New Clutch vs Driver Safety?

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by GetRid70hr8dayRules, Jul 11, 2017.

  1. Brandt

    Brandt Road Train Member

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    Their is a learning curve to drive a auto shift. Especially if driver we're always told to never take it out of great like me. I also would say people don't know how to go downhill correctly in the winter and summer.

    I was shocked the fist time the the auto engine brake came on and the transmission downshifted to 2200 RPMs. Just because that something I would never do myself.
     
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  3. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

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    Mar 5, 2016
    White County, Arkansas
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    Im a little bit stubborn. Hardheaded even.

    We had a rockwell auto with the paddle on the 500 plus detriot for that 2001 model year century.

    The paddle gave a manual mode option on the steering column So into manual it went coming off Cabbage for example. And it's no different than selecting a appropriate gear, establish engine jake brake and ease back in the seat enjoy the scenery as we roll downgrade.

    I cannot bring myself to allow the truck fully automatic with the jake going for a downgrade like Cabbage. I have to have it under my thumb or boot as it were because I taught God how to come off the hill just like it was taught to me, you come off the same way every single time. The behavior, methods used and other motivational safety related success in mountain work for the day regardless of the winter weather conditons etc.

    We were on 40 westbound where it's not far from the Cumberland Plateau upgrade one winter day with about a inch of ice. Convoy was with us. Maybe 9 trucks. I was number one spouse was driving. I had been up since 4 am ignoring the logs for sleeper berth because of the onset of winter weather up there in Tenn.

    Anyway, we hit this curve that increased in gradient and increased tighter in curvature as well as in the shade. Spouse hit that patch and the century went instantly into a proper full blown tractor jack knife with a vicious whip and fast action, essentially my spouse's first real clincher no *&^% jack knife. (Remember what I say about never getting into one....)

    I added a smidgen of steering input overriding my spouse's actions even though she is captian of the ship, one of the very very rare times I exercised my option. And told her to freeze that right foot on the accelerator pedal no matter what the input was telling the engine to do.

    That automatic transmission during the jackknife removed yet another problem layer that was stacking onto my mind during the event because with a manual transmission, all hell breaks loose when your tractor drives broke loose. That automatic maintained power to the drives as if the jackknife's physical actions did not exist in it's computer. And we climbed out of that curve in good style at 9 mph.

    Number two jackknifed and got it back just like we did. Three through 8 (One was a TMC flatbedding under a tarped load on his spread axle flat) did not make it. One, the TMC rig was captured by the westbound canyon of rocks in the middle and the last we saw of him in our mirrior was the driver sweating out his efforts using his drives and horse power to keep everything straight as the whole thing plunged backwards into the canyon. I thought that was pretty ballsy on TMC's part that day, because most of the time instructors teach you not to try to use power to get out of a bad situation. He was actually using it to keep everything upright eventhough everything was good and lost except for the physical consummation of the proper wrecking.

    That pretty much closed the interstate for the morning. It's a freaking inch of ice from sleeting and two inches of old snow on top of that from the previous night's minor storm. Little bitty tiny little bit of old man winter's covering on our interstate. But it sure raised holy hell with all of us that day.
     
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  4. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    Jul 7, 2015
    Canuckistan
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    Also what's a new clutch have to do with any of this?
     
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  5. tscottme

    tscottme Road Train Member

    I drove manual for 20 years and auto for the last 2. I'd say accidentally winding up in neutral was more a problem on hills with the manual than my automatic. If I missed a gear climbing or descending with a manual, boom you are in neutral and at alert level 8000. I don't remember my auto ever winding up in neutral unless I messed up. Unless you are trying to find the automatic's Georgia Overdrive I don't see how the automatic leaves you in neutral.
     
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  6. shogun

    shogun Road Train Member

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    Jan 23, 2009
    Doing a regen
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    Auto shifts are so gay. Sorry had to say it, they all suck. Two pedal, three pedal, no pedal, they just suck. They sucked in 2004 and they suck in 2017.
     
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  7. MACK E-6

    MACK E-6 Moderator Staff Member

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    Baltimore, MD
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    But, but...

    We have to dumb down the job so more idiots can do it. :rolleyes:
     
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  8. BigPerm

    BigPerm Medium Load Member

    Drove one auto in Volvo...never ever again.
     
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