Anyone will try automatic transmission as a new truck driver straight from school?

After shifting every transmission out there for over 30 years,I now drive a Freightliner with a 6 speed Allison.I would never go back to a stick,I'm more rested after a very long day,my knees like me better,and it's just more fun now.
My neck is really screwed up because of non air ride tractors,should we go back to those just to be called real truckers?
My favorite sticks were an 18 speed,13speed{same thing} and the old Maxitorque.5 speed.
I can drive a manual transmission,so it's a moog point for me to those just starting a career,but anything to make my life easier in this late stage of my employment is appreciated.

 

we had automatics in our snowplows.

There are some places automatics just should not be.

 

Its called driving with your brain disconnected.

 

you seem bent on startin an arguement with me...aint gonna happen....

 

u notice most have not driven an automatic
most wernt driving thier grandfathers tractor at 9
and most really dont know what a quad box 16 speed dual stick is
but let them think they are REAL MEN because they have a stick
i will agree all truck drivers should know how to drive a stick

 

Gremlin i would listen to the lady. Anyhoo, I am a mountain driver, have only seen ten days of sunshine total this year, those auto transmissions are dangerous up here in the rockies . So I may make this clear as mud, I would have known what next tuesday was going to like from getting popped in the mouth dadgum hard for talking to a female like that. My old man does the same thing learned my ways from him, though downgradin' someone on preference really gets that fire in my belly churnin sometimes if its bad enough.....

 

I have no earthly idea what you're trying to say here. I'm guessing you're saying that you feel it is disrespectful to disagree with anything a woman says. If so, I don't agree. I respect women. Much more so than your average truck driver based on what I've seen. But when it comes to posting information in a forum intended for new drivers that can lead to those new drivers adopting a dangerous attitude, then I'm going to speak up and disagree and the gender of the person doing the posting has nothing to do with it.

If you cannot maintain focus sufficient to be constantly aware of what transmission you're driving, then you are driving absentmindedly. Lots of people do it, but that doesn't mean its not a dangerous habit for a truck driver to adopt. IMHO, it is something one should strive to avoid rather than something one should justify and brush off as no big deal. Not looking for an argument from her or anyone else. Just speaking up when I see something that I think could give new drivers the wrong idea. Don't like it? Sue me.

 

I've been driving, unfortunately I feel, an automatic since I started with my company.
A new Volvo with super singles.

My trainer has commented once already how super singles coupled with an auto trans likes to break traction.

Tell ya what I'm experienceing;

A SURGE. For example I'm coming off an exit ramp, smooth like, nice braking, and as I'm entering to the curve at the speed I WANT it to be, it'll downshift itself and "surge" me and I have to apply the brake hard(er).

I now have more miles with an auto trans than I did with the 9/10 spds we used in school. And I gotta say... give me the stick. When I'm going up hills I can control what gear I'm in better. This auto likes to lug to almost 1k (bottom of the green band) before shifting. Sometimes, it doesn't wind up enough.

Doesn't drive like my auto car either. It's weird, like it's a stick w/out me having to clutch and the computer does it all. Obviously but it shifts more like a big truck than a car is what I'm getting at.

Hopefully, this will change real soon. I'm due to be put in a Freightliner with a 10spd in it.

I see two sides to the whole auto thing. One, it allows me to concentrate on other things besides shifting, which, I don't have a problem with.
But the other side says reality is a stick and if you get used to the auto, just starting out, then you'll have another learning curve when you get into the stick truck.

Just my .02 as a new guy but currently experiencing the pain of an auto trans truck

 

What the lady said was that she had gotten into habit from driving a stick, as in reaching for it, going from one to the other can be a dreadfuk shock, i am most certainly not the sharpest knife in the drawer ( go ahead say what you will ) . Tell me that when you first started you didn't reach for a center stick getting onto a four wheeler out of habit, because every driver has been guilty of it whether they admit or not. That was the rude part my fella, while your comment is true, reading between the lines can be foe or friend, and she didn't deserve that one, say what you mean and mean what you say....

 

thank you!!!! i have 21 years behind the wheel with NO accidents.....that doesnt happen if you are not paying attention!!!