Automatic trucks

So do I...

Winding the RPM is usually just a waste of fuel...Stay in the torque band and it'll pull and save fuel at the same time.

 

Winding the RPM is usually just a waste of fuel...Stay in the torque band and it'll pull and save fuel at the same time.[/QUOTE]

Also, if you shift too low in the rpm range it will lower your fuel mileage and is extremely bad on a diesel engine.

 

Why would anybody want an automatic anything? I learned to drive in my dads 1965 Chevy 3 speed pick up and every 4 wheeler I have owned except for 1 (which I only owned for 3 months) has been a manual transmission. You get more control with a manual and I can't imagine trying to negotiate a steep grade with 45,000 in the box driving an automatic truck!
Quite honestly I find automatics boring to drive.

 

How low is too low?

I run my motor from 1200 to 1700 and I get better mileage with this truck than almost anyone else I know with a W900L and I have 1.5 million miles on it.

But the steerigwheelholders are so challenged with the holding of the steering wheel that they need full concentration just for that...They can't be bothered with all that gear shiftin' and such!

 

I do that in the lower gears when conditions allow to save fuel as well but you have to understand when it's appropriate and when you need to get the rev's up.

 

US Xpress, and Interstate Distributor takes some. At least Interstate did about 3 years ago. They have a terminal in Lebanon, Tn and US Xpress is in Chatanooga, Tn

 

guess you need to go back to driving school, I do 6% and 7% grades (Vail Pass, Eisenhower, Sherman, Floyd Hill, Genesee, Berthoud, Loveland, I-90 in Montana) grossing between 75,000 and 79,000 in an automatic truck, been doing it for 10 yrs.

 

I've driven various autos. I can't stand the ones that roll while they are in gear (free wheel). I can tolerate the others. Personally I'd rather have a 13 or 18spd. The problem is these companies rather fill seats and accommodate non-driving drivers. I used to pull 6.7 mpg average with a KW W9 (475 Cat/13spd) with no fancy super singles, auto tranny, and other BS. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not saying if your piloting a truck with an auto you can't drive. I'm saying there is really no need for autos or the other fancy crap out there.

 

Recently I've been noticing a lot of drivers who are looking straight ahead, never move their head, and are white knuckling the steering wheel, often with it very near their face. I have nothing to say when I glance over while i'm passing one, and notice this, except for..."Steering wheel holder!"

I've never had a manual car because they're uncommon in michigan. Where i live, it's pretty much put in a car when the original owner was too cheap to get an auto. I noticed theyre a lot more common in 4 wheelers in very hilly states. Gee, wonder why?

I'm gonna be putting a manual conversion in my car soon....rear wheel drive, easy deal...pop one out pop one in. All the holes are already cut out from the factory.

Anyway, I guess you've never seen the shifter they use on these auto trucks. You can manually shift it into any gear you want, which is how you deal with mountains. Kind of defeats the purpose though. On a freightliner, you pull the steering wheel mounted shifter up to upshift, and down to downshift, and the manual or automatic setting is a slider switch on the top of it. Some trucks have what looks like a floor shifter from a car stuck in the cup holder though, haha..