When the Corvette first debuted with a seven-speed manual transmission, the chattering classes cried out “too much!” But big rigs have more gears. Way more gears. As in, 18 gears. This isn’t your simple clutch-and-stick affair. Here’s how you row your own, 18 different times.
The way Youtube user Sasnak explains it, it sounds so simple. But rest assured, this video to explain how to shift does take about 10 minutes, and as someone who’s tried it a grand total of once (1 time) in their life, it’s waaaaay harder for a mortal to do it than some salty old trucker says it is.
But as we’ve always maintained, truckers don’t get enough respect in this country. They have to master aspects of math, dancing, and practical wizardry just to get their beasts of burden moving.
All hail truckers.