Flow Below Added

Poor conditions in the winter time are a concern, I guess we'll see.

 

Welcome to the dark side lol

I totally understand all the old iron guys and pre 99 but these new trucks are a luxury for sure. Aside from being extremely efficient.

In December of 17 when I bought my first brand new truck, I swore up and down I’ll never buy autos. Here nearly 5 yrs later I have 11 autos and that one 13 speed left that I’m in the process of selling. The drivers just love them and the resale is greater. Nobody wants a modern manual anymore.

Edit: My trucks have heated seats too haha nice to keep the arse warm on a cold day

Does that truck have any of the nanny sensors? So far I’ve been able to spec without them. That’ll be mandatory soon.

 

Yeah this one has everything but ### wiper option lol. It doesn't have the nanny sensors. I think Chris said those were mandatory on the 24's? So the bunch coming in next year will not have any of that junk but in 24 they will.

 

I heard the same. I’m still waiting for the little arm on the steering column that pleasures on command. LOL

 

I'm keeping my old truck and getting it fixed. Not sure what I'll do with it but I can't just let it go.

 

I both do and do not. In "economy" I can call for a shift, but if the truck disagrees it will shift right back. If I put it into manual mode the truck is limited to 1100 RPM on the fuel pedal. As Freightliner designed the truck, it's fine - not perfect but fine. As we're set up it causes issues, but engineers are going to engineer regardless of reality and the engineer who specs out our trucks can go to hell. Primarily because I met him in a bar by stepping between him and a woman who was trying to say no before I met him in a professional setting, but secondarily because he does math based on what makes the company the most money not what makes BOTH the company and the driver profitable.

Driving down the road I rarely have issues, but when in tighter maneuvers the devil shows up. Today I was talking my trainee through a 'whip around set up' where you HAVE to approach on the blind side but have enough space to whip around to the sight side. We were in 1st gear and he got just a little too much on the fuel and the truck kicked up into 3rd, then immediately back into 1st. Frankly driving an automatic takes more mental acuity than driving a manual once a driver understands how to clutch.

Then again my manual truck was always in the top 10% for fuel economy in my division despite 3/4 of the miles being driven by trainees, so maybe my understanding of shifting for performance and economy is better than most. Now that we're all in automated I'm still at the top of the pack, but the mongrels aren't far behind.

 

Years ago the old eaton autoshifts drivers seemed to hate those. I think they still had a clutch pedal or some BS? I never drove one. I saw drivers slamming them into docks tho. This one is not like that. Easy does it. I can't believe how far trucks have come in the near 15 or 16 years since I last had a new one.

 

Did you park your own truck and take a job somewhere? I thought you ran a flatbed under your authority or did a few years ago?

Technically I *could* drive my old 99 and get good fuel economy from it. I know I'd have to drive it similar to this newer truck, except I wouldn't lug it down as low as this modern DD. But that truck had instant power on tap at the throttle. Put you back in the seat instant boost lol. I enjoy driving a truck that powers past everything all day long and that's what my nondescript FLD did. It hurt a lot of feelings. This new truck drops down to about 63 mph from 75 on hills that my old one would maybe drop down to 73 mph with the same heavy load. But business is business and old trucks are at a huge disadvantage.