How much do you have to use your left leg while driving a semi truck?

If you want to be a driver you can try getting on a CR England or Knight, I know one of these two companies has all automatic trucks, no clutch. Swift doesn't have automatics, at least not enough for a recruiter to promise you one.

You should find out what trucking is about though, loving to drive and being a truck driver are two very different things. I trained new drivers for 10 years and every single one of my students that loved to drive quit in the first 3 months. Being a truck driver does not give you the freedom that people think it does. First you only see the highway and industrial parts of cities. Second, you don't have a say in where you go or the way you get there or even the times you want to drive. You are ruled by your load, sometimes it works out for you and sometimes it doesn't.

Truckers are different ducks, independent and somewhat antisocial, able to thrive in harsh and unforgiving environments without help. Be sure you discover the real life of a trucker before you spend money to get a cdl only to learn that it wasn't what you had in mind. Keep in mind, Navy Seal training has a lower dropout rate than trucking. 7 out of 10 quit in the first 90 days in this business.

I had a student who refused to wear glasses, thought they made him look stupid. For that reason he was forced to quit trucking because there is no promise of a clean sink and running water every night.

I had a student that thought he would make ton's of money. He quit when he learned that a lot of what truckers do is free labor. Driving is the paid portion, everything else like repairs and dock time, are not paid.

I had a student that thought he needed to make money to support his four kids and wife. He quit because his wife couldn't handle being by her self and raising four kids.

I had a student that loved to drive, he quit because he learned there was way more to trucking than driving and didn't like the responsibility or the liability that went with the job. Scales, DOT inspections, Damaged freight, paper work, logbooks, etc...

I had a student that thought he would never have to work more than 11 hours, that is the legal driving time for a driver. He quit when he discovered he would have to log dock time as sleeper in order to have drive time. The result was days in excess of 18 hours and he didn't like that.

And my number one reason new drivers quit? Never knowing what to do! I quit training because of this reason. Students always think they will be able to learn what to do and then the job will be simple. The truth of it is, you learn to handle not knowing what to do. Every customer is different, every scale is different, streets are restricted, bridges are limited to certain tonnage. The driver has to accept his lot in this business, and unless he or she is dedicated they will usually never hit the same place more than once a year. Which means you need to figure out where the receiving door is, where the shipping door is, what number is needed to get the load, how to enter and exit a customers location, the best way to the customer and back to the freeway, where is the nearest scale to weigh my load if it's heavy? Is a weigh station going to be in the path between me and that scale? Which way do I slide my tandems, my fifth-wheel, how much fuel can I put on before being overweight on my steers? What is the BRIDGE law for Virginia? Idaho has off tracking? What is that? Do I need a special permit before I enter New York? YOu just get used to never knowing, and learn to live with it.

If you do decide to go trucking, here is my trick and it has served me well these past 13 years. I play stupid! I never act like I know what I'm doing, where I'm going, I look like a rookie at every customer unless I know the deal at that spot. This always gets the person who has the information to slow down and explain things really clearly. It has worked and I am sure it will continue to work.

If you don't like what the long-winded answer contained keep in mind that after you put a year in to that crap you can get a much better job locally. Lots of local jobs are paid hourly (very well paid I might add) and many are union depending on where you live, which means top notch benefits and you're usually going the same places everyday and home every night. Some folks like the long haul. Better them than me.

To answer your question I drive an 18 speed in stop and go traffic all day. The only time I hit the clutch is either a dead stop or to kill the Jake (by just resting your foot on it, applying no pressure). You float 100% of the time or learn how in a hurry.

every time you start and stop, and most large rigs are shifted without the clutch. however at stop signs and lights [etc] you usually have to hold in the clutch while waiting. many smaller trucks with 5 and 6 speeds are shifted with the clutch. i drive a eaton 10 speed, light duty, and its such a sorry tranny that it is easier to shift with the clutch but you could not last the day doing that, so you have to bite the bullet and fight it. i also drove a mack 8 speed in a dump truck and you can shift it with one finger and never scratch a tooth. however it didn't have air bags and driving it was pure torture.

Janem has a good point but don't let this kill your dreams, most of the big over the road companies use auto trannys in their trucks now so if you want to drive call swift,or schneider they have their own schools

A trucking career might not be your optimal choice. Maybe a bus driving job would be better because almost all are automatics.