slowlane:
I’m behind the wheel of a very nice 17 plate R580… with a manual gearbox! Today is a day of firsts. First flatbed load, first steel, first time driving a manual (im not counting moving the shunt unit in the yard), first time delivering to a construction site in the middle of London.To say that I’m [zb] myself with nerves is an understatement!
So, if you see a WST flatbed creeping around with the air of a man hopelessly out of his depth behind the wheel… that’s probably me!
I find it amusing that this is the first time anyone in the UK has driven a manual gearbox truck 
The nearest thing to an automatic when I lived there was a Merc with EPS. I have lived here for 18 years now and was shocked last week when the VP of the company, who I actually get along with very well on the rare occasion we meet, asked me if I would give up my brand new truck yet again if he got me an automatic ? Never driven one before but as I am 64 years old and suffering from cancer I told him I was willing, I could do with the rest after 43 years driving trucks.