Trucking companies with 13-18 speed manual transmission trucks

How many gears you need depends a lot more on your gearing than the terrain IMO. Although I do agree that a log truck better have an 18. I know pretty many trucking companies that run exclusively 13-18 speeds, and their trucks aren’t old junk either. Just O/O specced. I drove one automated for several months, and I hated it. I would even drive a 10 speed over one of them again

 

Last couple of trucks I drove that had a 13, I drove them like a 9 speed and just split the last gear.

 

Lowly van hauler gone astray

I run a lot of mountains mostly heavy so that’s my excuse for having a 18 along with a 3:55 axle ratio. Climbing it’s nice to be able to drop in smaller increments and keep my rpm’s where I want them. Never liked a 10 speed mainly due to the shift pattern. 13 & 18 are like shifting a four speed

Yesterdays delivery in Yamhill, Oregon proved that I had the right tools for the job. Not so sure a regular fleet truck could have pulled it off.

One long climb up a gravel winding road I’m guessing was over a 10% grade and I was loaded to about 78k. Just a farm in the middle of nowhere Oregon that seriously put me in panic mode because I didn’t think I could climb it. Luckily I got it down shifted to 3L without stopping and just kept the rpm’s @ 1,500 and made it.

Farm on the top of a mountain..go figure

 

18 speed you only really need it for being 120k down the road.

You know except for construction. Most all companies are going to be autos. I talked to a representative at FL like 6 years ago. 95% of the tricks being ordered with autos. 5% where rock haulers local or guys that were going to run double drops. Construction cam drop a manual in a day or two in their yard. Fuel mileage didn't make sense to them.

 

I did drive a 15 speed?? I was in the oil field it was a 10 speed with an extra set of lows. Flip a switch and everything was further reduced. Was good for driving in wet clay. It was better than a 10 speed in the sense that 8, 9 , and 10 were evenly spaced for driving. Where a regular 10 speed they are fairly apart.

 

Owner operators leased to a Midwest flour mill. All the o/o’s leased on run 500 hp or more and manual 18’s. The company trucks run automated Mack and Volvo crap trannies. They are forever #####ing about them. Absolutely horrible on loose ground and in the snow/ice

 

yea and the lowest gear is still taller then the low hole on an 18 and a shorter OD, they went the way of the dodo for a reason

 

Lol!!! My ‘89 has a 15 in it, wasn’t at all sure about it when I bought it, but the truck was cheap. I have gotten used to it now, don’t really think about it until I am running somewhere like the PA turnpike, and have to drop whole gears on grades where 1/2 gears would work. Hate it then!