Just out of curiosity any manual transmission trucks left where you work or have they been completely phased out?
Mullens:
Just out of curiosity any manual transmission trucks left where you work or have they been completely phased out?
Not quite where I work but…
Was at a large regional haulier the other week. Grumbling about difficulty in shifting his used auto box tractor units. Exporters don’t like them as overseas avoid them. Yet corporates like them as they are more efficient and are abused less…
Sold our last unit with a manual gearbox in (an '02 plate) around 4 years ago.
Our oldest unit now is a '54 plate Volvo/I-shift, which was the first automated 'box we had.
The only one is an old CF used exclusively by the garage to drag trailers for MOT.
No manuals left. I’ve not driven a manual truck going on 3 years now. If I got one tommorow id probably be like oh ■■■■ 
But I’m sure it would soon come back to me
From about 50 units, our depot has 2 14-plate DAF 105’s with manual boxes.
Ours are either auto or that stupid 3 pedal Opticruise nonsense.
3 trucks at our place. 2 14 plate DAF manual. 1 DAF 16 plate auto.
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Mullens:
Just out of curiosity any manual transmission trucks left where you work or have they been completely phased out?
Funny, this reminds me of a thread ages ago asking if people remembered tacho discs because clearly pre 2006 lorries should be off the road.
I reckon in our fleet it’s 50/50. It’s all about the manuals for heavy haulage and off roading.
Can new tractor units even be specc’d with manuals these days?
The majority of ours are manual.
ezydriver:
Can new tractor units even be specc’d with manuals these days?
I think some can, there was an O/D on here who’d got quotes for various makes with a manual gearbox.
ezydriver:
Can new tractor units even be specc’d with manuals these days?
Yes, but mostly it’s cost option.
Our place has a selection of W, Y, 51, 53 & 54 rego’s still in front line service.
All with manual boxes and cardboard tachos.
Mullens:
Just out of curiosity any manual transmission trucks left where you work or have they been completely phased out?
We’ve only got 5 motors, and 2 of them are manual. 1 rigid, 1 tractor, and I haven’t driven either of them yet in 3 years…
We had a new fleet in 2009 and all were automatics (Daf, 12T, 15T, 18T and artics). We kept just one of the old manual rigids because it was not as tall as the new ones and could squeeze under a height restriction at one specific delivery point. Then someone “modified” one of the new lorries using a suitable low bridge, so they had the body repaired (but rebuilt about a foot lower) and finally pensioned off the old manual lorry. Fleet was again renewed earlier this year (MAN this time), and all are automatic.
It always causes much consternation among some of our drivers when we have to hire in the odd truck and it has anything other than an Arsetronic or straight 6-speed manual as some of them have absolutely no idea how to operate anything else.
ezydriver:
Can new tractor units even be specc’d with manuals these days?
All makes still offer manuals but you have to ask for it. Standard config is an auto box. If you’re running a big firm with some numpties on the books then you’ll want the trucks to be as idiot proof as possible.
Hasn’t been a manual unit in our place for 7 years now , when our 56 plate 95xfs went , got 105s with the arsetronic and I hate em with a passion 
still see my old 56 plate knocking about and yes I’d gladly have it back
Out of ten lorries I think two are auto boxes boss specs them as manual along with leaf springs
Out of about 30 lorries (tractor units and rigids - 7.5t, 15t, 18t, 26t) i’d say about 70% auto’s. Everything 2010 onwards aside from a 13plate 26t merc with a 8 speed manual. The handful of older stuff a 55, and some 06 plates and a 58 plate are manual.
Its basically just mercs we have as manuals, probably because we keep until end of life over here and they’ll be an easy sell for export?