gears

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An auto is just a manual with a electronic, air assisted shifter attached to it. Same tranny. Same gears. I have a 12 speed meritor in my truck. Auto.

 

Autos can have 10, 13 or even 18 gears. Why would you think an auto just has one. Ishift has 11. There are quite a few different auto configs...none of which only have 1 gear.

 

Lots of Threads already on this subject.

Current Company I drive for has 10spd Manuals.
I have driven 2 Autoshift Trucks didn't like either of them.

 

I like my Eaton 10 speed auto. Especially in stop and go traffic. Whoever told the OP that autos only have one gear needs not give advice.

 

This may be a dumb question, but I don't know much about heavy duty trucks- my training is in automobiles/ light duty trucks. Do different make tractors/trucks (Volvo, Kenworth, Freightliner, etc.) all have their own model/ brand transmissions, or do some of these trucks share common transmissions and/ or engines?

 

Volvo and Mack make their own engines and transmissions. Paccar (Kenworth/Peterbilt) makes its own MX engine (based off of their European subsidiary DAF), and Freightliner is part of Daimler AG which owns Detroit Diesel so I guess in a way it's their own engine, lol.

 

Autos can be a good thing for those that like them, or even for me in the right situation. I'm stuck in the dinosaur age with 2 manual transmissions in one truck but hey at least one is air shifted.

 

Packrat is right about all the "own engines". Volvo makes and Ishift trans you can only get on volvo. Detroit makes a detroit trans you can only get on Freghtliner or western star. Easton trans and cummins motors can be speced on almost any truck.