Fuel for Thought

Automatic Manual

By Greg Huggins
Posted Jun 18th 2019 6:49AM

No matter what you drive, where you drive or how you drive, one thing is for sure, knowing your vehicle as much as possible can be crucial.

One of the first things I do when getting a new or used truck is, I automatically read the manual. There is a wealth of information in it specific to the vehicle you will be driving. Sure, I will gloss over or skip some chapters, after all, how different can these seat belts be from my last truck? Reading the owner's manual will help you become more familiar with the controls of the truck. New features are added every year and some features are only on certain models or only available from certain manufacturers.

Automatically reading the owner’s manual can also be a safety feature. Even something as simple as how the radio works. Not all radios work the same, so if you learn how your new radio works before youdrive, you will not have to fumble around with it when you are driving, you will be able to feel your way around the controls rather than take your eyes off the road to figure it out.

Sure, if you have been driving for years, you can probably get in most trucks and drive it instantly, but knowing the little nuances of the controls makes the drive easier and safer.

Don’t forget about the other manual. Maintenance.

Getting familiar with the maintenance procedures and intervals can be critical to the life of the vehicle. Learn the maintenance intervals and develop a plan to ensure none are missed. Skipping routine maintenance might save you a little now, but components will wear out quicker and ultimately cost you more later.

You have invested a lot of money in your truck, invest a little time to get to know how your truck operates and when service is due to get the best return on your investment.


See you down the rad,

Greg