auto trans

no there is no kinda restiction on your license...

 

They are still making auto trucks with a clutch for example many brand new freitliner classics have the third pedal for stop and go driving. however the new autos without out the clutch pedal are called ultra-matics.

 

Okay, time to get into some definitions here before the conversation goes any further. An automatic transmission is a full power, constant flow transmission, similar to what you have in your personal cars, and in big trucks of any kind it means an Allison transmission. In this system, the truck will only have a brake and throttle, and will use some form of the old standard "P-R-N-D-L" you all know and love. Those are the only transmissions that should be referred to as "Automatics" when you are talking about transmisions. Typically, they are used in midsize trucks like Ryder rentals, though there are some models of Allison used in class 8 trucks.

Then, we have the ones that we are actually talking about. They are "Automated" transmissions, which means that they are a traditional mechanically shifted transmission, same as has been used for the last 50 years or so, but they are shifted via a control head on top of the transmission. This control head has various servos and air cylinders inside that actually do the work of moving the shifter forks from one position to the next, same as you would do if you moved a lever. The electronics interface with the electronics that control the engine and allow the engine to decelerate and re-accelerate as needed to make the shifting process work, same as you would normally do with your foot.

The earliest predecessors were transmissions with "Top 2" capability, where the truck had the ability to switch at road speeds between 9-10th gear as needed to maintain road speed. These shifts could be accomplished while cruise control was engaged, and most of the first few generations of automated transmissions came from these families of transmissions. Typically, automated trans ow their parentage to the "Super 10" serieds of transmissions.

They have gone through various incarnations over recent years. The first ones were relatively crude, known as "AutoSticks" and the shifting was accomplished in an automated fashion, but all the fuel control as handled via the foot pedal. Each time the trans got ready to shift, a beper and light came on and you had to release the throttle while the shift change happened. They were a fairly failure prone system, and caused a lot of companies to turn their back on automated transmissions, including my own.

Next came the "Autoshift" typically referred to as the three pedal design, and upgraded versions of this are still in production. It integrated the throttle controls into the shifting, and the driver was able to place his foot on the throttle and not have to remove it at all for shifting. A clutch was still used at starts and stops for disengaging the transmission, but once the clutch was released the shifting was completely automated.

Next came the "Freedomline" style, or two pedal design, where there was no clutch pedal at all on the truck. The clutch engagement was handled by centrifigal weights and as the driver throttled the engine, the clutch was engaged by the increased rotation speed of the clutch. This allowed the truck to stop without any pedal work from the driver, though backing and maneuvering can be a bit tricky due to the engagement of the clutch in this manner.

Okay, now that we have defined the terms in use, you may continue with the discussion and hopefully all will be able to understand one another.

 

I drove a Freightliner with autoshift. I liked it. It sure came in handy in traffic. I spent 20 years driving a ford 1/2 ton that had a four speed. I was tired of shifting.
I have heard that driving in the mountains with some automatics is not a good experience. Do not know which ones that may be.