Just to let everyone know that our new Auto training vehicle should be with us in March 2014. It is currently on order as a new build from Iveco and as they update the delivery date I will update this post.
So you will have the option to go Manual or Automatic. The choice is yours.
Pete 
For those wondering - gov.uk/government/news/chan ⌠test-rules
Changes will start to be made to some driving test rules for motorcyclists, lorry, bus and coach drivers from January 2014.
Lorry, bus and coach drivers
The main changes affecting lorry, bus and coach drivers will be:
-removing the need to use a vehicle with 8-forward gear ratios for large test vehicles (category C)
-allowing people who take a lorry or bus test (category C and D) in an automatic vehicle to get manual entitlement for those vehicles, if they already have a manual entitlement for cars, lorries or buses, with or without trailers (category B, B+E, C, C+E, C1, C1+E, D, D+E, D1+E)
Existing drivers
You can also get this manual entitlement when you exchange or upgrade your licence if youâre already a lorry, bus or coach driver and have a manual licence in any of those categories.
These changes will start in January 2014.
Thanks for that Rog. I should have done that but youâve saved me a job.
Pete
Peter I rang about 2 days ago well my dad rang then I did in the evening but the person on other end said they donât have any plans of buying autos that early.
Sorry for any confusion. Staff are not informed of decisions before they are finalised. But I promise you that auto is on order and is due sometime in March.
Pete
Peteâs not telling them because Santa needs to approve the Xmas present first 
Santa needs to approve the Xmas present first
LOL Youâre on top form today ROG!
Update: had confirmation from Iveco in Italy that the chassis will be in UK early March. By the time itâs been fitted with drawbar coupling, new box body and had the requisite paintwork and vinyl (the vinyl takes nearly a week!) itâs been promised for mid April.
So weâve opened the diary for it from early May.
First come, first served.
Pete
Any other training companies buying autoâs?
We have two new Volvo FE i-shifts arriving in February according to crossroads. At a cost of ÂŁ65,000 per truck its not an easy decision to make but we aim to have a full auto fleet by the end of 2014. We believe that customers will choose to train with companies providing autoâs for obvious reasons.
So far locally all the other schools are sticking to manuals, well until they find out how long a clutch lasts with us now being laden!
Have they announced a date when itâs actually happening yet ?
Noworries:
Have they announced a date when itâs actually happening yet ?
01/01/2014
So far locally all the other schools are sticking to manuals, well until they find out how long a clutch lasts with us now being laden!
I wouldnât actually go down those lines as the majority of âautomaticâ trucks are not automatic at all. They have manual gearboxes, complete with clutches, that have a box of electronics to change the gear instead of the driver. These clutches also wear and will need replacing. I accept that this might be more frequent on a manual but only time will tell.
Just to be clear for newbies, these vehicles are, to all intents and purposes, fully automatic. They have only two pedals and drive like an automatic car without the âcreepâ.
But itâs good to see other trainers investing in their future and in the success of their trainees.
Pete
We have a customer that was amazed when their FM12 âautoâ Volvo was taken to the dealers with a fault and they said it needs a new clutch, they said, âbut its an automatic!â its a common miss-conception but they did get 5 years out the clutch on tipper work. New trucks arenât always better in every way, for example the exhaust system on these Volvoâs is very advanced to comply with euro 6 regulations and on the Ivecoâs they have gone down the route of drinking twice as much adblue to meet the rules. From when the key is turned on a cold engine to it being shut down, it must meet these very tough emissions targets.
So we will see how they perform, I donât think it will be long before all other schools get trucks with AMT gearboxes for one reason or another. From an operators point of view a driver can ruin a clutch very quickly when laden and it takes a sympathetic instructor to âsaveâ clutch wear, this potential problem is averted with the use of an AMT gearbox. Benefits to the customer must be shorter training time, with less expense, more modern vehicle and less driving faults to encounter which should equal higher pass rate. Seems like a win, win situation, only drawbacks I can think of are well documented on here, such things as speed control and gear selection annoyances, but we went for a Volvo so we shouldnât have much to complain about.