For decades, there was one requirement that separated pretenders from drivers in heavyduty truck fleets. The manual transmission.
Technology versus tradition
Manuals make better drivers?
Truckers losing a valuable ab skill
For decades, there was one requirement that separated pretenders from drivers in heavyduty truck fleets. The manual transmission.
Operating an 18-speed manual transmission on a 44t rig required total focus, a lot of mechanical intuition and awareness. Having to rev-match the engine and drivetrain to gradients and cargo load factors completely immersed the driver.
The ability to double-clutch without ruining a transmission with poor shift technique was often the difference between continued employment and promotion and being off-boarded.
But the market for heavy-duty truck transmissions has changed dramatically in the last two decades. In the early 2000s, the majority of heavy-duty trucks still featured manual transmissions, and drivers were expected to master these as a condition of employment. Today, more than three-quarters of new heavy-duty trucks don’ t require drivers to have those double-clutching or rev-matching skills anymore.
The automated manual transmission( AMT) has become standardised throughout the truck industry. In theory, it is safer, less driver-fatiguing, and lowers the maintenance burden and downtime costs for fleets. But has it also created a new generation of drivers who are less skilled and have reduced operational awareness?
Technology versus tradition
Engineers who championed the AMT in trucking can list several benefits. Without a clutch pedal to modulate and control, there’ s less risk of stalling. Drivers also experience less fatigue, especially in traffic, because they don ' t have to operate an 18-speed manual gearbox. And for operational costs, without the risk of accelerated clutch wear due to driver error, AMTs last longer, with lower preventable maintenance costs.
But what do trucking traditionalists believe? For all the content and safety features engineered into the AMT, some experienced truckers have doubts. They believe that AMTs have made it too easy for novice drivers to become confident behind the wheel of big rigs without having served the necessary double-clutching apprenticeship.
There is a traditional trucking wisdom that drivers who manage the interplay between the engine and the drivetrain don’ t suffer fatigue. But instead, benefit from enhanced awareness by being immersed in the driving experience. That makes them safer and more in control.
Manuals make better drivers?
Experienced truckers who believe in manual transmissions doubt that AMTs can absolutely enhance driver attention and create better driver discipline in the cab. Instead of AMTs unburdening drivers and enhancing their driving awareness, that free left hand is potentially reaching for a Smartphone screen and all the distractions it provides.
For fleet owners and managers, AMTs mean they can choose from a wider pool of driver candidates, without having to invest in additional training to master the 18-speed manual. That’ s a real staff recruitment and training cost-saving. Then there is the additional savings from reduced clutch wear and lower drivetrain maintenance costs.
The question of whether AMT-only drivers are the best-developed truckers for operating in higher-risk, demanding driving conditions remains a point of debate.
WORDS IN ACTION 24 MAY 2026