Automatic for tanker?

I hauled milk with one recently. To be honest, I liked it. For OTR you really wouldnt see much of a change from a manual. But city or heavy traffic light what I deal with everyday, it actually made my job alot more enjoyable.

But I had alot less control over my surge and I absolutely hated started and stopping. Even in manual mode it still takes control of the bottom few gears when you get below 5 or so mph. So if you're coasting up to light or getting ready to turn, it can hunt for gears for a few seconds and its irritating. Going in reverse is a different item as well. You cant feather the clutch to ease it back. The bays I back into every day have a bump to let you know where your axle is. All the guys that go past it and end up over the curb behind it are always in automatics

 

I drove a Volvo when I worked for FedEx, and I really liked their I-shift. Even maneuvering or hooking doubles it was very nice.
I now drive a Peterbilt. I hate that autoshift trans so much I'm considering buying my own truck just to get away from it. Trying to back it into any position to unload is a real PITA!!! It won't coast, you have to be on the throttle, then it gets going too fast and when you back off it stops. As stated, you can't control the surge, I think it actually makes it worse. It always wants to be in as high a gear as possible, great for mileage, sucks for hill climbing! Going uphill it starts upshifting then dropping back down when it can't pull the higher gear. And yeah, if you don't completely stop at a light or something, it hunts for the gear, while you're trying to get moving. It shifts very hard, front of the truck jumps, makes you look like a noob that can't shift. Mechanic told me the driveshafts are much heavier than they used to be due to the shockloads, and they replace a lot of u-joints.
I don't know anything about Freightliners auto's.

 

As long as the tank has baffles you're golden. I drove a Mack with 10 spd auto once. No baffling. If it did shift right you thought you got rear ended by a freight train.

 

At Quality Carriers I drove a Mack with the m12 auto for a year and truth be told I loved it. It was real nice in this Chicago traffic. Using reverse took some getting used to.

 

the future?? what happens in the future? people become completely retarded and cant drive manual?

 

My biggest problem has already been stated. If you're really sloshy with the thin stuff, the trans can't seem to decide what gear it wants to be in. Constant shifting or, it just gets stuck between gears for lack of better term. I leave it in power mode or manual and keep the hill start assist off. It is so much smoother that way. Economy mode is useless for stop and go traffic. Leaving the jake off helps too. Im in a Volvo BTW

 

I was driving a 2016 Mack with a 6 speed stick. Shifted like butter, I could control the surge real easy.
The autos will beat you to death.

 

Both Volvo & Mack can b programmed for tankers. I'm not exactly sure what changes it makes, but I do know if you ask a dealer they can change the programming. I'm not sure if Freightliner offers a tanker setting or not.
Most trucks I see in tanker fleets are 450 hp.