Back in a manual truck

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
41

Adonis.:

robroy:
There was one driving through Taunton serv last week,.all blinged up to the ■■■■■■■■ in tat, hitting max revs for extra effect.
I watched the driver as I was walking back with my Maccy’s coffee, his head was like it was on a swivel looking around to see who was watching him full length of the services. :unamused: :smiley:

Btw can you still get those Scania V8s specced as manuals or heavy haulage?

My old 560 had a gearstick and a pipe, great fun for posing round Rungis and Boulogne and annoying old crabbit barstewards :laughing:

A.

Yeh, I remember seeing you that day :unamused: ,… but I couldn’t see any ‘crabbit old barstewards’ , near ME.
:laughing:

42

Only ever drove a auto when doing test been in a scan is p410 with a 4over4 since then . Just don’t see what the fuss is about with manuals

43

Adonis.:

robroy:
There was one driving through Taunton serv last week,.all blinged up to the ■■■■■■■■ in tat, hitting max revs for extra effect.
I watched the driver as I was walking back with my Maccy’s coffee, his head was like it was on a swivel looking around to see who was watching him full length of the services. :unamused: :smiley:

Btw can you still get those Scania V8s specced as manuals or heavy haulage?

Yes, not sure on the new shape ones though.

My old 560 had a gearstick and a pipe, great fun for posing round Rungis and Boulogne and annoying old crabbit barstewards :laughing:

No stick in the current one, pipe coming soon though. :wink:

A.

I reckon those side exits for the V8 sound a bit too muted, twin Eminox stainless stacks is the way to go :wink: Some companies dont like the corners of their trailers blackened though…

44

Wow…

You drove a lorry with a gearstick and three pedals along an A road.

45

UKtramp:

robroy:
What you doing UKt? Blower work to farms or what.
Which areas are you covering?

I do a lot of farm work (delivering building sections) in Devon and Cornwall, but last couple of weeks it’s been more Wilts, Somerset, Dorset areas.

Still manage it ok with an auto btw. :smiley:

The firm I am with does tippers, and tankers rob, its whatever they give out to you. I was on tippers last week but not sure this week, areas are all over the country, I was in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire all last week. Most of the trucks are auto but I got the old manual one last week and it just brought memories back so was a bit nostalgic more than anything. I hit reverse at traffic lights and frightened a lady to death, I found it mildly amusing but understood her fear. :smiley:

got to be a red colour then??

46

yt03:

UKtramp:

robroy:
What you doing UKt? Blower work to farms or what.
Which areas are you covering?

I do a lot of farm work (delivering building sections) in Devon and Cornwall, but last couple of weeks it’s been more Wilts, Somerset, Dorset areas.

Still manage it ok with an auto btw. :smiley:

The firm I am with does tippers, and tankers rob, its whatever they give out to you. I was on tippers last week but not sure this week, areas are all over the country, I was in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire all last week. Most of the trucks are auto but I got the old manual one last week and it just brought memories back so was a bit nostalgic more than anything. I hit reverse at traffic lights and frightened a lady to death, I found it mildly amusing but understood her fear. :smiley:

got to be a red colour then??

How you doing bud, you made a move yet?

47

robroy:

AndieHyde:
Now when I drive a stick, it feels like too much effort and the forgetting leads to stalling at junctions and the like. Maybe its a getting older thing.

.

You’re maybe a bit like me mate, I was the same last time I had a one.
I brought a manual back over for a week a few years ago, while mine was getting some repairs done, and I done exactly the same.
Basically I could not be arsed as I had just got used to Autos and the easiness
As I said, I had nothing to prove, in terms of handling a truck, and actually ‘‘driving’’ it in the TRUE sense which many have never experienced…(Not been clever there btw, just stating facts, and no fault of their own to the lads who haven’t)
In those ‘‘keen wide eyed’’ days I would not have had an auto chucked at me,…not Macho Trucker enough. :unamused: :blush:

So minimal interest that week, and I was well past the ‘‘Look at me in my big truck’’ stage, and the showing off that goes with it.
Some never get past that, some like to think they are driving Gods, some think that everybody envies their spotlights and crap, some think that others are orgasmic when the V8 they drive is sounding like a ERF with a knackered exhaust.

