The large dump truck company I used to work at is replacing all trucks with autos next year they will have an all auto fleet. All the owner ops and small operations I know run Manuel trans.
Most are going the route of the automatic, and not the Fuller Autoshift type, but a true hydro-automatic like Allison. Why? Automatics are generally cheaper for a business owner to run long term for vocational, since the guy he just hired cannot destroy the drivetrain as quickly as he could with a non-synchro manual. Dump trucks see BRUTAL work (I own and operate one), so you want to eliminate any potential failure points, and that is often the transmission with hired drivers, as well as U-Joints. As a benefit, most hired drivers actually prefer the automatic for this type of work, even if they're "old school," believe it or not... This segment of the industry often works in cities, in towns, all day long. You will drive back and forth, all day long. On site work? You'll spend just as much time reversing as you will driving in a forward gear. That said, my own W900 dump has an 18 speed Fuller, and as much as I like the automatics, I am not ready for that yet!
It isn't just dump trucks that are autos....the whole trucking industry is going that way. Ive just bought a 2020 Western Star 5700 with a 12 speed auto. The salesman told me that 97% of trucks being built are autos. They call that progress. And you have to drive them a tad differently too.Its all about getting better fuel mileage. and the way they're designed you drive them on the CRUISE pretty much all the time and not via the Peddle. I was brought up on all kinds of manual trannies so its a matter of getting used to the new technology.
