finally rid of the autoshift. thank god

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by ad356, Feb 14, 2020.

  1. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    I don't buy the coasting in neutral thing as saving fuel. Foot off the pedal, in gear or not, is putting no fuel out the injectors anyways.
     
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  3. z32sean

    z32sean Light Load Member

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    My company has gone to an all automatic fleet solely because new drivers can't drive the manuals. I HATE it! I hate that I don't have complete control and I hate that the industry is dumbing down... Like McDonald's using pictures instead of words.
     
  4. Mattmanstroked

    Mattmanstroked Light Load Member

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    Does anyone make a manual shifted pickup truck anymore? I don't think they do.

    Sports cars and heavy trucks are the last of a dying breed.
     
  5. loudtom

    loudtom Road Train Member

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    I have trouble with the concept that automated transmissions are dropping into neutral at highway speed. If it goes to neutral, it would require fuel to maintain an idle RPM, as well as needing to rev the engine to match the gear it goes back into. It seems like that would negate any fuel savings gained by removing resistance at the transmission, as well as create more wear and tear by constantly shifting in and out of gear. I was also told by the instructors at school that you can fail your driving test by staying out of gear for too long while moving.

    The I-Shift I have will never drop into neutral unless I'm almost stopped.
     
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  6. drivingmissdaisy

    drivingmissdaisy Road Train Member

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    It definitely saves fuel. My LT has an "instant" fuel mpg gauge. I can see it go from 7 to 150.5 (I kid you not) when no load idling coasting down a hill. It uses very little fuel to spin up a diesel to rev match when not under a load.
     
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2020
  7. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    I 100% agree. Common sense says it'd use more fuel in neutral. With no load on the engine, it needs to inject enough fuel to maintain whatever idle speed is. Coasting in gear, the computer wants that engine at idle speed, so it "shouldn't" inject any fuel. Maybe there's an imagineer out there that can explain it because I just don't see it.
     
  8. ad356

    ad356 Road Train Member

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    one of the things I was taught from day one of trucking school was, never freewheel..... always be in a gear. now that a machine is doing it, its OK?
     
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  9. ad356

    ad356 Road Train Member

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    I agree 100%, im grateful to be driving Walton milk hauling #84. out of all our newer trucks (probably a dozen trucks) there are only 3 that are manuals... I have one of them. I am trying to treat her like gold. as long as I work for Walton, I intend to be driving this truck. hopefully he doesn't have thoughts of trading her in, I would literally beg him to keep it around.

    I didn't get my CDL to be a steering wheel holder. if he got rid of this truck, an I knew I was stuck with an autoshift I might just be tempted to find another job. I drove the truck I was driving in the knowledge that in due time I was going to get my truck back..... and that's exactly what happened.

    as I type this it has 97K miles on it. I average just under 40K a year. this truck should theoretically last a long time.

    if he ever tried to offer me a new truck, he wouldn't bother. he already knows the answer. you can pry that shifter out of my dead cold shifting hand lol
     
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  10. ad356

    ad356 Road Train Member

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    when I got my CDL I expected to learn how to shift a truck. I always associated trucking with shifting. people have become too lazy if you ask me. when I was in trucking school if they would have said your going to train on an autoshift…… NO..... I will find a different school. road-test in an auto, forget it. people that went into trucking not caring if they ever learned to shift is shameful. they are missing out on one of the biggest joys of the job, grabbing gears.
     
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  11. Farmerbob1

    Farmerbob1 Road Train Member

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    Your truck likely idles at about 600 RPM out of gear. Maybe less. I doubt you roll at 600 RPM in gear unless you are bobtail, and likely not even then except in low gear ranges. It does make a difference. The best fuel economy I ever got in a truck was in a automatic, 8.6 MPG all miles, and that was between my 6th month and my 15th month driving. I drive a stick now, and I rarely see more than 7.2 loaded even on a nice, flat run in Texas. I average 6.8 to 7.0 over multiple loads, generally. That's in a DD15, 10 speed Eaton manual, and 40k+ in the reefer box.

    Automatics do improve fuel economy. However they do so at a loss of low speed control for docking and/or rocking out of a muddy or icy spot.
     
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