Automatic trucks??????

I drove automatic 5-ton garbage trucks for the City... They are Sterlings with the Mercedes engines.. For that type of work they worked great because it was stop,go,stop,go from house to house... It was actually fun to drive.... brake and gas only.....

Now I am back to trucking with the city driving the 18 speed.... Love it but I think with the stop and go traffic I am in ALL DAY long an automatic might be pretty sweet... I don't back in docks or anything so feathering wouldn't be an issue...

I still feel in control better with a standard transmission and it's better for the hills when I am grossing out at 130,000lb

 

let's set the record straight, are we talking autoshifts or true automatics? I've driven both, I've also driven a manual. For those that knock an autoshift, hate to tell you this, but all an autoshift is, is a manual controlled by a computer with a driver's ability to overrride the computer when needed. A true automatic is a different animal. I just spent 3 days in a full automatic truck (two pedal), took me 1/2 the day to get the hang of it, after that, no problems. Today, I ran Denver to Steamboat Springs and back, over Rabbit Ears, 78,400 lbs. Yeah, it was a little weird at first coming down Floyd, but I figured it out, by the time I was off Eisenhower I figured out it's quirks, by the time I was in Steamboat, I wasn't sold on it, but it would work if I was forced to drive it. Thankfully, I was back in my autoshift by the end of the day and all was right with the world.

 

At the school I was at they had 10 speeds and a automatic. Which had 3 pedals and you had to use the clutch when starting from a stop if that makes sense. I had so much more fun driving the manual because you really felt in control of what was going on. Of course driving the automatic was like driving a car and MUCH easier but it wasn't nearly as fun.

 

Me too. Had a bad experience back in the early days with an Allison HD 750 that had me negative til my carrier bought me an Ultra shift hooked to 515 Yamaha. What a sweetie !! All the floor room, no clutch, no stick, just hammer. Poor fuel mileage tho, stayed around 4.5.

I thought it was too hard on the brakes too. If I buy one I'll make a few changes to the specs like disc brakes, jakes and hydraulic retarders and a bigger cooler on the tranny plus more instrumentation.

Bad part was I kept forgetting to take it out of gear...... nothing happened but the potential was there.....

JMO

 

Although I've not had 23 years of big rig shifting, I did have plenty of stick time. My current truck has a 10 speed Autoshift with a clutch pedal. Took a bit to get used to, but to be honest, I really like it.
They're not for everyone, and everyone should learn to drive a stick regardless.

 

Yep, from my sources at USX, the last couple orders have been manual transmissions as the reliability issues cost more than all other positive factors for automatics. That's a bold move from a mega company that has been all autos for many years.

 

Wouldn't mind getting my hands on an air shift 4x4 or 5x4 air or stick....see if I still got it........ especially the arm through the wheel gig moving 2 sticks at once.....sucessfully....... I hope.

 

Im with you Chalupa...I started with a 4x4 spicer in a swingfender dodge ..a little time on a triplex and a quadraplex...short stint with a brownie behind a 534 gasser ....doubt if i could get one out of the parking lot nowadays...last 2 trucks i had were autoshift 10 speeds...now i have a binder with a 13 speed...kinda miss my old automatic freightshaker....