AMT vs. Fluid drive autos

im not sure about the DT12 but that's not what we have in our fleet. we have eaton ultra-shift plus 18 speed (if you even want to call it ultra). i have no idea how this compares to the Detroit setup.

things my co-worker complains about
1. backing. he says if he is backing up to a trailer going slow, when the fifth wheel plate contacts the trailer and the 5th wheel "tips" as you back under the truck will come to a stop. he says you then have to give a significant amount of fuel or the truck will not move and it when it finally does start to move, it goes way to fast. another thing he hates about backing, he will be backing up a grade going slow.... the truck will come to a stop. he says he then has to give it a significant amount of fuel to get moving again, then you end up going entirely too fast. he says the truck does not respond to small fuel inputs . i agree with him fully, a normal clutch and manual transmission does not operate in such a half assed manner.

2. he also does not like the way it downshifts going down a hill. if he said it brought the RMP up to 2,500 i would have to believe him. this guy has been driving 30 years, he does not have accidents..... he is a true pro.

i dont think anyone uses DT12 transmissions hauling milk. the combination gross weight often exceeds 100K, we are registered for 102K.

the trucks are kenworth T880's. the only freightliner we have is an old school classic with a nice 18 speed manual.

 

We have airbag dump valve on tractor. It makes backing under trailer more easy with automatic Dt12.

If people don't like the 2,200 RPMs when using engine brake. Don't turn it on to stage 3. Stage 3 will ALWAYS keep engine RPMs 1700-2200 at any speed, so its giving you maximum engine braking in every gear. It will keep dropping gears as the truck slows down to always keep RPMs in 1700-2200

Stage 1 and 2 will be 1200-1700 always for every gear. If your going down a big hill engine brake on stge 3 and to see RPMs dropping to 1700. You just switch to stage 2. Let the RPMs go back up to 2200 and switch back to stage 3. The truck will stay in the same gear all downhill.

If you let the RPMs drop below 1700 in stage 3. It will keep giving you maximum engine brake by downshifting gears. It will do this all the way down to about 15 MPH, always giving you maximum engine brake at 1700-2200.

 

i drove one the other day and hated it. terribly lethargic on take off, non-existent jake. im gladly going to keep my manual shift 18 speed 2017 T880, if he ever sells it and tries to put me in an autoshift, i might just go somewhere else.

 

I've never driven a truck with an AMT in it on the road but I have driven it around the yard. Seems like it confuses itself a lot and isn't exactly the smoothest shifting IMO.

 

i dont think they are well suited for pulling around 100k+ gross loads..... not to mention smooth bore tankers with product that shifts and moves constantly. i really think they are less then great for any application but i think they are worst for what we are using them for.

funny thing is the boss that is trying to shove these things down everyone else's throat refuses to drive them himself. when he climbs into a truck, it is always a manual shift. trying to force other people what you refuse to drive yourself. ridiculous