Did freightliner intentionally set out to make a crappy automatic transmission?

Manually downshift to a lower gear when it struggles through a corner like you are experiencing. I know it will up shift again, but if the engine is under heavy load it will hold the lower selected gear for longer than usual. That is if it's working properly.

 

Maybe something is turned off in the programing. My DT-12 will adapt to the weight and hill. On a big hill it won't downshift until it reaches 1600 RPMs. In low gear it will turn on the engine brake between gears so it does not miss the lower gear when downshifting. I have 2017 and DD13 engine.

I've pulled into loves truck stop with huge uphill in the driveway. It will go to 1700 rpm and not shift going up the driveway because it so steep. Then at top it will shift like normal again. That's pulling van with 44,500 in the trailer.

 

When I'm driving around the truck stop 1-4 gear it shifts at low RPMs and if you listen you can hear the engine bake coming on to slow the engine so it can grab the next gear.

If I'm at stop light and put it to the floor second gear will go to 1700 rpm then to grab the next gear it also turned on engine brake to slow the engine down. Then still have pedal to the floor. It will shift 4-12 gears at only 1400rpm or the lowest it can and still get the next gear.

My truck has the old Detroit Diesel Optimized idle system. It can even to a parked regeneration automatically if o turn on the Idle Management/Optimized idle system.

 

None taken...I live by KISS rule too...after years in IT programming and getting burnt out

Cold engines dont like EB?...or EB delays the motor from reaching optimum operating temp sooner?

The cascadia EB is kinda quiet. It's not "full blown, look-at-me, jake-ing ballz-out" like them old school petes

For the 1st time, You are incorrect (see? I did not say you are wrong)

I believe that the engineers had a reason to allow 30mph cruise. I use it to moderate truck speed in country roads, not in-town. Also, my foot never leaves the "ready" position wrt to braking

LOL...point taken

 

I can accept corrections believe it or not when I am wrong. No worries.

Have a great day be safe out there.

 

Wow after 57 posts, the one thing that the op didn't mention is if he told someone above him, like a drivers manager that the truck seems to be a problem.

Not to be mean or nasty, this isn't an issue of the truck, it is an issue with the company and if the truck doesn't work right then find out how to change it instead of assuming it can't be.

 

I know this has been touched on a little, but I would like to expand on it; unfortunately, it seems trucks are being built with the all too easy ability for companies to "customize" engine and transmission performance. And unfortunately, a lot of companies are getting their trucks spec'd by bean counters and what I call "cubicle dwellers" instead of anyone who has ever seen the underside of a truck hood.

A perfect example is Penske. Like many smaller fleets, we lease through them. It's actually a pretty good deal for us. The downside is that Penske has penchant for dialing back the power in their trucks, and with the automatics, it compounds the problem. I happen to like my DT12, however I'm not a big fan of Penske dialing a motor that is capable of 505 hp (DD13) down to 350 hp, which is where our trucks are set. However, in our case they were smart enough to leave all of the DT12 features operational. From what I can gather, some companies are limiting their drivers' ability to use those features by disabling the manual modes, whether those trucks are company owned or leased. That is the problem. The transmission itself is fully capable of handling a full load, assuming the parameters of both the engine and tranny are not restricted so much.

We have asked Penske to change certain parameters at various times; some they have complied with, others they are resistant. We were able to get them to drop the RPMs before the engine brake peters out on our older manual trucks (which we just recently traded in); before, they had the engine brakes cut out below 35 mph. A couple of us drivers made our appeal to our management, who then went to Penske. Per our request, Penske changed the parameters so that we could keep the engine brake on all the way down to about 10 mph.

If they get enough drivers to start complaining, maybe they'll listen, maybe not.