Should I use transitions with laminate flooring to control the size of plank needed at each wall?
No. Narrow, sometimes tapered finishers are a fact of life. In practice most installers don't rip the starter row because it's inevitable. If the first room doesn't have an awkward finisher, the next one will. Or the kitchen island will. 

Your 2" standard sounds like an ideal. Carpentry is more art than ideal. One tactic is to glue the finisher to the last full row to give it more support. 

If you have trouble finishing a room due to a narrow strip, raise a new question and we'll help. Bring photos!