what is better MANUAL VS AUTOMATIC?

My prayers ride with you. Im just one of those wild men who like everything just so on a 18 wheeler. I cannot stand it when a bean counter configures something off when it is built into it by the esteemed engineers who know what they are doing. You are right, it's not your fault, I would be the one headed out the door.

IF large numbers of newbies are destroying the modern trucks, stop buying modern trucks, get a bunch of beaters from the late 90's for them to teeth on. Until they grow out of the puppy stage and become more professional.

 

I can't imagine what it would cost to keep 50 beaters running reliably enough to service customers. It would probably be cheaper and easier to just not hire newbies and many companies already follow that model.

Those experienced drivers won't work cheap so now you have increased driver salary costs and no hope of competing with the companies that run newbies in automatics if you wanted to expand and grow the business.

 

You are right. I went off and started shooting without thinking about that salary costs and non newbie hiring. Newbie hiring by the dozen is what keeps our Industry rolling because if 10 old truckers are left to run 9 million loads it's not going to happen.

 

No, I am right.

If you studied the situation in the least, you will find the claim to higher fuel milage centers only on one little tricky advertising claim:

From the sales manual of your beloved DT12. According to their own literature, the only improvement you see in fuel mileage is from "new and lead-footed drivers" that abuse the truck. The automated manual factors out the crappy drivers from your fleet average and therefore you fleet average increases.

In like one can surmise that if your own milage increased with an automated manual, you are in fact one of those crappy drivers that cannot drive a manual efficiently.

That is a fact. That is what the makers of all the automated manuals claim. It is a trick of advertising that some fall for. Their is no physical, scientific, or theoretical reason an automated manual will get better fuel milage then a manual. The internal friction is the same for both transmissions.

The fact you quote the "ECM downloads" only confirms that you are mislead on the subject. The ecm only downloads what number "or fuel milage" that the manufacture wants you to think their truck gets. You get more fools touting their artificially high milage numbers, you sell more trucks. Common knowledge of this scam throughout the automotive world. Just like the Volkswagen ECM that concludes it does not pollute.

 

I simply have one question for you. Have you actually driven a DT12 so that you can actually make an informed statement as opposed to what you've heard, read, or think.
Opinions don't mean a thing when actual fact based mathematics are applied to a situation.

 

Bravo! Needed to be said.

 

The truth of why companies are going to AMT's is mostly this--

1.New drivers get up to speed delivering loads sooner with less training.

2. Veteran drivers tearing up manual transmission taking off loaded in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gear, might as well put these guys in AMT's since they are demonstrating that shifting is like too much work.

3. Taking off in 2nd 3rd and 4th gear in a manual uses a ton of fuel to get the beast moving not to mention the damage to the transmission, so let's put these guys in AMT so the computer chooses the proper take-off gear ( this is where the fuel savings come from- if at all, a properly trained and efficient manual driving driver can meet or exceed AMT drivers fuel economy.)

4. a. Driver retention-- big mega fleets are sick and tired of massive turnover in drivers-- solution?-- Put these newbie drivers in AMT's and they won't have the skills to move on to other companies which still have manual transmissions. b. Older veteran drivers with worn out left knees might appreciate AMT and we can squeeze a few more years of driving out of them, so a win/win there.

5. We'll sell it as better fuel economy, and the lie that the driver can now concentrate on the road rather than the shifting.

 

Im a little bit rubbed the wrong way when someone calls another driver and say things that are not suitable for a good discussion. Seriously fuel mileage is what you get out of a truck your way. Good or bad. It will come out.

If anything, I think the Industry should be ashamed thinking 7 mpg is awesome when 50 years ago 5 and change was the best....

 

The technology is here for battery operated trucks. Take out the big engine and replace it with a big bank of batteries, drop the 2 120 gallon fuel tanks, replace with 1 50 gallon diesel tanka and 1 10,000 watt APU to re-charge the batteries while both parked and driving. Conservatively say the APU uses 1 gallon per hour, at 60 miles per hour that is 60 miles per gallon.

Why are we not doing this? Big OIL.

 

Man, the hate for new drivers is real. A lot of you act like you were born with a wheel in your hands. What an elitist attitude. Seen in almost every thread. Do you even realize how hateful and spiteful you are? Do you even care? You know who you are. The industry needs new drivers, period. Get over yourselves.