need advice on backing a freightliner automatic

To stop the beeping, shut the key off and sit for a minute or two. The computer needs to reset itself. You have to feather the accelerator. Its a touchy feely thing that you have to get use to. Hope this helps. Good luck LJimenez!

 

All I am able to add to the above posting is that when I had a semi-automatic (since you have a clutch) is that if I backed up too fast and hit the dock hard, the transmission locked in reverse. Shutting down the truck and waiting 10 MINUTES reset the computer.

Now that WAS a few years ago, maybe todays semi-automatics don't do that. But if yours does, be prepared to sit a few minutes.

So YES, you really have to feather the gas AND the clutch..!!

 

OK, here is what is going on, CA stands for "Clutch Abuse" (just in case anyone was wondering) if it's an Ultrashift, and not an Ultrashift plus, it has a centrifugal clutch in it that requires a certain RPM to engage, that's why they are so jerky.

Usually when backing up light, or level it's never an issue, but when loaded heavy, backing up an incline, or over deep ruts and creeping you need to put the tranny in LOW Reverse, put trans in REVERSE on selector AND then push paddle DOWN to select LOW REVERSE.

IF you are already doing this then you are just up against the consequences of having a centrifugal clutch, try getting lined up better, so you can get a bit more speed ( I know it sucks some times).

IF you are NOT pushing Paddle DOWN and just in reverse backing up, you are actually in HIGH Reverse, you would be surprised how many drivers AND tech's that don't know this.

I should add that some of the later US have R1 preselected and you have to PULL paddle up to get into R2, but I have seen some that are always in R2 unless you select R1, your dash display should tell you R1, or R2, it just all depends on the year model and how it is programed.

Hope this helps?

 

Yeah, you have later one, must be a 2010 or newer? That's how my Cassie's are, I hate to tell you this but there isn't much else you can do to "trick" the truck/trans into working better, one foot on throttle and one on the brake just confuses the hell out of it.

It's down to you just getting more used to the engagement rpm and applying or lifting throttle to compensate, you will get better at it, but I WILL admit, the first couple of times I back under a trailer I had to look to make sure I didn't knock the Kingpin off!

The only issues I have is on occasion when you are backing up hill and around a corner, so you are slow, and leveraged uphill against the truck, the bright side is, IT WILL make you better at setting up for your back?

Stan

 

Your more than welcome, and good luck with it, BTW, just so you know the newer Ultrashift Pluses don't have this problem, (at least not nearly as much) as they did away with the centrifugal clutch and went to an air setup, much like the old Freedomlines, much smoother setup.