Automatics?

The 2 Mack Anthems that I own are just as comfortable as my 9 other Volvo’s.
The Mdrive and Ishift are made in the exact same plant in Hagerstown Maryland.
I chose the Anthems as they have much more room to actually work on the trucks under the hood. The VNRs and VNLs were packed in there like a sardine can.
Volvo moved the assembly of all their transmissions over from Sweden in 2011.
The new Mack’s are not your grandpas Macks from back in the day.
I always chose Volvo because it’s always been important for my drivers to be as comfortable as possible when driving. Sure there’s differences in the two but comfort is not one in my opinion.

 

Thanks for the info! I'm looking to get on w/ Superior Bulk after I finish CDL school and from what I understand that run the Mack Anthems so hopefully I'll end up w/ a good ride if all goes well!

 

Mercedes engines are lousy in the trucks I drove.

 

ROTF.

I remember a container that did that. Shifted on my 5th wheel awful bad gave me a bloody nose in the wheel inside the cab. After doing circles outside in the dirt in full view of the office staff, I stomped back into that #### thing, slammed the clutch and that tractor simply nosed down and slammed the trailer around.

Then the yelling started because I have not spun the wheel back out fast enough.

One tie rod went out and I think two sets of spring hangers on the far side failed.

Then the yelling really escalated. But that box was in it's spot.

Sometimes I wonder why some of our store products have OSD in them or on them at the shelf due to people like me. I hated that.

 

Thats what I thought until I got a few thousand miles behind the wheel of a new automated trans truck... I prefer the Volvo I-Shift, and it is really smooth shifting... The computer does all the technical stuff like matching engine rpms with the trans, as well as operating the clutch. It was alittle unnerving to not have that clutch pedal there when I started driving automated transmissions...

Its kinda hard to explain, but it is possible to "tell" the computer to leave the clutch engaged and let the truck lug (to a certain point... It wont let the trans stall the engine)... But it's done with a combination of micro throttle pressure, and jake brakes... Touch the brake ever so slightly when its lugged down lown like that and it disengages the clutch. Nowhere near the clutch control one has in a manual... But that much control is not really needed... These transmissions are getting much better than the ones of old... And the computers that operate them are smart, it just takes a little time and patience to be able to finesse it the way you want.

I dont mind automated transmission... But that isnt stopping me from trying to get my boss to buy me a 13 speed manual... And I think I've gotten him to the fence top, but he still needs to climb over, and say he will get it for me.

 

There is torque converters in the truck world, and they have been around since at least the 70's, Allisons are true automatics, just not popular in road trucks, mostly vocational types.

My one and only auto shift has a clutch pedal, and it sure is not a slouch. I really do not want one without the pedal myself.

A friend just bought a new haul road speced truck (pete) with a cummins, he claims he hasn't missed a shift yet. lol
He does have problems with the way it shifts on steep grades, and the biggest problem is when the jakes break lose on a steep grade, it just turns them off, and there is nothing you can do to get them back.
He called pete to see about them fixing this problem, and they, just told him that they knew they did that, and were working on a way around it. lol

 

What's it gonna take for them to correct it? Someone getting killed?
Same with that system that hits the brakes if you are following to closely or whatever it does. That must be fun when a computer hits the brakes on I80 in Wyoming in the middle of winter on ice

 

I drive 2020 International RH with Paccar engine and it’s the best automatic I’ve driven. It’s not perfect but it does the job.

 

The Eaton Fuller Advantage 10 or 13 speed paired with an ISX motor is rarely mentioned. Had a ten speed with a 450 ISX in my last company truck, currently run a 13 speed in my T680 with a 485 ISX.

The transmission shifts as smooth as butter, and a light touch on the fuel makes backing easier than with a clutch. I can hit better fuel mileage numbers with a manual, but my left knee despises the clutch pedal anymore.

Automated transmissions are hitting their stride. Within the next five years, manual transmissions will be as rare in heavy duty trucks as they were in passenger vehicles in the late eighties/early nineties. In ten years, manuals will be extremely limited to special applications while autos will be prevalent all over the common truck applications.

 

They are probably better now. At least I’d hope. The only trucks I’ve driven with the auto with the clutch pedal is a 20 year old 379 and some big ol POS sterling that pulls our low boy. The sterling is much better, it has flappy paddle gear shift on the wheel so you can skip gears and not start in 1st always.

Getting the Pete started is even a process, if you mess up you have to start all over. Lots of flashing lights and numbers lol.