Automatic transmission

in time, many things get better (with age), like a fine wine.

however, if todays newbies or school students are hell bent on automatics, they can have at it, cuz they just ain't the same trucker as many of us were.

they all want gizmo's, that are NOT as dependable as they think they are, like the stupid GPS.....

LEARN how to read an atlas, LEARN how to make a proper polite phone call to the customer, LEARN how to take directions, and READ those directions verbatim.

frankly i do not see a wave or rash of 100% automatics/automated transmissions.....there will always be sticks.

and those foolish "steering wheel holders" had better know how to drive one, and NOT get the auto only restriction.

 

I honestly don't even care about automated vs manual, or even how fast it runs uphill... as long as the stupid thing will stay out of the shop, none of the other crap even matters. I don't even care that much about governed speed (within reason... 55 is a bit much) This truck I am in now, I usually sit at 68mph when I can. My moving average over a month, almost no matter what, is always 58. When I had a truck that would run 85 (if I wanted to waste the money) My moving average was always about 59 or so. The only thing that higher speed gets is faster tire wear, crappy fuel econ, and a wider spread between your top speed and average speed. Everything else is just noise.

 

All the time until someone would give me the keys and let me sleep while doing it. Brother cmon, driving is easy af, maneuvering is the skill

 

sooner or later, that thing will crap out, all electronically controlled things crap out. thing here is what does the mechanic do? he starts replacing parts, cuz he can't diagnose the problem, especially when a scanner gives him like 10 different codes.

then comes the replacement parts, costs.....

as well as the labor time for diagnostics and removal/replacement time.

it ain't gonna be a free ride for the companies that have several in thier fleets, and they all break down with in a window of time from each other.

the smart(??) o/o that buys such an equipped rig, might want to consider an extended warranty as well.

 

Yes I can just imagine a student going hey what does the "D" stand for ? What does the "R" stand for.

 

All mechanical things crap out. The new trucks are no different. The only real problem on the new trucks is the emissions stuff, and that is largely not that big of a deal anymore, if you drive them right, and maintain stuff so it doesn't break down. With the money you save on fuel, you could toss a couple pennies per mile into a maintenance fund, and pay cash for a new engine if needed in just a couple years. Overall, you almost break even if nothing real stupid happens. Do you not remember having to do stuff like toss in cylinder kits every 2 or 3 years on the old engines due to fuel dilution? On the new engines, they can run 1M plus with just routine maintenance, if you treat em right

 

Driving a Pete 389 with the heavy clutch left me with a limp. It seems to be slowly getting better but sure is painful. Drove a KW stick for a year b4 that with no problems. Pete needs to do something about the awkward position of that clutch. It's the same in the 579.

 

I don't know about anyone else but I want and drive an auto because with my 65 yr old left knee I'd be done driving. Although I did learn and drove a stick for many years before I talked myself into buying an auto. Just glad I did

 

Massive improvements over the years, yes. Creep Mode is pretty good for those slow maneuvers that used to be jerky as well.

You never know. Could be sciatica. Arthritis. Or not completely stuck in the 1900s and can understand new technology and its application.

This. It adds up, and those saved dollars free up money for additional pay and benefits to the driver. Drive a hood truck to look cool. Drive an automated aero truck to profit.

I think that applies more to the emergence of the solar-powered drivers over the past 20 years.

On this point, I will concede that all drivers should learn and test on a manual. Why? It engrains one trait in their head: Brake early to have time to shift before the curve/ramp/obstacle/intersection/whatever. too many auto-only licenses waiting until the last minute to apply the brakes cause more tire wear, brake wear, and is just plain unsafe (like when that 4-wheeler takes the space you were planning to use to stop, now what?).

Volvo i-shift with the D13 can do it as well.

As I said in the first response. Nobody know why someone prefers an auto, it doesn't make them less of a driver at all. After 25 years in trucks of all kinds, my knees much prefer the auto for spending a day in traffic.

 

Your signature line says you retired in 2019, so almost 4 years removed from the current generations of auto transmissions. If I were buying a new truck in 2019 I wouldn’t have considered an auto. But I got one in the 2022 I have now and honestly I couldn’t care less if I ever have to shift a manual transmission again. With creep mode and urge to move this thing is a breeze to drive. Call me whatever names that help you sleep at night because I’m not a “real” trucker, but you’re simply speaking about things that you don’t have knowledge of. No matter how tightly some choose to hang on, the old days aren’t coming back.

 

1 week should be good to go. Hammer downnnn