New on here but who better to ask than the ones in the know, passed my class one in February, in an automatic unfortunately (but a pass all the same),
I read on a web page that I may be able to get a manual entitlement as I’ve got Manual for all my other licence’s, so question is am I able to do this yet or are they still toying with the idea, thanks
You can exchange it now - a covering letter with licence is a good idea
Standard advice is to take a photocopy of license before you send it. Has been known for DVLA to do creative and strange things!
in an automatic unfortunately
I don’t understand the reasoning. Many, many new trucks are auto. Even if you pass on a manual, what’s the chances of getting the same type at work as what you trained on?
There’s a lot of fuss about this but I seem to remember that I, and thousands of others, learnt on a straight box and had very little assistance dealing with range changes and splitters. But we managed and we’re still here today.
It’s the trainer’s job to deliver basic industry knowledge and give a sound grounding. This is confirmed, in part, by the test pass. It is then the employers’ responsibility to give familiarisation training on the vehicle to be driven. This is not my whim - it’s a legal requirement covered under H+S.
I also believe that trainees should have a full range of training available to them. So, eg, if someone wants to learn and pass their test on auto and then learn to use a range change they can do this without the pressure of a test. Similarly w+d to artic. The list goes on.
One of our largest local employers who takes as many class one drivers as I can produce is perfectly happy to accept our drivers no matter what they learnt on. This employer understands that the basic training is vital and they accept that further training is down to them. I even trained their trainer to make sure this is seamless. Their fleet is also 100% auto.
So my message to the OP is not to worry about the auto pass. Get the licence exchanged and you’re on a level ■■■■■■■ with anyone else. For comfort, you may decide to go to a trainer for an hour or two on a manual. But you risk a) not getting the same type of manual and b) not seeing a manual at all.
Pete 
It has ever been thus because there are so many dinosaurs in the cupboard. I, like hundreds of thousands of others, passed my test in a truck with a manual synchomesh 'box but had to double-declutch every single gear throughout the test to simulate a constant-mesh gearbox. This went on for years. When I did it, it made sense because a high percentage of lorries were still constant-mesh, but as time went by made less and less sense.
Same with hand signals. When I took my car test we were required to use hand signals only for the first half of the test; and this was in the '60s when all cars already had to have brake-lights and flashing indicators by law! The ‘stop now and get it mended’ culture had yet to replace the ‘bodge it get on with it culture’ (for better or for worse!). Sigh. Robert
Being honest I am divided on this one. I agree with Pete that the employers should take responsibility for vehicle familiarity. Reputable employers probably do. I disagree that this actually happens especially when many start through agency work. I certainly got no induction from Driver Hire or their clients - it was “there’s the keys”. Younger blokes also have a tendency to exaggerate experience in order to get work, at least I certainly did 15 years ago!
I can certainly see the attraction of learning on an auto, no argument there - more time to think about the road and observation and less to tie yourself in knots with. I would imagine that courses might even get a little shorter eventually, costs maybe reduced, less stress for trainee, dare I say trainers job a little easier too. I would imagine the first time pass ratio would increase too. That is all great, especially for the trainee.
I am also slightly terrified at the prospect of taking an auto only trained driver and chucking them in 4 over 4 artic with splitter (16 ratios) and throwing them on the open road. I know that they know what to do in terms of steering and observation, but to what extent will that go out of the window when an unduly large percentage of brain and concentration is distracted by wrestling with a complex gearbox. I don’t dispute that after a bit they will get the hang of it but it just doesn’t feel too safe to me.
There is the argument that auto trucks are becoming the norm, and this is being used to justify the change. If manual trucks are becoming rare, what was wrong with the old 78 license restriction as you effectively end up with the same result. It would expedite the removal of the last surviving manual trucks too.
Incidentally of our 6 vehicles only one is auto so I guess we aren’t typical.
Anyway, I am not expecting agreement to be reached by all on this one! I’m happy for the trainees who will get an easier weeks training and an easier test. I just hope there are no accidents as a result.
I fully understand your point - and (how very unusual) I’m playing devil’s advocate here to some extent.
I go back to my point that there are thousands of us out there driving complex boxes with no tuition on them. I’m not aware of any accidents as a result. And, given the fact that more and more autos are in use, it seems to make the situation more fitting for the use of auto boxes for training. When we took delivery of our last manual truck, the salesman said that this was the only manual truck he’d sold that year.
On the other hand, everyone would be trained in every type of vehicle in use. But clearly that can’t happen.
Pete