Question:
With about seven years remaining until retirement, my wife and I are planning to become a husband and wife company team specializing in the “expedited/just-in-time/custom critical” field. We would appreciate your comments and suggestions to our situation and questions below.
We:
* are mature, educated, and have a very high work ethic
* have passed our Illinois “knowledge” test and the combination, air brakes, and hazard materials endorsements
* expect to build up to 1,000+ miles per day as a husband and wife team
* have no need to be home at regular intervals
* expect to begin training as students in September
Problem:
Having sat in a tractor and operated the clutch, my wife reports that the effort needed to push the clutch creates an unexpected pain in her leg. We have owned manual transmission automobiles and have experienced no problems with these or any daily, routine activities. She is afraid, however, that this unexpected pain will not allow her to pass training.
A possible solution:
Our neighborhood Peterbilt dealer suggest a solution is an “auto shift” transmission.
Questions:
1 Is there a trucking company that conducts student training in return for a one-year commitment that will train us on an auto-shift transmission and then put us on the road with an auto-shift transmission?
OR
2 If I begin my training alone with a manual transmission with Trucking Company A, could I ---
a. change to Trucking Company B after ____ months experience
b. receive training on an auto-shift tractor
c. then train my wife on that tractor, and
d. become a team after she passes her final driving test?
Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Please respond here or to robert@spanton.com and include either the words “truck” or “trucking” in the subject.
Many thanks,
Robert Spanton

Answer:
U.S. Xpress may be the company you're looking for, but most of the auto-shift transmissions out there still use a clutch for starting & stopping.
She can do exercise and build strength in her legs for the clutch.
They are a team-oriented company, but they may have each of you go out with separate trainers until you two are ready to be paired up after upgrade.
I used to be a road trainer for them, but it's been a few years now.
They do have their own driving school in Medway, Ohio (near Dayton).Not liable for any information posted.

Answer:
from reading other posts and online journals from new drivers...it appears that quite a large portion complain about thier clutch leg hurting at first untill the body adjusts / strenghthens.

Answer:
U.S. Express, is about the only carrier that I can think of off hand that actually trains on Auto-Shift & they are also a "Team" oriented carrier.
If you are wanting to Train Together...then Covenant Transport, is the only carrier I can think of off hand that Trains Both Spouses in the Same Trk at the Same Time...They Are a "Team" carrier, but I'm not sure if they have Auto-Shift or not.
Other "Team" carrriers with Auto-Shifts are...
(WSE)
Trans-Am
Contract Freighters, Inc.(CFI)
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There may be other carriers with Auto-Shift, but those are the only ones that I know of.(I'm sure someone else will know of others & post them.)

Answer:
US Xpress is a definate as far as Auto Shift trucks and placing you through school and OTJ training for little money down in exchange for 1 year of service.
Willis Shaw (WSE) may have a similar program, though I am not sure.
As already stated, these trucks generally still have a clutch that you must use from time to time. Really the only time you will need to use the clutch is when coming to or at a complete stop, which can eliminate over 80% of the time you would spend working the clutch in a manual.
To answer your other question:

This is a possiblity. There are several companies that either have a "train your spouse" type program. Typically these programs require you to be with the company for 6 months to 1 year before you would be allowed to train your spouse. Some of these programs only require the spouse to have a valid learners permit, while others require the trainee spouse to have an actual CDL. Your overall experience to even be considered for this would need to be 1 or more years.
Speaking from experience as I was at one point training my wife to drive from scratch I would reccomend that she attend a driving school to learn the basics even if you find a company willing to let you train her from the get go. It would be less stressful on both you and her that way.
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As a matter of an FYI: There is no real training needed for an auto shift trans if you have experience driving a manual. Even if you have never driven a truck it still takes only minutes to learn and maybe 30 minutes to totally master an auto shift.
Answer:
I know that CFI, has a "train-your-spouse" program.(I'm not sure how long spouse #1 has to be with the company before allowing you to train other spouse.)