Driving Manual??

Confession: I'm terrified of learning to drive manual. I sucked at it when learning in a car. I can't even imagine learning that AND learning to pull a big trailer. Thoughts? Advice? Words of encouragement?

Yes...take a deep breath and try not to stress over it.

Driving a manual in a car/light truck is an "apples to oranges" comparison. Above average skill and experience shifting a car is actually a detriment when learning to shift a heavy truck.

If you end up with Prime they will start you in a simulator, then work up to learning how-to shift on a controller, closed practice range. The instructors know what they are doing, chill the nerves and focus on their instruction. None of us were born knowing how-to do this, all starting in the same ground zero spot you'll be in.

The High Road CDL Training Program has a section on shifting, check it out. Good place to start then use the search capabilities to find other archived threads on the subject.

Shifting is one of those things that seems impossibly complicated and clumsy in the beginning but then before too long it starts to click and you can't remember what was so hard about it in the first place. You'll get it just fine. Everyone does.

Also keep in mind that Prime has taught many thousands of drivers how to do this. It's not going to be some jerk screaming, "You suck!" at you while you're crying, ya know what I mean?

They know how to teach it. Have faith in the system, have faith in your own ability to get better with practice, and remember that millions of people have learned how to do this and so will you.

It's very important to try to relax, clear your mind, and not try too hard. Don't rush the process, don't put too much pressure on yourself. You're going to make plenty of mistakes so accept that now and just roll with it when they happen. Some people worry about making mistakes and when they inevitably do start making them they get rattled and it gets worse.

Just stay relaxed and be patient with yourself. It's a process. You'll get it.

The biggest thing to keep in mind when you are learning to operate a manual transmission is to cut yourself some slack. You are going to grind gears and miss shifts and stall out. That’s okay, the equipment is tough. Don’t panic, take a breath, and begin again. Keep at it - with some time and patience, it will become easier and easier.

G-Town's "apples and oranges" is right. Besides the way you move the shifter and the clutch is certainly different. Also, because of the size & weight of a truck + trailer, you won't get that jerky/ whiplash you do in a car.

Do pay attention to the rhythm of your moves. Once you get down with that, it shouldn't be so hard. Also, it's not unknown that even experienced drivers might miss a shift once in a while.

With CFI you will train and test on a manual. Your trainer will most likely have an automatic and the fleet is automatic.

Don't worry. It's actually easier to shift in a truck than in a car I think. In a car, you have to do that thing where you feather the clutch and the gas at the same time to get it going. In a truck, there is so much torque you just let up on the clutch slowly (no throttle) and it goes into gear! This makes it much easier to avoid stalling, especially on hills. What's tough in a truck is that you have to shift at the right moment to get it into the next gear or it will just grind. With a little practice you'll figure out the timing well enough to pass the driving test. After that it's just a matter of fine tuning your skill so you shift smoothly almost every time.

Good luck!