Question About Vehicle Manuals

Do firms that hire drivers normally issue them any kind of manuals for their specific equipment? These might be motor vehicle operator's manuals for properly inspecting, maintaining and operating trucks and trailers at the driver (not in-shop service tech/mechanic) level. It might include such information as how to replace a blown fuse, how to ensure the power steering reservoir is at the correct level and how to properly work any in-dash radios and climate control systems. I believe it is smart for a pro driver to do it by the book. I rented a truck not long ago and had to open the manual to try to figure out how to turn that stupid lane-departure buzzer off. The damned thing would go off when I was hugging the center line for tight turns on back roads or if I was riding the white line along the shoulder. Those stupid loud hash marks impressed along pavement edges are plenty of eye-openers/hair-raisers for drivers who are sleepy anyway.

Every tractor I used while at Swift had all the manuals in the truck. Usually in a cubby over the windshield.

Thank you, sir. I'm glad to know motor carrier outfits supply manuals to drivers. Penske put a crapload of manuals in the International 26' truck I rented not long ago. Yes, there were two cubbies these several books were in over the windshield. I had to use one to figure out how to get the clock time set correctly and another to figure out how to stream phone music to the Bluetooth radio. I hated the a/c in this thing. It would blow cold and warm air intermittently. It also had that stupid lane departure thing I had to get even another manual to try to figure out how to make the damn thing stop beeping for good. I could only get the thing to shut up for only about 10 minutes then it would eventually kick back in again. I would then have to press some button to make it quit again. The stupid thing bothered me if the truck was merely riding along the white line on the shoulder, as most big trucks do, or hugging the center line on a tight turn on an undivided back road. Do your modern commercial trucks these days have this bothersome lane departure thing too? Older Penske International trucks I've rented before had good cold a/c and none of this noisy crap to get in the way.

We had manuals.. but keep in mind.. carriers put different options in that may not be in the manual. That can be frustrating... "what is that scale guage? What is that red switch?" Etc

We had manuals.. but keep in mind.. carriers put different options in that may not be in the manual. That can be frustrating... "what is that scale guage? What is that red switch?" Etc

Are drivers even trained by employers for any aftermarket equipment added on fleet trucks? I should hope a biggie like JB Hunt or Schneider should not ever leave its vehicle operators befuddled by anything weird on the dash. On these new-fangled automobiles with these tombstone things sticking up outta the dash, it might come as no surprise that I might have to thumb through the book in the glove compartment just to figure out how to set the clock, pair the phone or some piddling thing like that. I have not owned a car any newer than a 1995 model to date. I cannot even find an OEM-spec owner's guide for the 1995 Corolla I own. I have to get some tech info outta the Hayne's manual I bought like changing fuses, bulbs or whatnot. Whenever I drive something new or unfamiliar, I want to get to know what I'm driving very well. A messy dashboard loaded with a bunch of unfamiliar crap can be quite distracting and dangerous while underway. Hunting safety instructors have taught us to "know our gun". Please know your truck as any pilot should know his airplane and you should know your own right hand and be safe!