10spd - 13 - 15 or 18 spd

There is a downside in the ability to work around certain problems, but given how little most "drivers" know anymore it's miniscule. I got to be pretty fond of automatics working around metro areas.

 

I drove a mack with an auto while at builders, those things pull hills very nice. Was a god send when I smashed the hell out of my knee and I was in traffic up on i90 going into Chicago. I almost miss it

 

I've ran them all from a twin stick to 18 spd! My last truck had the super 10 liked it didn't love it, the one the boy drives had a 13 good all around trans, mine now is an 18 drive it like a 10 , it's really nice in the mountains !! But my next will be a 13

 

BTW. Most hated was a ###### 8, whoever designed it never pulled a hill in their life. I had it in my cement pump (oil field) and it sucked in Colorado.

 

Last one I drove was a '13 crapcadia with the eaton 10 smart shift. Dumb shift more like it. The thing was a nightmare to drive.

Hated the idea of it before I drove it an inch. Hated every mile I put on it. Never will drive another one again.

That said, from what I've heard from drivers running the newer ones they've improved considerably over the last few years, especially the volvos.

I'm one of those set in stone auto haters. Just my preference to drive a manual.

 

running the rolling get hills of Oklahoma with the Mack and 46k in the van I never dropped below 62 in a 70mph truck. Running 70 between Green River and Denver I was out running all mega carriers up and down.

They've come a very long way just in the last 4 years, if I remember Detroit is experimenting with their own transmission to make for better compatibility.

 

My concern is the surge in a tanker.....when you are going DOWN a hill....to an upcoming redlight, like Granville, going 161 ... hit a light on the exit to 37, which was a "downhill" exit, only to turn right / head south on 37 and it's UPHILL after the light~!! You get pushed, you get pulled....how the HECK would that work in an auto? This was actually in the 18. And, 4th and 9th were "toothed out" on the tranny.

Just not sure how that would have worked in an Auto. Anymore when I do that haul to Newark, I sure don't go THAT way anymore~!!!

 

I can't speak for the surge effect in a tanker, but I've done vats in a vam, and the surge wasn't an issue that I noticed having any effect. It also helps that the auto I had was similar to my car, in that it has full auto or select shift. Before this my auto experience was an international POS, and a Cascadia both of which I hated. I won't lie any say they are perfect trucks, (they had to fight to get me out of my 10spd) but they have made major advances.

 

I've owned autoshift, ultrashift and 2014 ishift. The eating do the job but get confused a bit on hard hills with super b weights, you end up bogging down way more then you should.

The Ishift is the best transmission hands down for autos. With this truck I pulled super b 140k trailers through muddy logging roads and down hilly highways, icey winters and have never felt more comfortable.

I ran triaxle infield crude oil and when I got into a muddy lease, I would put it in power mode and giver ####. That thing shifted faster then I could ever shift a 18 speed. My volvo had bridgestone 726el highway tires and could make it places my other truck with a 18 speed and goodyear g741msd would get stuck, it was due to less bogging down between shifts.

As for my favorite manual, I'm a 18 speed kinda guy. I cannot for the life of me understand guys running 10 speeds, I get 13 but not 10. I split the top half even when I bobtailing! I like being able to split the basement, not saying I need to be able too but some days when starting out on a hill, I just wanna take er easy going up and with a 18 I have that option.