anyone train and run on full automatics??

Coasting out of Gear is a Death Sentence. Your brakes will catch on fire or melt from the heat generated by the friction of constantly applying the brakes. Of course you might get lucky and be on a downgrade with some emergency escape ramps and no curves. If not your going to probably be killed.

 

if you did read a technical journal then you would know they are not called "AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS" they are called AUTO-SHIFT or automated MANUAL transmission's

in 1,0680,000 miles my AUTO-SHIFT has been in the shop 3 X.... fist was for the spliter (same part a a MANUAL uses).... it was fixed 7 hr's after i pulled into the dealer...... 1 X-Y shifter and wiring harness .... back on the road 10 hr's after pulling into the dealer....... 1 clutch and clutch actuator... the dealer kept it over night because they are not open 24 hr's

 

Of course it's not good, all I'm pointing out is the new automatics have a coasting feature to increase fuel economy.

 

I don't specifically know of a company that will train you and definitely assign you an auto shift. Yes, they are the wave of the future but we are a long way if ever from being strictly auto shift. As Upright said above, sooner or later not being capable of shifting manuals is going to bite you. As you gain experience and a general feeling of how things work in trucking sooner or later you are going to start becoming selective about what you want; home time, local, regional, reefer, flat, day cab, sleeper etc. Not knowing how to cleanly shift is going to greatly limit your choices.

My advice to you is that you just go for it and don't worry about what transmissions you will be assigned. Just get out there and get the needed experience. The more experience you acquire, the more opportunities. I love auto shift and after 36 years I've done all the shifting that I need to do but I can still shift ANY transmission that you challenge me with because I have acquired the experience. After 36 yrs of commercial experience a company looks over my qualifications and unblemished driving record and in 48 hrs. is asking me "When can you start?"

 

Your the exception not the rule only requiring to have your Truck in the shop only 3 times to have the AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION worked on with 1 million miles on it. And they are commonly referred to as Automatic Transmissions Mr. Auto Shift. And in my 20+years of driving I have been broken down more times then I can remember for almost anything that can go wrong with a truck. I also used to be an ASE CERTIFIED DIESEL TECH with several additional ASE CERTIFICATIONS. I Say Automatic Transmissions in a Class #8 truck are junk and I would never own one. And I would also never higher someone to drive a Tractor Trailer who could not properly operate a Standard Transmission. That would indicate to me that you have lousy eye to hand coordination and would be more likely too be involved in an incident or accident.

 

your FEELING aside statistics show you to be wrong

 

What Statistics are you referring to? I have no proof but I suspect many of these frequent multiple truck pile up type accidents on slick surfaces like Snow and Ice are caused by Drivers using Automatic Transmissions. They have limited control of the Truck on slick surfaces and contribute to many of these type of accidents. A Standard Transmission can be used to slow a vehicle down by shifting with out using the brakes. This is not possible with an Automatic Transmission. All they can do is step on the brake pedal or press a button to downshift, which can cause a loss of control because it can not be controlled as precisely and smoothly as down shifting a Standard Transmission by use of the Hand and Foot. And if you can't use a Standard Transmission either your uncoordinated or you probably suffer from a Physical Handicap that interferes with shifting.

 

Been down some step grades with my auto, no problems there.

 

I can't speak to the AMT's and snow/ice conditions, but I had no problem with an Allison automatic in a truck I got to try out in Alaska when I lived up there in the 80's. Even back then, it was amazing how the Allison complimented the engine brake and could almost sense when to shift or stay in gear for better control. I grew quite fond of it. Unfortunately, it wasn't mine. The boss let me try it out for a few weeks, then I had to go back to my regular truck.

 

that's right you have NO PROOF you just think that is why

again you show how little you know about how a auto-shift works.. we (wife and i) spent 4 years driving I-80 going from bosie to chicago and back.... i drove part NE, UT and all of WY at night for 4 years in wind, snow, ICE never slid off the road BUT i did see a lot of O/O's with standard transmission's off the road...... the transmission has nothing to do with it..... it's the driver knowing what to do and how to DRIVE