Hi, Iam a newly qualified driver and I start my first job next week, its class 2 work and I’ve been told that the firm run a fleet of man ridgid trucks. I done my training in a Daf with a straight 6 box and just wondered what type of gearbox they use in Man ridgids and if anyone has any tips?
Cheers
It will an 8 speed slap across box. Gears 1 to 4 in the usual pattern, then put into neutral and pull the gear stick hard towards you, over a kind of ridge underneath and then your 1 to 4 pattern is now 5 to 8 
.
It will an 8 speed slap across box. Gears 1 to 4 in the usual pattern, then put into neutral and pull the gear stick hard towards you, over a kind of ridge underneath and then your 1 to 4 pattern is now 5 to 8 .
It depends what year the MAN is Rob, i used to drive '03 plate F2000 shape 18t rigids which had a 6 speed in them, but then the '03 plate 26t F2000 had an 8 speed with Range change(slap across box)
I dont think there new, 5 -6 yrs old maybe. With the slap across box, is it just a case of into neautral then pull gearstick towards you and in to 5th or is there any switch that you have to engage first?
It depends what year the MAN is Rob, i used to drive '03 plate F2000 shape 18t rigids which had a 6 speed in them, but then the '03 plate 26t F2000 had an 8 speed with Range change(slap across box)
Might be more to do with the fact that the 8 speed was a 26 tonner ■■
The only MAN rigid I drove was also an 03 plate 18 tonner - 6 speed !!
G
Might be more to do with the fact that the 8 speed was a 26 tonner ■■
He doesnt state what he is driving, other than a rigid, and last time i looked a 26 tonner was a rigid which can be driven on a Class 2 licence 
I think I’ll be driving a Man 18t Rigid, not anything bigger than that. I hope it is a six speed it be one less thing to worry about on my first day.
I used to regularly drive a MAN 18-223 Silent and it was an 8-speed one. It was on an R-plate. Never seen a 6 speed one but I believe you if you say there is one. I thought all the 18 and 26 tonners were 8 speed ones except the Iveco rigids and Volvo FLs which had a 6 speed box.
The MAN I took my rigid test in was a straight 6; I’ve driven a few MANs for Bibby, but I can’t remember what they had. I have a feeling they were 4-over-4 range change with the switch on the gearstick.
IMHO, the best advice is to ask someone when you’re there. Tell them you’re new, and that you just need a quick intro to the gearbox. Most drivers will be only too happy to help.
Depends what MAN it is. At one place I do a lot of work they have both an LE18.220 on an 04 plate which has a straight 6 and a few TGA18.360s (also on 04 plates) which have a full 4 over 4 with splitter and comfort shift.
Paul
I thought all the 18 and 26 tonners were 8 speed ones except the Iveco rigids and Volvo FLs which had a 6 speed box.
Some early Iveco 17OE23 had a 4 over 4 Range change box in them…God Awful things!
IMHO, the best advice is to ask someone when you’re there. Tell them you’re new, and that you just need a quick intro to the gearbox. Most drivers will be only to happy to help.
Best advice so far, Spot on!
i had an assesment drive last friday, it was a rigid volvo fl6, and this had a four over four gearbox in it, it is the only one on the fleet, the rest were M.A.N which i was told all had straight 6 boxes in them.
i’m just glad the vehicle i did a days refresher course in last week had the 4 over 4 in or i would nave seriously fluffed it.
don’t ever be afraid to ask, any operator would rather they show how to use than to let you screw up a gearbox.Plus you’ll get more respect.
Yep, best bet is to ask - never be afraid to do that. Sometimes people might laugh a wee bit but it’s always better to know EXACTLY what you’re doing before you are unleashed on the road with 18000kgs of weight behind you!! I remember doing a shift at Wincanton in a Scania rigid which had a split box and I was really embarassed to admit i didn’t know how to drive it, but they just took me round the block a few times and showed me how simple it is and problem solved!
Like the previous person said, the fact you earned your class II shows you are a capable driver and they will respect you for having the careful attitude of asking something you don’t know instead of bluffing it and ending up with someone crashing into the back of you at a traffic light cos u tried to pull away in 7th!!!
ps - Why oh Why can’t they all build them like DAF, the best trucks by MILES in my opinion
Cheers guys, If its a split box then I will ask for someone just to run through it with me before I go out alone. Better to be 100% with everything b4 going out on my own.
Cheers
smile!:
ps - Why oh Why can’t they all build them like DAF, the best trucks by MILES in my opinion
sorry cant agree with that last comment ,the volvos are streets ahead mechanicaly
with regard to the post always ask if your not sure.
jon
although i’m only a class II driver, i know from what other drivers say that volvo make good artics but i meant for the rigids. How can you honestly think a volvo FL220 is better to drive than a DAF LF/CF ?
smile!:
although i’m only a class II driver, i know from what other drivers say that volvo make good artics but i meant for the rigids. How can you honestly think a volvo FL220 is better to drive than a DAF LF/CF ?
What about the FM7 and FM9s 
. I used to have an FM12 26-tonne rigid with a 380 lump in it 
.
smile!:
although i’m only a class II driver, i know from what other drivers say that volvo make good artics but i meant for the rigids. How can you honestly think a volvo FL220 is better to drive than a DAF LF/CF ?
i have not driven the volvo rigid
but the cf is a nice motor apart from a lack of steering lock
sorry
my statement was aimed at artics in particular the xf ssc v globe XL
the daf has a bigger cab but the volvo is far superior in every other respect
jon
repton:
Depends what MAN it is. At one place I do a lot of work they have both an LE18.220 on an 04 plate which has a straight 6 and a few TGA18.360s (also on 04 plates) which have a full 4 over 4 with splitter and comfort shift.
Yes, I think the Bibby ones were LE18.220s, and they were probably straight 6. Thinking about it, they were almost definitely straight 6, as a Scania rigid was virtually the only non-straight-6 truck I drove before my C+E test.
[Homer Simpson voice] Mmmm, Comfort Shift…
And back to the original question, some more thoughts:
Would you rather be thought of as inexperienced or incompetent?
If you ask for help, they’ll think you’re inexperienced. If you don’t ask for help and end up crunching the gearbox to hell, they’ll think you’re incompetent. They’re going to work out that you’re inexperienced anyway, from other things, no matter what you do. So, which one would you prefer?
And if you can’t decide:
A reputation for inexperience is easily overcome by learning fast. A reputation for incompetence is much harder to shake off. When the other staff/drivers go off for their lunch break, which do you think they’ll be chatting and laughing about? The newbie who asked for some help, or the idiot who half-destroyed a gearbox on his first day?
Everyone’s been a newbie at some point in their career. They’ve all had to do it themselves. The smart ones asked for (and followed) advice rather than finding out the hard way.