Bad news for manual lovers

Though I'm a fan of autoshift transmissions, this isn't necessarily true. A skilled driver with a manual transmission can anticipate grades and other factors that an automated transmission can't and can outperform the auto. If you have a giant fleet with thousands of trucks you would most likely see great mpg benefit as an average with the auto but for a single truck guy that knows how to drive its probably a wash or a slight decline.

Anyway, I'm getting out of this thread after this response. I'm afraid if I advocate for the I shift or new Eaton 12 automated I'll be labeled a yellow bellied, no good, mom and apple pie hatin, commie sympathizing, un-American sissy boy for life. Not that I really care much but you won't convince anyone on an internet forum anyway so it's a waste. My laundry is done anyway and I have to go shift some gears (unfortunately!) and pick up my load.

 

My friend has two cascadias and they get horrible mileage,never seen over 5 mpg.and they're always in the shop he can't believe his old Pete and w9 do better and actually have power under the hood.

 

Shhhhh, don't tell them that. To a lot of these guys being able to shift a manual is the only skill they got. Next they'll be telling us you're not a real trucker if you drive a day cab.

 

Well its a better skill than pushing a button.

 

Not true. That is a sales pitch only. A manual is much more efficient in the hands of a skilled driver.

The auto's only claim to efficiency is valid only in a fleet full of poor drivers. If you use the automated manual you can factor out the poor gas milage of your crappy drivers and thus increase the fleets fuel economy. It is not that the automatic is more fuel efficient in itself; it is less fuel efficient.

 

You should be able to drive a manual regardless of what you drive. This thread suggests that by these mega companies going to all autos, there is no need to be bothered by learning how to drive a manual. That's ignorant. So is the claim that auto are more efficient and millions will be saved.
I won't even touch the claim that the entire industry save a few O/Os are going to follows swift's infinite wisdom.

 

I think it is true. Talk to actual Cascadia Evolution owners on this forum. They all report excellent fuel economy.

 

I agree. Nowhere have I ever stated that drivers shouldn't learn to drive a manual. I drove manuals for 7+ years of my trucking career. I recently was given an auto which I'm quite fond of. If that makes me less of a trucker than someone driving a manual their entire career, so be it. My freight still gets to it's destination.

 

Read the sales literature; the efficiency claim is fleet based like I said.

I have driven Crapcadia Evolutions. Both auto and manual and efficiency is like I said.

I really hate getting in fuel economy pissing matches with guys. How fuel economy comes out varies on so many different factors and the numbers you get on the dash gauge or qualcom are wrong. They are optimistic estimates. As such, some supertrucker gets his feelings hurt when I tell them that. Usually, the supertrucker is not smart enough to figure out his real milage figures and so stuck on himself that he feels his supertruck must get 12mpg because he is so much better then everyone else. Those guys are better off with automatics.

 

Actually I like the idea that this new breed of driver won't know how to drive a manual transmission truck. If their aspirations go no higher than being a driver for a low paying mega n00b carrier, who am I to argue.