Manual vs Autoshift and Surge

I haven't driven the Prostar, but did drive a Freightliner and Volvo with automatics. Hated the Freightliner because the transmission seemed to get confused as to what gear to be in during surges. The Volvo had a Volvo engine married to a Volvo automatic transmission & it was the most relaxed,comfortable driving I have ever done. Drove the Volvo 48 states & Canada with no problems at all with surges, in all terrain & weather.

 

More than likely it won't be. Will have Eaton. If old and is Autoshift w/clutch may be ok. I am going back and forth now with 2012'Volvo and 2011' Cascadia. Volvo 12 spd is far superior to 10 Ultrashift in Shaker. Neither one has much to do with surge. That's on you and your driving habits. Ultrashift is OK but can be annoying in reverse. Both will get the job done. Our 2013 Volvos are much more refined. Skip shift when empty or bobtailing. May take off in 2nd=jump to5th-8th-11 in a few hundred feet. Have Blue Tooth on wheel. Take some getting used to after 15 months in a 379EH. But really good for maneuvering around DFW.

 

I can't give you any personal experience but I can tell you that around here of the three major fuel haulers, one has replaced their whole fleet with Pinnacles with M-drive (Mack Programming on an I-shift) and another has recently received a few units likely to test out. The third is running Western Stars. Not sure of the transmission in them though.

 

I am running a Mack M-Drive. I got them to put the easy shift option into the transmission computer and with that there is next to no surge at all between gears. I am very satisfied with that set up after thinking it wouldn't be any good.

 

Hope that international prostar not have a maxforce engine. If does just push it off cliff. I drove volvo with 10 speed ato shift am d like op said smooth ride and shifting. Only this that is problem is backing an auto. Not like car when put in reverse and you start moving. Had to press gas pendel and break to control speed. I used hand break but a lot times seemed to hit dock hard.

 

The company I work for is dropping all auto shifts. Nothing but problems. Sure they work great while new, but get a couple hundred K on them and watch what happens. The surge kills them.
A manuel shift is a lot easier to run.

 

I've driven trucks with Alison transmissions . They have been making truck transmissions for over 40 years. And never had any problems with any surge, or anything.. But they do need some maintenance , like anything else. But they are expensive.