Finished school 'grandfathered' into no transmission restrictions, but...

[astracat111]

So I got my CDL B about 4 or 5 years ago and ended up 'grandfathering' into having no restrictions (the automatic transmission restriction I mean). Here's the problem I'm having...

The company I wanted to start working for is swift, and they use manual transmissions. The school that I went to did a 48 hour group learning course with...I don't know it was maybe like 8 hours actually alone in the vehicle with an instructor. I was taught how to use a 10 speed manual transmission BRIEFLY....a little too briefly (like probably only spent 3 hours in the vehicle actually driving it). The instructor's teachings were fair at best, although I'm still appreciative of the training, they would just kind of yell at you like 'what the hell are you doing I told you not to do that!'. They kind of threw you out onto the road, there was no slow build up to going out, and we wer going like 16 hours in the yard offset backing, straight backing and parallel parking in an automatic instead of one of their manuals (why I will never understand).

In any case, on Monday since my test was on Wednesday I requested to take the exam on the automatic. When testing day came along the tester said that since I already had my B when I get my A (tomorrow) I will have no restrictions. The school had to not be too great because 1/10 people passed, and I wouldn't have passed the exam if I didn't take the test on the automatic.

So I get a call from the recruiter lady at Swift after I get the license and she kindly says that not completely knowing how to drive the 10-speed yet won't be a problem as 'you'll have a mentor'. Well, that's great and all...but my problem is kind of that I don't have enough training. I mean...I do know HOW to drive it with the training I have, I can double clutch properly up and down, have gone up and down hills etc... but...

A) I still have tons of bad habits right now. I'm still literally at the stage where I forget what gear I'm in.
B) I figured the students coming out of their own training are gonna be about 10 times better trained than me.
C) I haven't actually driven on the manual with a heavy load (all just empty van training).
D) Most importantly, I 'grandfathered' my way into not having the restriction, but still took the exam on an automatic.

I can learn, and I would LIKE to learn if a mentor is really gonna be that patient with me, but I don't know that I'd like to destroy their gear. It's gonna take probably a full week before I can get the hang of it I think at this point. I don't know what expectations there are actually gonna be of me, and I'm assuming that the recruiter's just gonna get some kind of profit from getting me signed up or something.

My plan when switching to the automatic exam was just to find a company OTR that I could drive for in a year and then with a savings just pay for 10-speed lessons. Now I find I have no restrictions, I'm gonna have my hazmat and tanker, so uh...it'd be great if I could just learn right on the job, but I'm wondering what I'm actually in for if I sign up for this.

 

[Injun]

If you were to Shadow my door with zero experience on a manual and expect a job driving one, I'd tell you don't even bother wasting the ink on an application.

You have no clue what you are getting yourself into.

I didn't know how to shift a nonsych'ed transmission before I went to Swift school ten years ago. I figured it out..


Seriously, though. The O/P wants to learn how to do it right. Once he gets into the seat and runs through it a few times, then gets to driving the thing, he'll be fine.

 

[mndriver]

I didn't know how to shift a nonsych'ed transmission before I went to Swift school ten years ago. I figured it out..


Seriously, though. The O/P wants to learn how to do it right. Once he gets into the seat and runs through it a few times, then gets to driving the thing, he'll be fine.

But you got to a Swift SCHOOL to learn.

Not showed up expecting to go to work.

And how long did you have to work on it at that school? Several hours more than 2.

 

[Injun]

But you got to a Swift SCHOOL to learn.

Not showed up expecting to go to work.

And how long did you have to work on it at that school? Several hours more than 2.

I had about a half hour on the simulator and about eight hours on the road. The next time I ran a nonsync after that was my trainer's truck. It was a 9.

 

[Bored Insane]

It's Swift, OP will be fine. They will put him in an auto truck anyway. OP seems to speak & understand English fine, that's far more than many at Swift.

EDIT: But be sure your mentor understands you don't have much hands-on shifting & change mentor if he doesn't.

 

[ladr]

So I got my CDL B about 4 or 5 years ago and ended up 'grandfathering' into having no restrictions (the automatic transmission restriction I mean). Here's the problem I'm having...

The company I wanted to start working for is swift, and they use manual transmissions. The school that I went to did a 48 hour group learning course with...I don't know it was maybe like 8 hours actually alone in the vehicle with an instructor. I was taught how to use a 10 speed manual transmission BRIEFLY....a little too briefly (like probably only spent 3 hours in the vehicle actually driving it). The instructor's teachings were fair at best, although I'm still appreciative of the training, they would just kind of yell at you like 'what the hell are you doing I told you not to do that!'. They kind of threw you out onto the road, there was no slow build up to going out, and we wer going like 16 hours in the yard offset backing, straight backing and parallel parking in an automatic instead of one of their manuals (why I will never understand).

In any case, on Monday since my test was on Wednesday I requested to take the exam on the automatic. When testing day came along the tester said that since I already had my B when I get my A (tomorrow) I will have no restrictions. The school had to not be too great because 1/10 people passed, and I wouldn't have passed the exam if I didn't take the test on the automatic.

So I get a call from the recruiter lady at Swift after I get the license and she kindly says that not completely knowing how to drive the 10-speed yet won't be a problem as 'you'll have a mentor'. Well, that's great and all...but my problem is kind of that I don't have enough training. I mean...I do know HOW to drive it with the training I have, I can double clutch properly up and down, have gone up and down hills etc... but...

A) I still have tons of bad habits right now. I'm still literally at the stage where I forget what gear I'm in.
B) I figured the students coming out of their own training are gonna be about 10 times better trained than me.
C) I haven't actually driven on the manual with a heavy load (all just empty van training).
D) Most importantly, I 'grandfathered' my way into not having the restriction, but still took the exam on an automatic.

I can learn, and I would LIKE to learn if a mentor is really gonna be that patient with me, but I don't know that I'd like to destroy their gear. It's gonna take probably a full week before I can get the hang of it I think at this point. I don't know what expectations there are actually gonna be of me, and I'm assuming that the recruiter's just gonna get some kind of profit from getting me signed up or something.

My plan when switching to the automatic exam was just to find a company OTR that I could drive for in a year and then with a savings just pay for 10-speed lessons. Now I find I have no restrictions, I'm gonna have my hazmat and tanker, so uh...it'd be great if I could just learn right on the job, but I'm wondering what I'm actually in for if I sign up for this.

Try Roehl if Swift didn't work out. As a new cdl holder they will start you off on the yard training on how to back and shift.