Schneider is going Automatic.

Ever since auto's came out people have been saying they're for the lazy and newbies.

I don't think so..every driver I've ever talked to who went auto said they would NEVER go back to jamming gears.
An auto will shift correctly EVERYTIME..hence saving fuel.
The new I-shift and DT-12 are pretty slick..coasting when the computer senses a down hill grade,hill holding and skipping the gears not needed.

I'm just keeping my eye on how they hold up.
The more electronics/computers involved the chance of something going wrong..but they are getting better.

As for people learning to drive a auto..they should learn on a manual as most companies don't run auto's.
I don't think they make you a worse driver..that all DEPENDS on the training program you go through.

Once drivers both new and old realize a truck doesn't handle like a 4 wheeler the better off we will all be.

 

What Part Timer said.

 

Mine does fine on mountains, up and down. I go down the pass in VA into NC on I-77 and barely need to use the brakes. I'm also local (Charlotte) and my left knee loves the automatic like I'm sure yours does lol.

 

I meant when upshifting. I always did when I would take a road test for a company I was applying to or at least make it look good.

 

Yup. I do LTL/local and drive a manual every day. Earlier this week...I got "stuck" in the terminals one (brand new) automatic tractor. I wasn't sure what I'd think about it, but by the end of the day...I was completely sold on in.

For dealing with traffic, it's amazing. It also cuts down on fatigue. Running a route that would normally have my left knee sore by the middle of the day (from the constant on and off of the clutch in city traffic)...there was zero pain. When I parked it at the end of the day (about 11 hours).

This is coming from a guy that's always bought manual vehicles and had no interest in automatic big rigs prior to being forced into one. I think a lot more people would like them if then gave automatics a chance.

 

I must have gotten a defective rig then, according to this thread...
I've been in a 2015 Freightliner Cascadia auto for about 4 days now, and i hate it. It's completely gutless; it wont pull hills at a decent speed, won't hold a decent speed downhill (even with a light load) and it wont accelerate worth a crap past 35mph. Even with a 10k load, the fastest i managed to merge into traffic was 50mph with a long on ramp. It will also hold gears at too high or too low of RPMs, when it could logically shift and get better fuel mileage.
The only time I've enjoyed it was in city traffic, which is about 10% of my time.

 

Yep, you did. It needs an attitude adjustment!!!!

 

I did too except both my feet were only covered in old newspapers and weighted down with cinder blocks.

 

Is it a dt12? I could be wrong, but I believe there is more than one auto available for them. I've been watching threads about the dt12 because it sounds interesting, but I only ever drove one automatic truck , and hated it for the exact reasons you mentioned. It was so bad it was dangerous. There were times I would have to make a left turn, and half way into the turn it couldn't make up it's mind what gear it wanted to be in and leave me hanging in the middle of an intersection

 

To be honest, i cant even find that info now. On the dash it says "Freightliner Smartshift with Eaton Fuller Automatic Transmission" and i know its the "+" model.