Manual vs Autoshift

To each their own. I know how to shift in traffic, but prefer the automatic. Now sometimes on pulls, I'd rather have a manual. But, I can put the shifter in manual mode and shift when I want to, so it's all good. Plus I have a shoulder that has decided it needs replaced and I really don't want that surgery!! So, for me, automatic is the way to go.

 

17.5 yrs driving CMVs, 14 yrs, 1.6 million miles driving autoshifts, in the Rockies, in all weather conditions, think that makes me qualified to speak. Especially since autoshifts, not automatics are what the OP asked about.

All autoshifts have a manual mode, which pretty much negates all the gripes, complaints and whines about climbing hills or descending hills, select your gear, put the shifter in Manual or Hold, and get on down the road.

Cons: Eatons built from 1999 through 2005 are hard on shift motors. Eaton had a problem from 2002 through 2005 with the lowest common denominator, manufacturing, and poorly built shift motors that had a high failure rate, depending on the application, you might loose one every six months. The problem has long been corrected. My current tractor has 548K on it, the shift motors have been changed twice, first time at about 260K, second time around 500K.

Every so often, it develops a mind of it's own and won't shift properly, used to think it was the shift motors, turns out it's an "electronic brain fart", last time it happened, pulled to the side of the road, put it in neutral, shut the truck off. Let it sit for maybe 30 minutes (nice break time as well), fired it up, away we went, that was 3 weeks ago, and the first time it had done that in about 4 yrs.

You have to be able to drive with not only your hands and eyes, but also your brain. You have to understand that the computer isn't going to let you abuse the tranny, if you continue to fight it, it will defeat you, and you will learn to hate it. Around town, specifically on surface streets, I never use auto mode below 5th gear, loaded I always start in 1st and skip shift to 3rd, then on to 4th and 5th, then into auto mode. If you have a truck with air assist clutch, loose it, put in a manual clutch, will be much happier.

I find that in the mtn's, my autoshift is more forgiving for upshifts and downshifts, especially on roads where you are changing gears a lot, like US 550 between Durango and Ouray, you might make a hundred fifty shifts in 80 miles, imagine doing that with a manual. There are some stretches where you come out of a hairpin in 3rd, have a 2 mile straight stretch where you'll hit 7th, then you need to start downshifting for the next one. Simple push button, or leave it in auto and use the brakes. You definitely want to have good jakes in conjunction with an autoshift.

 

In an autoshift can you feather the clutch while backing just like in a manual?
I suppose you just wear out your brakes in an automatic to control backing, right?

 

Backing is how I got the 'clutch over temp' so ya you can slip it, I don't have a 3 peddle but just with a light throttle foot on soft ground I got a beep.
Never touched the brakes .
Even getting under the trailer , I never use the brakes ,just feather the throttle and she barely moves.

 

Is there actually an automatic transmission for a Semi? I thought it was an Automated manual. (Where a computer is enabling and disabling a clutch.)

 

http://www.allisontransmission.com/en-gb//transmissions/vocational-applications/tractor

Pretty impressive on soft ground.

http://youtu.be/1UuHEbHGssI