AMT lovers read this

i will always get a manual transmission for just that reason! 80,000 is to much #### weight to not be in complete control.

 

That is the best writing I've read in a long time.

 

How about 140,000lbs? It's happening.

 

God blessed him that day. Auto transmissions, "they say",are to die for! Truer words were never spoken. When it comes to my life and others around me, I choose a manual transmission every time.

 

Yeah when I was reading that story I was thinking... I was thinking what if you were loaded heavy like a lot of us in Ontario... 130,000-140,000# ++

 

Yep! We all like manuals (most of us) but we're all going automatics for the apparent fuel savings. In fact, I might be getting in a new automatic in a few months but I don't know that for sure yet...

 

Honestly I am split when it comes to AMT and MANUAL... I love the 18 I have control on the hills and control of when I want to shift.. If I am loaded 100,000+ it's nice to whined up the gears a bit.. I love shifting and the fact it gives you something to do other then hold the steering wheel... We can allow manuals to define our driving skills tho as I see on this board many times.. "If you can't drive a stick your not a real truck driver" thats a bad way of thinking because driving a truck requires so much more then just shifting and as far as I am concerned the more important thing is keeping your tires on the ground and your truck in your lane (among many other things)... Now with this being said since I am a City Of Toronto driver I would love to have an automatic and in my situation it would be more beneficial... I am stuck in traffic ALL DAY LONG where a long hauler might get caught up in traffic along the way I am in it day in and day out... The furthest I go is 150km from Toronto and they is when yard waste is being hauled. Most of the time I am going 30-40km one way through the city from one end to the other... So an automatic for me would be great for City driving..

 

Fair enough. I do truly enjoy shifting as a part of driving my rig. I drove an automatic for 2 weeks when I was still in training (regular trainer was away, put me with a guy running a new auto temporarily), I will say I didn't like the way it upshifted while jaking. Oh and backing... I had 'er at 90 degrees jacknife backing out of a customer's lot and holy hell was that thing jerking, and I was empty... Had to give it enough to engage and that was too much...

I hear they are terrible when it comes to low reaction situations as well.

Also had the clutches overheat during that two week period while waiting stopped in 'D' in construction traffic.

 

Not to nitpick but why didn't he come to a stop when the trucks systems went dead? Seems to me keeping it rolling while you "figured it out" wasn't the best method.