Why Not Automatic?!

That makes no sense whatsoever.. Reverse is reverse on any transmission.. Autos do not have some way of shifting into gears that are not there.

 

You've never driven one of those autos if it doesn't make sense to you

 

take time to get use to it i hate to backup a 34` trailer with those auto trucks.

sometime feel like push fuel pedal all the way down when you not is the best i can explain how feel to me .

 

I can also say this truck can be pretty jerky when backing up.
Backing under a trailer, I swear it feels like one of these days I'm gonna break a Kingpin off.

 

I have driven all sorts of things over the years and am currently working in a fleet that runs all autos..(but the sub trucks are not of course) Reverse is reverse is reverse.. I don't even know why you'd feel any difference at all. Either the clutch is out and your in reverse or you're not.

 

The difference I noticed is the tendancy of autos to accelerate in reverse... I pretty much idle back and just feather the clutch to controlnthe speed, where as with an automatic it was having to use the break and as it is released the truck seems to accelerate.

Now it has been 28 years since I drove an automatic and I assume they have improved some, but that complaint still seems to be out there.

 

really? than how the hell have I managed to drive 2 different autoshift equipped trucks for 12 yrs and 1.4 million combined miles. Eaton/Fuller will sell you an autoshift all day long and back it with a warranty, heck if you want they will put it behind a 600hp engine.

 

I disagree completely with your comments. All I drive is an Autoshift, if I have to hop in our manual freighshaker it's not a problem, generally what takes me the longest is remebering the gear pattern, and even then I've got it back mastered before I leave the yard. Last time I drove it, earlier this year, was the first time I had driven it in 3 yrs, just like sex (which it feels like it's been 3 yrs), I had it down before I drove the 100 yds to hook to the load.

 

and after 12 yrs and 1.4 million miles running 80% in Colorado, rain, snow, ice, sleet, mtn's, flats, etc., etc., etc., I can categorically say you don't know what your talking about. If you kow what your doing you can rock an auto or an autoshift, in fact the my old truck I got it stuck twice trying to cross an unplowed section of track at the intermodal ramp. Took me 3 or 4 tries between Hi Reverse and 2 nd gear with the power divider locked in to get it rolling.

I run the Rockies year round, all kinds of weights and all kinds of road conditions, only once has my autoshift let me down on icy roads and that was my fault, I had it in Manual mode and lost too much speed. By the time I realized it, I was screwed.

Since my company only runs autoshifts (11 trucks) and all have at least 400K miles and are driven in all kinds of weather, IIRC, the last time one got stuck in the snow, it was following back to back 3' dumps from blizzards.

 

I drive an autoshift and I've driven a Mack M-drive auto. Never once had the problem the truck accelerating in reverse unless my foot was on the throttle. Even so, it's common sense I cover the brake pedal with my foot while backing, can't recall the last time I slammed a dock that was the trucks fault, my fault for not paying attention, last Friday.