Manual trucks?

Manuals are not more economical. Automatics shift at optimum speeds for fuel efficiency. There is a reason 95% of trucks today come with them. If they burned more fuel they wouldn't be that popular.

They aren't true automatics. They are automatically shifted manual transmissions.

 

Does that economy include the cost of when some sensor or switch fails and the truck has 1500 tow bill and a 1200 repair bill plus down time ? And that happens 4 times in the life span of the truck ? That pretty well eats up the fuel savings they claim to have
If the correct driver is in the seat of a truck with a manual transmission I don’t think there would be much noticeable fuel savings vs a steering wheel holder with a automatic

 

Automated manuals are probably more economical to a fleet with a lease. I'd bet good money that over a lifetime they cost more in repairs/downtime.

 

I've worked for many companies that had autos and never heard of a single problem with any of them. (I'm sure they did, but when I'd talk to the mechanics in the shop, the transmission was the last thing they would ##### about). Going back to the first ones that were a bit clunky around 2017. The fuel savings at 4 dollars a gallon add up quick. My DD15 in my Plasticadia MAYBE got 7.5 mpg lightly loaded with the manual. My 860 with the 12.8 auto gets 11.8 with a lightly loaded trailer, fully loaded 9.X.

 

I had the unfortunate displeasure of running a truck with the early auto shift transmission, the ones that still had a clutch pedal. That was, and still is, by far the biggest piece of junk I've ever dealt with.

Oh the recruiter at that job almost got clobbered by me after sitting in traffic on the Cross Bronx (non) Expressway one day. You couldn't just coast the truck ahead and slide it into gear like a manual. No no! When traffic pulls ahead a car length, you're forced to push the clutch through the firewall, wait until everything stops and then it MIGHT think about going into gear. By then 2000 angry New Yorkers are ready to drag out the gallows and hang you right there on the freeway, and leave your corpse for the pigeons.
Either that or the hole created by the moving traffic has been filled by cabbies.

But not to worry said the recruiter, these auto shift transmissions are wonderful in traffic! All I know is by the time I made it through there my left leg was hurting so bad and the muscle spasms were actually funny..

I'm sure the technology has improved drastically since then, and as I'm getting a bit older, I kind of would like to try the latest and greatest. But I still have the vision in my head of that day that I wanted to drive that POS into a bridge abutment.

Oh and the fuel mileage was terrible in that truck.

 

IDK I’ve seen a couple that had to be towed because of trans issues We all have our own opinions They seem to been the up and coming trend I get it especially after watching the newer class of tongue chewing steering wheel holders we seem to be over run with

 

Has nothing to do with the class of driver, but the price of diesel.

I've been driving for many years, 1 year with a manual, the rest with autos and I've only needed a tow twice, in 2 days, same truck, because of a fuel pump and then a blown fuel line. Nothing to do with the transmission. I've put many miles on autos and while they sometimes might shift wonky, never been an issue.

I've also never talked to a driver who had a single issue with any automatic they drove. The drivetrain in my 860 is by far the smoothest I've ever driven. Drives more like a big SUV than an 18 wheeler.

 

When they first came out, I had one and was in VA and it locked up on me at the end of an off ramp. It was a Saturday and after waiting for somebody to show up (like the company told me they would) after 6hrs of waiting, I finally unhooked the battery for a couple minutes and then rebooked back up and it would move then, so went to the truck stop. It was never worked on after that either, even though I reported it to the shop when I came into the terminal. Their deal was they were always so busy "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" lol

 

I guess you don’t read some of the threads here about people having issues
Everybody is entitled to their own opinion I say some of the demand has to do with the lack of quality drivers it’s not completely about fuel economy that my opinion and I stand by it
Obviously you think their the grease thing since sliced bread being how that’s all you have driven for many years

 

Mine are manuals. 10 speeds.

Until I saw this thread we didn't know there was moar than one kind.