GEARS ‘R' GOOD

W. Marley is an old-school haulier with its roots in agriculture and a superb fleet of Volvos from the latest FM and FH to old-school FL10s

- Dougie Rankine

We must admit, this is one of our favourite fleets in the country. A unique mix of new and old Volvos, ranging from the latest Euro 6 equipment to some superbly turned out retro kit from the ‘90s, there’s so much to like here. Plus, pretty much everything has a manual gearbox!

We do love a manual gearbox here at T&D. But we’re also realistic, and know that they’re very much a niche item these days. Daf and Scania will still offer you one on most of the range and you can get certain Mercedes-Benz, MAN and Iveco models with a stick, but not on big cab tractor units. Volvo and Renault have stopped doing them at all. There just isn’t a demand for them beyond owner-drivers, small family fleets and certain specialist applications.

Why would you even want one? Some folk are flabbergasted that there’s other people out there who still prefer a manual. In some cases they’re being deliberately obtuse about it, because driving a truck is a tactile, emotionally rewarding experience in a way that something like driving a forklift, or fitting double-glazing is not.

The latest autos are now so fully integrated into the truck, if it doesn’t have the ability to self-shift then you’re not getting the full range of technology benefits such as predictive cruise and eco-roll.