Don't whine if you're about to get an automatic shifting truck!

Started driving in '86, 7,9, 10, Super10, 13 speeds. All good, I am in control, as all good truck drivers should be! Then, one week ago, my company truck came due to be traded in, and I was assigned an automatic truck! , Oh NO!!

Dispatcher was sympathetic, and gave me an out. Drive it 500 miles to my home terminal, and he would have a manual waiting for me, inside a heated garage, if I really did not like it. OK, I can handle anything for 500 miles. KC to Mpls, BTW. So, fairly flat. Hmm, not too bad, told Dispatch I would hang on to it for awhile.

Ok, dispatched to York PA, then to FL.

Snow and "iffy" roads to York, then dry after that.

Earlier this morning, from Wytheville to Statesville, I set the cruise at 63, Jake at "3", and thought I'd see what happened.

Grossing 78500, btw. For that entire stretch of interstate, all I did was steer! No downshifting at all! This is on cruise, remember! Had to use the brakes, of course, but back on cruise and the truck would outpull many going uphill. Oh, and it can be shifted manually if desired, at any time.

Needless to say, I am impressed! I will not look down my nose at auto's anymore, the reduction in workload is amazing, and fuel mileage is better than I could get on my own with a 9 speed.

i-shift 12 speed, Volvo D-13.

They'd have to beat me with a stick (haha, no pun intended) to go back to a manual!

Only remaining concern will be reliability, but we'll see how that goes.

Anyone else have a similar experience?