Others are like me (and possiblly you :smiley: ) miserable bastds with all the enthusiasm been knocked out of them, just going through the motions,.and enjoying the ease of auto boxes… :laughing:

Exactly this. When I was in my 20’s, wouldnt have a bar of it.
Now I’m knocking on the door of 50, I have to say I dont mind it at all.

Abour 5 years ago I visited England and picked up a rental car with auto gears and lights and wipers and everything. I remember talking with my brother and saying I did not like it because I didnt feel in control. His atitude was “why” and just go with it.
2 years ago I bought my Merc CLK with all the trimmings and I soon got used to it I dont mind saying.

Totally a growing up thing but not miserable in the slightest.

Was never one for all the blinged up motors, running (mostly bent) in Europe in the 90’s, it was all about being the gray man, not standing out and attracting attention, keeping money in my pocket instead of funding the Gendermere chistmas party.

48

Radar19:

robroy:

AndieHyde:
Now when I drive a stick, it feels like too much effort and the forgetting leads to stalling at junctions and the like. Maybe its a getting older thing.

.

You’re maybe a bit like me mate, I was the same last time I had a one.
I brought a manual back over for a week a few years ago, while mine was getting some repairs done, and I done exactly the same.
Basically I could not be arsed as I had just got used to Autos and the easiness
As I said, I had nothing to prove, in terms of handling a truck, and actually ‘‘driving’’ it in the TRUE sense which many have never experienced…(Not been clever there btw, just stating facts, and no fault of their own to the lads who haven’t)
In those ‘‘keen wide eyed’’ days I would not have had an auto chucked at me,…not Macho Trucker enough. :unamused: :blush:

So minimal interest that week, and I was well past the ‘‘Look at me in my big truck’’ stage, and the showing off that goes with it.
Some never get past that, some like to think they are driving Gods, some think that everybody envies their spotlights and crap, some think that others are orgasmic when the V8 they drive is sounding like a ERF with a knackered exhaust.

Others are like me (and possiblly you :smiley: ) miserable bastds with all the enthusiasm been knocked out of them, just going through the motions,.and enjoying the ease of auto boxes… :laughing:

I may be young (in comparison) but driving manual now holds no interest for me. I feel more comfortable behind the wheel of an auto than I do in a manual. I have two cars, one 2017 E-Class from Mercedes where you can’t get anything but either the 7 speed auto or the new 9 speed auto from ZF. My other car is a manual Honda Type R. When driving the Type R, I can’t shake the feeling that this would be a much better experience with a DSG system. The gear changes would be lightning fast as would the launch.

I have a CLK and an ML, both auto and simply sublime. Smooth and comfortable.
Before these I had an Integra type S with nothing auto what so ever and in spirited mode it was awesome, a real driving exprience.
For the daily commute, I would be in a Merc.

49

at the end of the day,it boils down to this.
you dont need 3 pedals when you only have 2 feet.
for years nearly everywhere else runs auto as 1st choice,britain is now falling into line.
ireland is 40 years behind with manuals still being favoured.
you dont wind windows up,you dont have manual steering,you dont go round locking the doors with a key,and you dont get up to switch off the telly.
rose tinted memories of eaton twin splitter and fullers are just that.
its hard enough nowadays to drink your tea and eating your piece when your driving without trying to smash your way through a gearbox at the same time.

50

dieseldog999:
at the end of the day,it boils down to this.
you dont need 3 pedals when you only have 2 feet.
for years nearly everywhere else runs auto as 1st choice,britain is now falling into line.
ireland is 40 years behind with manuals still being favoured.
you dont wind windows up,you dont have manual steering,you dont go round locking the doors with a key,and you dont get up to switch off the telly.
rose tinted memories of eaton twin splitter and fullers are just that.
its hard enough nowadays to drink your tea and eating your piece when your driving without trying to smash your way through a gearbox at the same time.

