A note to the anti-auto crowd

Or A/C or a bunk! LOL

 

...and here I've been contemplating pulling the power steering out of my rig. TOTALLY unnecessary.

 

I pulled the AC out of my truck a couple years ago & haven't missed it...and there is no bunk either...just a day cab.

 

Exactly. If you know how to drive a manual transmission, there is no "thinking" about it...you just do it. It isn't difficult. It isn't distracting. If anything, you pay MORE attention to your driving because you are more involved in the process....as opposed to just "pulling out onto the highway and hitting resume on the cruise and leaning back turning up the radio and filling my mug with coffee as it gears up."

 

I wouldn't own an auto if you gave it to me. Not even in my car or pickup. Especially in my big truck 18 speeds forever. Bunch of cry babies that think movin a stick and flippin range selectors and splitters is so hard and physically demanding.

 

Wow...a little harsh don't you think?

Personally, I'm torn in the whole manual vs auto debate. I run a Mack mDrive right now, and while I like not having to do a bunch of shifting during stop and go, light to light city traffic, I feel as if I don't have quite the control that I would with a manual, especially on the mountain grades. Backing up sucks with an automatic plain and simple.

Still, the criticism over the things is ridiculous, and I can't stand the "you ain't a driver if you have an automatic" crap. I've driven manuals for most of my career, and there are many other seasoned drivers on the road who are in one. Driving SKILL makes the driver, not the kind of transmission he or she has in the truck.

 

An automatic transmission compensates for the lack of skill a driver may have, thereby allowing an unskilled driver to pretend to be a competent truck driver.

 

That's why I like the 18 speed you have the deep reduction for traffic I rarely ever use the clutch in traffic. Especially since I pull heavy all the time. I watched several drivers the other day
Pull away from the fuel island I'm guessing they had 10 speeds and would rev the engine way up and slip the clutch with the trk jumpin and buckin. I asked on the radio and one driver said
"It's too hard to shift through the gears it was easier to start in 6th and just slip clutch". I bet the company just loves him?. Sounds like he was just too lazy?. He probably ####### that he doesn't get a pay raise either?.

 

An automatic transmission compensates for the lack of skill a driver may have, thereby allowing an unskilled driver to pretend to be a competent truck driver.



I have to agree 100%. And allows the companies to fill seats with steering wheel holders the same one's that drive around with trashed out trucks

 

That may be true as far as the big training mill companies go, but in the case of my company, you have to have a minimum of 2 years experience, preferably with dump or tank trailers. Turnover is practically non-existent as the 14 drivers we have have all been there for years (I'm the newest guy). As to why the owner bought 3 automatics. He got them with a good discount because they were demos with 5,000+ miles on them. He didn't have a transmission preference when he bought the trucks.