[slowmover]

OMG Then I've broken the law every time I've driven a stick

Call it philosophical, E-I-Maine.

It's not a question of virility. I have over time come to be amused by driving skill = intelligence as it is un-intelligent to assume that I will always be healthy, alert, rested and not distracted when behind the wheel. Therefore, habits should assume a lower order of operational skill.

The OP has an automatic. Habits formed around that transmission type made my addendum to your advice worthwhile, I thought, as few ever drive them that way (beyond helping cool an AT at stoplights in N) and it can take awhile to make the change (if warranted). Stick it in gear, stab & steer is different than the foot work and awareness of driving a standard. Agreed?

There may be instances, therefore (a loaded work truck after all, not a commuter) where mass-in-motion makes being in N a bit uneasy with an automatic. Knowing the rpm to bring it back into gear to maintain road speed also has to take into account torque converter slop. That's actually more difficult than with a standard.

The only time I take my truck out of gear while rolling is the last bit to a full stop. Or, if no one is overtaking me on a long downslope. Not otherwise. IOW, not a "habit" I wish to make, but a clear choice every time. The benefit isn't large after all . . but the downside is.

Only a few times of having to get an unwieldy, unbalanced 40k load on a flatbed to it's destination while tired, injured and confounded by traffic and weather made me a believer in at what assumed level to establish driving habits. (And if that wasn't enough, it was the story of my late father who -- with senile dementia -- had such good habits behind the wheel that the DPS and even one of their supervisors in several tries found it impossible to technically fail him. Conversation, etc, made no difference. HA!!).

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