foster, I did some air driving a few years ago. Hadn't driven a manual transmission for over 20 years and was able to get it around. Getting used to the size was a challange but not impossible. I was not comfortable with the rattletrap way it drove. It was loud and bouncy. The windshield wipers were crappy and it had no pick-up. It was like driving a log wagon.
Also had to be very careful about awnings on front of buildings, tree branches and those basketball hoops on a stick that lurk in all subdivisions.
It's scarey as heck to move those things in and out of their parking places in the building. There are only inches between them and it's so easy to scrape with the bumper, which sticks out and is hard to see with your mirror.
Other drivers seemed very respectful of the big brown truck and gave me room. Were they polite or did they see my wild eyes and hair standing on end? I hated driving.
The truck was a minor detail. It was navigating, finding houses, having to turn around in tight places after passing up my stop, messing with the darned diad, figuring out what door to enter at business stops, getting lost in subdivisions and other places, running out of time before the air was delivered, stopping to answer the dumb message beeps from management and just knowing I was in a position that didn't fit me at all.
I forgot to take off the e-brake once and had smoke rolling out of the place where the shifter was. I scraped the side of two cars trying to get out of the tight spot in the building. One I admitted, the other I lied and said I didn't know a thing about it. Still carrying that lie in my heart. I hate to lie. I'm an inside worker and knew that if I had an accident I'd lose my job as a driver AND my inside job. Was terrified the entire time.
The truck didn't do well in snow and they gave me goofy chains I was supposed to get down and put on when stuck. Yeah, right.
Some people handle the job like champs. They are cut out for the multiple skills required. Others, like myself, fall apart at the seams. The job is harder than it looks, not an easy, glory job at all. Hard work and multi-tasking required at all times.
Try it if you want, you can always back out if it's not comfy for you. Maybe you'll love it, the long term drivers love the work, just hate what management has done to the job.
Best of luck and let us know how it goes. Never know if you don't try.