Automatics in LTL

I agree. I think shifting is part of being "one with the machine".

 

I kinda feel the opposite.

Pulling out into traffic just sucks when you don't know what is going to happen. I had a Freightliner shift from third to sixth as I'm trying to ease out onto a bumpy road on a bit of a grade, and there I sit as the truck tries to guess what gear to be in, when I know what I should be doing but can't. Freightliners with Detroit transmissions are the worst. Volvos seem to at least be predictable, even if they don't do what I want. At least I know what's coming.

I can also watch traffic and lights and be in the right gear for the situation, maybe lugging just a bit as I know a green light is coming, but an auto downshifts two gears to low and wastes a bunch of time catching up, so I miss the next light as it turns yellow. I know how much weight I have in the box and what I can get away with. A bunch of electronics don't know what I know.

Yeah yeah, manual mode and all that. If I have to put that much effort into it, I'd rather be grabbing a stick.

At the end of the day, it probably doesn't matter, it's just frustrating.

 

I run some pretty nasty roadways during the winter time. I mean 6% grades going over windy passes. Speed and rpm control are critical when coming down these passes when you only have 1/10 of dry roadway traction.

The idea that my truck could just randomly decide to dump or grab gears scares the crap out of me. Just making it up and down these passes can be unnerving enough without the added "help" when the truck decides my RPMs are too high/low.

I've talked to tanker operators, I was told they time their shifts based on the surge effect. When they take off, the liquid moves back, they anticipate when it comes back forward and upshift just as the liquid hits the front of the trailer to give them an added kick forward . They were also unanimous about not having an auto decide when to change gears.

If it works for you. Awesome. I get it, the whole driver fatigue thing. I don't have joint issues when shifting since I float all my gears once the truck starts moving forward. I just don't trust the truck enough to do the shifting for me.

 

all of the new trucks were getting in are autos. it has nothing to do with making training easier. we might add one guy a year as no one quits and few mess up bad enough to get fired. it's about fuel mileage and maintenance.

I do not like the automatics. they are a pain in the winter and the ones I've driven hunt for gears too much. I purposely chose an assigned truck that is older. 10 speed, pulls better and no distance alert.

 

I'm kinda in the middle here - I actually like the automatic for what I do, even though I was leary of it to begin with. HOWEVER, I wouldn't want to drive one through the hills of West Virginia when it snows.

 

Thank you. I've brought this up before, and nobody seems to get what I'm talking about. Anything that requires me to take my eyes off my surroundings, to make sure I'm pushing the right button, when I'm backing in off a busy street is bad news. A definite safety issue.

 

We have that one guy that probably will actually quit when they get rid of the last ten speed. And he is probably the one that really should be driving an auto. I had to drive his truck the other day, and it was just like every other truck he was ever assigned- clutch engaging at the very top of the pedal travel, and no clutch brake.

 

We have them at Conway/XPO as well.

 

Pretty much all the fuel haulers in my area have them including us. The only ones that don't are the small outfits that can't afford new shiny autos. Personally I love them. Can they be frustrating in certain conditions? Absolutely. Do you sometimes want to just snap the shift lever right off the steering wheel? Sure. Just the way you want to slam your manual into gear when it decides it doesn't want to grab 5th gear at the same speed/rpm it's been grabbing it perfectly for the last 6 months. You want to slam it into gear to teach that tranny a lesson! You WILL shift when I TELL you to shift tranny! Then you realize it's just a machine and doesn't care how you feel.



Anyways .... I'm all good with the autos. The newer ones are getting better and better. Yea, they have brain farts here and there. But I think once you get used to a specific automatic you can tell what causes the brain farts and figure out ways to keep it from happening. It seems more and more companies are switching to autos. Time will tell wether the initial cost will be worth the savings in fuel and maintenance. Thought from what I hear most of the autos break down way more than manuals do.



This all should be taken with a grain of salt though. I only drive in Florida where the worst thing I have to deal with is some rain drops.