Bad news for manual lovers

The truth hurts, doesn't it?

 

Your going to keep pushing this agenda huh?

 

5 years from now, there will be few if any automatic trucks around here hauling logs and equipment because the heavy spec new trucks aren't being built with them. It simple really, for the next 10 to 15 years the trucks running around here will have mostly 18 speed manuals. That will probably change as time goes on. The trucks wizzing past on the highway overhead don't really matter to a whole segment of the transportation industry that operates around here. I also can't wait to see a self driving truck chain up and back into a log landing. I don't think that's "backwards" or "anti" anything, I just think it would be fun to watch!

 

I'm not sure what dead batteries have to do with anything. Yes I understand that the fuel pump requires voltage (we have a 2008 that will crank fine but will not fire....IIRC it wants 12V). There are reasons other than dead batteries why you might want to pull start a truck..

 

Did you ask him how much experience he had? Must have been 2nd career guy.

How do you you know who is leaving that crap? I disagree that it's the old timers. I saw a kid pull into the Flying J in front of my parking spot yesterday. As soon as he set his brakes he rolled down his pass window and heaved a half empty 44 oz soda cup out of the window. Funny thing was another truck from the same company was just pulling into that spot and it hit the windshield. The cup stayed in the ground. These guys were early 20's.

You should be. There is a big difference between "learning how to shift" and learning how to to shift so well that a passenger could close their eyes and not tell if it's an auto or manual. It sounds like that is something you will never know.

Not many folks will disagree with that. Almost all the "manual lovers" are saying that there is no reason to have an auto in an OTR application. However, I can shift my 13 in traffic just like an auto. Piece of cake. You just need more practice.

FACT: disadvantages of auto's outweigh the advantages in OTR applications.

 

I don't need more practice, I can shift just fine. It doesn't mean that I enjoy holding a foot on the clutch, only coming off to move 10 feet at a time every few minutes. Why work harder for no reason? I promise, nobody in the world cares about your shifting.

Going uphill? It's not hard for an auto to drop a gear. If you're going downhill, I'm not sure how they work, but they clearly do. Driving through Nebraska? Well, you're probably just staying in one gear for almost the entire stretch of road, so what's the difference in how you got to that gear?

I'll always prefer manual, because that's just what I drive, from my car to my truck, but in traffic, an auto has to be priceless, and OTR, when I was doing that and was in 10th with my cruise on, I never thought "at least I'm not driving auto".

And yeah, driverless trucks are coming, and they're probably smarter than 90% of the drivers out there in the trucks now.

 

It may happen....someday..but I'm thinking that even the youngest driver on the forum today won't see the driver-less truck come to fruition. Way too many changes in infrastructure have to be made and placed into the mix....besides the technology isn't really "road ready" quite yet...not saying it won't happen , but it will be for another generation to deal with. even the 20 something's getting started today won't see it I'm thinking....

 

& so ends the era of professional drivers. Ok usually I wouldn't question a driver on their skills but w/ 1 year of trucking under your belt you want ppl to believe your a top hand. There are tyrannies you never heard of no less driven. Specific driving jobs with skill & knowledge green drivers have no idea what to do. Interstate semi driving is the beginning of a droving career. No offense to those drivers doing this. It's just the cold hard facts. As they say in the woods. Once you've drove a logger the rest of it's easy. Imo yours may vary.

 

What does that have to do with ANYTHING though? Yeah, put me in an 18 speed and I'm going to drive terribly. Put me in my truck that I drive every single day and I'm going to drive very smoothly. Your point is???????????????????

And I don't stick to interstates. Most of my driving is city driving. And I shift fine. But then rush hour hits, I'm not driving, I'm holding a clutch.

In very hilly areas, yeah, you'll have a point. But driving in NJ, the only difference between a manual and automatic is being able to say "I drive stick"