Autoshift Questions

Naw... I've tried that. It don't exactly work too well.

LOL.

 

I am talking even at highway speeds while cruising. A manual transmission gets better MPG.

 

I figured the autos would get better mileage since the computer is optimizing the shift points.

I get great fuel mileage but I can't really compare it to the loads the OTR guys pull.

 

You lose a lot in the torque converter aspect.

 

Okay.. I was talking an Autoshift.. No converter..

Zeph.. Are you looking at automatics or Autoshifts?

 

Ahh... good point. There is a difference.

 

I just started a job that has freightliner autoshifts. In 10 yrs of driving, I think I've driven everything that they ever put out reguards manual shifting, when I got in this new truck and seen this i was like whoa what the hell is this , another driver came over to me and gave me a quick talk lesson. I'll tell you it is so #### cool. you let the truck do the work. you have to use the clutch to start the truck then only for first gear ( start out) and in Reverse ( start out) the truck does the rest. its like an invisible person is ghoastg shifting for you. I'll learn more about this and tell you how i think I like it compared to stick shifting....

 

Zephirus,

After driving a straight 10 for several months, my company upgraded me to a newer truck that had autoshift. I drove the auto for a month or two until I recently left that company. On steep downhills, the transmission can be put into a 'manual' mode and you can select the gear that you want. You can also shift up or down while in the manual mode. By selecting manual, a lower gear, and having my jake on, I never encountered any problems with hills.

Someone posted that autos were less fuel efficient. I hate to contradict anyone, but my truck got the best mileage of any truck in our fleet of 200+ trucks. I think many companies are switching their entire fleets to autoshifts precisely because they get better fuel mileage.

As to ease of driving, I can tell you that while stuck in rush hour traffic in Chicago or sitting through an accident/construction backup, the autos are wonderful!!!

The only downside that I encountered with mine was that, without a clutch, you lose some of your ability to make fine adjustments since you have no clutch to feather. Once, while backing into a loading dock that had steel bumpers outside of the rubber bumpers, I got into trouble. I backed into the dock perfectly, except that I had forgotten to open my doors I pulled up a few feet, opened my doors, then started backing up directly like I had pulled out. As I was approaching the dock, I realized that, now with the doors open, I was much closer to the steel bumpers than I had realized. As I got very close, I stopped the truck, checked my mirrors, and then proceeded back. I accelerated slightly, but as with most autos, there was a few seconds of hesitation before the transmission engaged. When it did, the truck lurched backwards into the dock before I could even get off the gas and onto the brake. In doing so, I pinned my trailer door between the trailer and the steel bumper. I didn't think it was a big issue... I'll just pull forward and readjust. When I did, the steel bumper 'grabbed' my trailer door and, after snapping all four hinges, the door hit the ground. Had I had a clutch, I could have feathered it and made a much slower approach and realized my door was going to contact the steel bumper before getting all the way back against it.

Other than the above, I had no problems with my auto at all. I enjoy shifting gears and now I'm back in a straight 10 again, but I enjoyed my time in the auto as well.

Hope that helps...

 

Plain and simple Auto-shifts suck. Never driven a full blown automatic. Give me a 10, 13, or 18 spd anyday of the week. By the way every truck in our fleet is autoshift and we have tons of trucks constantly with clutch problems. I got almost 500k on my truck and no clutch problems as of yet so it could just be some guys are hard on clutches period. The auto's and autoshift's are also much more expensive to repair from what i have been told.