LTL companies with automatic transmissions ...

Hey man, don't shoot the messenger

 

Autos saved a lot of companies a lot of money by not having to train a driver properly.

 

From capable professionals?

 

Thank goodness I can drive anything. I prefer automatic hands down. I'm lazy

 

I've driven both automatics and manuals and I have to say I prefer manuals by far. Sure automatics are great in traffic you can just sit back and let the computer do all the work but there's been many times when the truck has gotten stuck in gear or wont shift in the middle of rush hour traffic and that's not a good time. I like having control over the truck and plus driving linehaul for ODFL at night it gives me something to do to keep me awake.

 

Automatics can be nice on flat ground in the summertime with a light load. I run linehaul through the Rocky Mountains every night and when I'm pulling a 6% grade with 50k or so in a set of triples and the dadblasted thing upshifts at 1200 RPM it's really annoying. They are also a PITA on slick surfaces. Anyone that's driven them probably knows what I'm talking about. No clutch control and no RPM control...yea, most of the time I prefer a stick.

 

I had to drive a Freightliner with an Automatic and I didn't care for it when it came to backing. I mean it was fine on the highway and stuff and alright in the city I was in Buffalo, New York, but backing it up I really didn't like, it was to hurkey jerky and I couldn't get the speed right the manuals I found were more controllable when it came to backing that's for sure. Of course the transmission was some Eaton piece of garbage sooooo....

 

Companies want to conserve on fuel consumption. Wear and tear on transmissions and motors. Ect...

They want to save money. Most are paying drivers more to drive them.

Lag is the biggest complaint.

 

Freightliner offers a complete Detroit driveline. This Detroit AMT 12 speed paired with the DD15 is a great set up.. Skip shifts, automatic progressive engine braking. Has this creep mode feature.

its been offered for 2 or 3 years now.

between this prostar w/ultrashift I am in now with this company and the freightliner w/ detroits driveline at the old company, give me the shaker anyday of the week.

 

The truck I drove was a Penske rental truck wasn't even one of my companies trucks it was just a rental that they needed because at times we have more routes and then we have trucks.