otherwise we will get the truck back here in Phoenix in pieces. I think I talked myself into a free trip to California to do some driver training…!!!
Who would ever have guessed the Legend of Livingston testing station would be training drivers… 
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OK, everyone, happy travels.
Stuart
Hehe, yeah, and don’t forget to tell them to watch it going down the box if they ever send that thing up north. Those 'telligent boxes do rather like using max engine braking…
Darn, I’m starting to hope I get a truck with one of those, would make a change from the interesting noises I currently make with a crash box 
stuart,
does,nt the clutch pedal fold out the way 
Does it fold out of the way…■■ Um no, this is partially American engineering and anything that helps to clutter up the cab is there…lol
No it doesnt move and I doubt the truck will move either judging by the responses I’ve heard from some of the more seasoned drivers we have. There has not been one that wants the truck, even though it has 750miles on it and the A/C works really well obviously.
Oh, and Yes, I get to take the truck to LA, with a load, and train 4 drivers on using the truck. I hate LA but a free trip is a free trip and I get paid for it and I get to go to 75degree temps, so I get out of this 110 stuff.
I will be taking my laptop, at least I’ll have something to do.
Later
Stuart
Heck munchman, tell them to hire me, I got tanks, hazmat and doubles on my licence. I’ll drive the darn thing…
Come to Arizona, if you can stand the heat. Oh, and you need two years OTR experience, I don’t, but my Euro experience counted with this crowd.
Stuart
hrm… they count class 2 otr? It’ll make 2 years if I add my US experience, or will when I get down there…
Gotta be tractor-trailer Alli, sorry. We do a background and all that kinda stuff, and you gotta have that elusive Green Card as well. They will ask for it, they did me.
Lots of jobs down here in Phoenix though, come on down, can’t fail to find a job here.
Stuart
I had to get written proof af artic work in the UK before the company could get me insured 