Bad news for manual lovers

Most drivers say no to automatic trans .....but yes maybe it would help a company like swift

 

I never liked the electric 6 speeds either. I would like to try a non military, modern automatic. I hope they make one that gets used regularly on heavy spec trucks that drive off road some of the time. I just think it's important to realize that there are a lot of jobs, probably a majority, that require the professional driver to use a manual transmission, and if new trucks are getting built for these purposes with a 13 or an 18, and there are plenty of 02s and 03s and up running logs around here, then we have another 1/2 a career at least before a useful driver will not need to know how to split the gears on an eaton manual.

 

Knight is putting Cascadia's and Volvo's with auto's into their fleet as well.

 

Something like this?

http://www.eaton.com/Eaton/ProductsServices/Truck/Transmissions/

 

and why should you have to??, some day automatics will be the norm in big rigs it is just a matter of enough money being tossed at them. it will be one more skill set that is not needed and allow more people to be able to drive trucks and be paid less.

kinda like power steering did.

 

Personally, I spend a lot of time in traffic every day. I'd LOVE an automatic. I can shift, but not having to deal with a clutch in stop and go traffic has to be so nice.

 

It is nice.

 

L Garrision We need more 4 X 4 s too. That would fix em. They've had automatics in heavy airplanes for years. How do you think they get off the ground?

 

Lies. Everybody knows planes have 23 speed trannies.

 

I agree, but at the same time, Driving a mixer and dump I prefer a manual. Its nice being able to pull into a muddy mess, engage my full locking rears, put the tranny in LL and just creep through whatever. Its pretty hard to get on stuck!