How come semi-trucks don't have heavy-duty Auto transmissions?

I'm trying to decide if I want to do the 6-4 in my 359. May just go to the double 18. it's nice to seperate the boys fro the men though.

I wish I were as cool as Chief. he's got it all figured out in two years... and to think it took a whole three. I'm so uncool

 

them old 6+4 were fun....and boy you could get some of em to really run ( one i drove had a 3408 cat), easily a triple digit wrecker...trust me...lol

if you ever want to see something funny put a person behind the wheel of a three on the tree....was the best anti theft i ever had....lol

 

MedicineMan the 6x4 was a #### good trans set up but if i was gonna do a new trans set up i would definetley do a double over 18 speed, i love mine. Nothing like a old 59 with new school running gear.

 

As an English trucker,the firm I drive for has over the last thee years change all the fleet over to new Volvos with auto gearboxes that can be driven as manuels at the flick of a switchand I have to say there great in traffic and when you have to some heavy pulling just use it as a manuel box,so you have the best of both worlds,

 

I don't understand how manually shifting gears makes you more of a man or more intelligent, its not like its a real art that takes years to learn, I guess some drivers just need something to make them feel important.
I have driven both and both have their good and bad points, though I prefer the auto overall.

 

I hear Volvos new I shift is pretty good. I do not know about the freedom line or ultra shift.

Kinghunter

 

We're testing 2. The drivers have been raving about them.

 

Autos are fine in traffic, they suck on extreme grades.

I'll stick with my manual, it doesn't make me a better man. It merely insures that I'm in the correct gear ALL the time, and shifting at the correct point ALL the time.

OH, and I don't lose 2-4 mph between shifts. Of course, that may have changed since I drove an auto.

 

Seems to me that most of you are missing the important point here. If you are driving someone elses truck, or you are buying a brand new truck with full warranties and plan on getting rid of that truck before the warranties expire, then buy yourself an Autoshift trans and have a good time driving it.

But,

If you are the typical sort that we get on here who will be looking at buying a decent late model used truck and starting up as an owner operator, then avoid the Autoshift like the plague. There are several major components in that transmission that you will not have covered under warranty that will cost you many bg dollars when they fail. Just the shift mechanism that signals the truck to move from forward to reverse or any other gear position is about a 3000 dollar component and Eaton only sells complete units, not individual parts. With a standard 10 speed or 13 speed transmission, you can have a replacement trans and clutch put in for about 3000 dollars.

It's a matter of limiting your risk and the amount of money you could have to lay out for repairs. If you buy a used truck, always select components that are the least expensve to repair or replace. For the price of repairing or replacing an Autoshift, I can buy 2 regular transmissions.

And for the record, I drove Auto's for 3 years, like them, and would not buy one for myself. I don't take unneeded financial risks when I make business decisions.

 

I'd like to see some of these "truckers" 900 miles from home on a 95 degre day fighting with a twin stick mack with that little dash fan cooling there faces. Your point about the money risk on those high priced parts should hit home for the man looking to break into being an o/o with a nice used truck that may not hold up good.