Manual vs Auto-shift transmissions

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Dahmer8afew, Mar 20, 2011.

  1. Gears

    Gears Trucker Forum STAFF - Gone, But Not Forgotten.

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    Maybe he's an older gent? When you're learning, you do feel it, double clutching and all, but it's worth it.
     
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  3. Rehab

    Rehab Bobtail Member

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    I'm driving my first auto-shift truck right now. At first I thought ugggggg, this is gonna be crap but after a few trips into Chicago I'm starting to like it. This thing does have a manual mode if I want to shift the gears when I think they need to be shifted but for the most part it does what its supposed to do. Sometimes after I've been sitting at a stop light for a little while, when I take off it has difficulty remembering to shift into 3rd but a quick click on the manual button and bump the paddle up once and it goes right in. I had the misconception that they don't work well with jakes too. This one works just fine when I'm using my jakes. On cruise control, if it downshifts from 10th to 9th it don't hop out of cruise. It just keeps turning and burning and when time comes to go back into 10th it just does it, never coming out of cruise control. Its definately a lazy person's truck but I been doing this long enough I think I deserve a break from the knee pain of a traffic jam. Thinking about buying this truck from the company and I'll probably convert it over to a manual 13 speed eventually but for now it does just fine. Just my humble comments and opinions....
     
  4. Quickfarms

    Quickfarms Heavy Load Member

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    It is a personal choice but in the city the auto shift is easier
     
  5. Scania man

    Scania man Road Train Member

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    Aahh just push the lever 1 notch into neutral , Then back to drive when u want them to roll again, what's the difference? Just less effort, a good auto is as easy if not easier than a manual on ice, provided you know how to drive it! Drove them in Sweden in -30 c on untreated ice covered roads ,absolutely no problem at all.
     
    Dan.S and striker Thank this.
  6. TULY007

    TULY007 Light Load Member

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    All these comments about knee pain when driving/shifting are unbelivable for me...
    1 st when into traffic..take it easy and change ur driving style,keep more distance in front, u won't go nowhere/advance any faster by accelerating to close the gap in front....cars will go into the gap for a minute and move out in the next gap/line any way... so you'll keep the blood pressure down and live longer....ur clutch will last over 1 milion...mine is over and counting, ... LEARN TO FLOAT SHIFTING.. DID IT SINCE DAY ONE I BOUGHT A used truck 527000 miles,13 OD MANUAL..... 9 years ago...clutch changed and trans box work done needed B4 putting it to work....(((((WERE BOTH DONE)))) at those miles......US DRIVING STYLE...... I've been driving here in US 10 years ((9 as owner)) 1 538 000 miles on the same truck now and couting with nothing done to engine,trans,rears untouched since got it and job done to it....NO KNEE PAIN cause i float,keep space in front on backups and go LOW,1ST,2ND if needed by the time got at the point to stop and start over line'll move most of the time.........so on

    If u were in europe with mandatory cluch push to shift than yes.....but here u have an option......FLOAT......LEARN IT.......to do it right


    Change ur head..... sorry...... but the racing style,keep pace with cars into a back up, it's laughable,....stay calm on the next back up and look alround what others do, pull the sun visor down and open the mirror and you'll remember this post....

    SOMEDAY when i'll go for the next truck i might go with ultra plus 13, or auto of some sort, because of my wife's ((team dr))desire but..till now manual was good

    HOpe nobody mad at me.....life is short,heart only one.
     
  7. Bob The Dinosaur

    Bob The Dinosaur Light Load Member

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    I am going to have to agree with war games on this one, manual takes advantage on the ice been there done that got the t shirt. I have taken final paychecks before to avoid driving one of the computerized contraptions...
     
  8. ColoradoGreen

    ColoradoGreen Heavy Load Member

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    Just imagine if some of these folks ever had to drive a 5x4...
     
  9. striker

    striker Road Train Member

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    and yet I've never wrecked while driving an auto or an autoshift on ice, guess that makes me better than you, come to think of it, not a single one of our 15 autoshifts have been wrecked driving on snow or ice.
     
  10. Scania man

    Scania man Road Train Member

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    Yup I agree, never had a problem either, different technique alright, any driver worth his salt would know what he wants the truck to do and figure out how to achieve it, there are absolutely no control issues if you know what you're doing!
     
  11. Bob The Dinosaur

    Bob The Dinosaur Light Load Member

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    holdenville oklahoma
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    Striker I wont enter into dick measuring contest with you it isn't worth my time and two different drivers. Anyway how are you scania been awhile, looked at a Pete today with the stick missing, though still a little Leary. I still refuse change my ways despite technology and good reason, for good or bad so be it....
     
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