Modern pickup trucks are faster, more powerful, and more technologically advanced than ever, but one key feature has quietly disappeared along the way. Manual transmissions, once a defining part of the pickup truck experience, have been steadily phased out in favor of automatics and complex driver aids. For drivers who grew up shifting their own gears, that change has removed a level of involvement that today’s trucks simply can’t replicate.
Old pickup trucks offered a direct mechanical connection between driver and machine. A clutch pedal and a gear lever demanded attention, skill, and timing, turning even routine drives into something engaging. Beyond nostalgia, manual gearboxes also brought simplicity and durability, with fewer components to fail and a reputation for handling hard work without complaint. They made towing, crawling, and back-road driving feel deliberate rather than automated.
As manuals vanish from modern lineups, they’re becoming symbols of a more hands-on era of truck ownership. That’s why so many enthusiasts keep returning to older pickups, not just for their rugged styling or proven reliability, but for the experience of shifting gears themselves. In a world of push-button convenience, that one feature is deeply missed.
In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources.
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Manual pickup trucks are slowly but surely going extinct
The six-speed is becoming a rarity
Credit: Ford
One of the biggest reasons to go out looking for an older pickup truck is that new ones simply don’t come with a manual transmission. While it makes sense that a lot of small cars and crossovers have gone fully automatic, manual transmissions and pickup trucks feel like they go hand in hand. With there being fewer new options where you can row your own gears, it makes more and more sense to get something used.
There is only one new pickup with a manual transmission
As mentioned, most new trucks have completely ditched the six-speed and opted instead for traditional automatic transmissions. While there isn’t anything wrong with an automatic, it is a bummer that we’ve been robbed of choice. Currently, there is only one new pickup truck on the market in the U.S. that can still be had with a manual, and even then, it isn’t that straight forward.
The Toyota Tacoma is the only new pickup with a manual option, but it isn’t the simplest option to equip. Of the eight trim levels on offer, only three get the six-speed. You also have to select the double cab option and equip the truck with four-wheel drive, which obviously adds quite a bit to your bill. Needless to say, getting a new truck with a manual isn’t easy.
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The manual transmission is satisfying and functional
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Obviously, people like me who long for the return of the manual transmission in pickups are guided, at least to some degree, by nostalgia. There is a lot to be said about the convenience that automatic transmissions offer. However, rowing your own gears is actually pretty practical. Manuals don’t only help us connect with our trucks emotionally, but they genuinely do offer additional practicality.
The practical benefits of a manual
- Better control over power delivery
- Simpler and more reliable engineering
- Stronger engine braking
- Improved driver engagement and awareness
- Theft deterrent
There are some places where a manual just feels better to use than even the most advanced automatic transmission. A manual lets you choose your own gear, giving you control of just how much power you’re putting down. This makes things like towing, off-roading, and managing things like steep inclines that little bit easier. Rather than trying to work around how the automatic reads your throttle inputs, you have direct control.
There are a lot of secondary benefits too. Engine braking is obviously a lot easier, meaning less wear and tear on things like your brake pads. There are a lot of reports that also suggest that vehicles with manual transmissions are less likely to be stolen. They’re also cheaper, on average, on the used market.
The most important thing for any truck driver, though, is the additional reliability. Manual transmissions can take much more abuse and require much less coddling than automatic transmissions. For farmers, contractors, and overlanders, manuals have proven they can survive decades of abuse with basic servicing.
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There’s nothing digital about a good driving experience
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Sure, modern trucks with modern transmissions are more comfortable. They take the work out of driving, and in some ways that’s nice. But along the way, we’ve lost something. People who see their pickups as tools to get a job done and nothing more might not feel it, but petrolheads who have a passion for the cars they drive know that the connection that a manual transmission offers isn’t just about practicality.
The emotional side of things
It’s what non-car people don’t get. They see all cars as just a ton and a half, two tons of wires, glass, metal, and rubber, and that’s all they see. People like you or I know. We have an unshakable belief that cars are living entities. You can develop a relationship with a car and that’s what non-car people don’t get. When something has foibles and won’t handle properly, that gives it a particularly human quality because it makes mistakes, and that’s how you can build a relationship with a car that other people won’t get.
Yes, manual transmissions in pickup trucks make sense from a practicality standpoint. Yes, they make your car more reliable. But that is all secondary to how it makes you feel. This line of thought might be a little old-fashioned and maybe a little sappy, but it is becoming harder and harder to connect with cars, and that is something that is really, genuinely sad.
Getting in your truck and getting work done, shifting your own gears, being in full control of the machine, all adds up to a more satisfying driving experience. At the end of the day, you feel like you’ve achieved something, and that you and your trusty pickup truck worked together to get something done.
