Are manuals basically going away for the automatics?

But what about a Manual for the Manual?

 

Running that manual will eventually become automatic.

 

Actually its the complete opposite. Most companies that run automatics are switching back to manuals. The automatics are just too costly to maintain and too much can go wrong with them. Also not all mechanics have the know how or are certified to work on them, so they must be brought to where the mechanics know what they are doing.

US Express once had the entire fleet comprised of automatics and now they are slowly replacing them all with manuals.

 

I think the automatics are here to stay. But I think they've got a long ways to go before they'll replace manuals in any kind of sitework, vocational, or heavy haul applications. Yes, I know there are vocational trucks with the Allison transmissions, but they're less-than-ideal, and there's a lot of vocational truck owners who aren't willing to give up their manuals for them.

 

I went to rdtc 5 years ago, They will have you double clutch, every gear, every time. They will not let you float gears at all. They want to teach you to drive the correct way first, you can figure out how to float on your own.

 

The first 10 years that Automatics were available on half ton pickups, they couldnt give them away. Nobody in their right mind would put an automatic in a half or 3/4 ton pickup. Today its rare to find one with a manual transmission.
So I would guess that as technology improves in the next few years we could see a manual 9/13/18 speed being a special order option that you have to pay extra for.

 

I have never been in a truck, new or old, that did not have a trailer brake handle. I would have to say the only bigger brain fart than being in the wrong gear before heading down a mountain would be to try to downshift when you realize it. in most cases the speed limit for your weight is posted at the top of the hill, and if you select the appropriate gear to maintain that speed you typically wont have a problem.

 

I pretty much switch back and forth between manual and autos every day. It's rare for me to drive the same type two days in a row. I like both and would be fine being stuck with either. I've yet to find a situation where I wished I had one over the other.

 

The truck I own now doesn't have a trailer brake handle. I test drove a new one yesterday that also didn't have one. I never meant that as a recomendation was only pointing out what an auto shift will do that most drivers cannot safely accomplish on there own so for all the newbies out there with a manual transmission or an auto if you find yourself in such a situation just stop and start over, its the safe thing to do. Also dont believe the guy who says most hills have a sign posting for a speed limit based on wieght. This is true on a few hills along the east cost, but most hills will simply have a truck speed limit sign and quite a few don't even have that. Mount Eagle is an example of one with a wieght based speed limit. Donner Pass, Cajon pass and the grapevine are all examples of hills that only have a truck speed limit on the, those are all out west. Examples of ones with only a speed limit on the east coast are Cumberland, Jelico and Fancy Gap.

 

I'd agree that more only have a truck speed limit rather than weight specific limits. You know when you're coming up on a huge grade though. They don't just come out of nowhere. I would lean towards the majority of drivers going down a grade in the wrong gear did so knowingly rather than, "Oh, this is something I should of downshifted for." Too many drivers think a downgrade is the place to make up speed. If you can't pay attention enough to catch the normally multiple signs coming up to one you shouldn't be driving.

Using your examples, you can't come up on Donner, Cajon or the Grapevine and not know what's coming. Plus, Cajon and Grapevine have such low speed limits at the steep grade there's not much to worry about if you choose a gear that holds you at that speed.