I am all for auto boxes, it is nice to jump into the old manual trucks for the nostalgia, wouldn’t want one all the time but it really doesn’t phase me either way. Worst manual I drove lately was a Scania with the most ridiculous clutch ever, called a safety clutch, I hated every second of driving it and that was on a 16 plate. In my opinion it was dangerous, rolling backwards on hill starts, terrible in traffic.

51

Just done about 5 weeks in a manual. On Saturday had to the the Auto and nearly every bloody junction went for the imaginary clutch and gearstick.

52

UKtramp:

yt03:

UKtramp:

robroy:
What you doing UKt? Blower work to farms or what.
Which areas are you covering?

I do a lot of farm work (delivering building sections) in Devon and Cornwall, but last couple of weeks it’s been more Wilts, Somerset, Dorset areas.

Still manage it ok with an auto btw. :smiley:

The firm I am with does tippers, and tankers rob, its whatever they give out to you. I was on tippers last week but not sure this week, areas are all over the country, I was in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire all last week. Most of the trucks are auto but I got the old manual one last week and it just brought memories back so was a bit nostalgic more than anything. I hit reverse at traffic lights and frightened a lady to death, I found it mildly amusing but understood her fear. :smiley:

got to be a red colour then??

How you doing bud, you made a move yet?

No, stayed put (i think i was having a bad week) and the thought of travelling upto Brough daily put me off!!

53

I thought you were better off where you are to be honest. The grass always looks greener and all that.

54

Had a mixture of both on MVF for years although the autos were becoming the preferred option, left for a few years & did heavy haulage & containers both operators preferred a manual boxes was nice to go back to manuals but missed the auto box when in slow moving traffic, back on MVF again & now have 95% auto fleet. my TGX is auto but every so often I have to take an 8 wheeler out & if its free I choose one of the few remaining FM manuals rather than the scania autos

55

I’d like a proper gearbox again permanently, i still enjoy making the lorry perform as i want it too, which at junctions and maneuvering is a lot easier to do with a manual.

However times have changed, it appears i’m in a minority of 1 on here, there’s probably four others where i work would prefer a manual but we don’t get a choice because our allocated vehicles get used by others when we’re off shift, and the manuals we did have had wrecked clutches in no time as well as the usual gearbox wear due to incompetence, so auto it now is.

All our cars are autos though, proper ones with torque converters, i would not spend my own money on any of the automated manuals or twin clutched efforts that have been stuffed in cars in recent years.

56

Juddian:
I’d like a proper gearbox again permanently, i still enjoy making the lorry perform as i want it too, which at junctions and maneuvering is a lot easier to do with a manual.

However times have changed, it appears i’m in a minority of 1 on here, there’s probably four others where i work would prefer a manual but we don’t get a choice because our allocated vehicles get used by others when we’re off shift, and the manuals we did have had wrecked clutches in no time as well as the usual gearbox wear due to incompetence, so auto it now is.

All our cars are autos though, proper ones with torque converters, i would not spend my own money on any of the automated manuals or twin clutched efforts that have been stuffed in cars in recent years.

You are definitely not alone in wishing they had a proper transmission. Had you forgotten about me? [emoji17]
Anyway, roll on next March when my new motor turns up…MANual comfortshift [emoji4] can’t wait…

57

Me too! Still loving my manual!

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58

Cheers lads, me envious, never :imp: :imp: :imp: :imp:
I’ll carry on with arsetronic, and whatever poxy auto box me next one has, you just swan off into the sunset in yer bloody manual motors :smiling_imp: spare a thought mister :laughing:

59

The one big difference anyone can appreciate is how smooth hitching a trailer is in a manual in comparison to an auto box. With an auto you have little control over how hard you get under the pin and usually goes with an uncontrolled thud. In the manual you get a much more controlled and positive clunk. i always feel a right prat hitching trailers with an auto especially on a bit of an uneven ground where you have to give it a bit of stick then jump on your brake.

60

Bays are the worst always smash Intp them with an auto :grimacing: