Auto vs. Manual Transmission......

Or their satellite radio. Or their cell phone. Or their 64 oz Mountain Dew.

Manual transmissions keep drivers focused on driving. Taking that away frees them up to become distracted. I'd bet if you looked at statistics, manual drivers much less frequently get distracted driving tickets, and are less likely to be involved in distracted-driving related collisions.

Auto-shifts should be outlawed. They allow a lower quality of driver behind the wheel of a 40-ton machine.

 

steering wheel holder VS. professional driver. i agree with the distraction point, it is a point that i make. i am more engaged with driving; if i had a truck that shifted itself i would get bored fast. then your mind wanders. i think they can be dangerous. i ended my conversation with my boss with i know how to shift therefore i dont need an auto-shift.

 

I can think of one good reason to favor automatic transmission:

If you are a company driver, and you run local, you are probably going to end up having other company drivers in your truck.

Ever watch one of them stall out when taking off? several times in a row? ... bobtail? ... Or how about successfully take off, in high gear, with a load?

 

The whole discussion started because he has been restoring a fl classic complete rehab. Repainting the frame new chrome parts it's going to be a nice truck. I said to him I wish he would do that with my truck. I like my 2006 peterbilt 386, manual transmission, no regen system of any type.

Then he started going on about the so called benefits of automatics.

Whatever. Not interested.

 

This only happens to me once in a while. I only have off one day per week, I have probably the oldest day cab. He has enough trucks sitting where no one bothers my truck usually. Most drivers seem to want to drive the newest p.o.s. possible.

Occasionally someone else drives my truck.

 

A manual transmission doesn't keep you more focused. I can easily drive down the road with my stick and a cell phone in a hand no problem. The transmission is not going to make a single difference into whether somebody's a good driver or not.

I've driven a lot of manuals and a lot of autos and I like both just fine except for Eaton autos. Allisons and I shifts are good. Spent many an icy night with a single axle auto and an empty trailer and never had a single problem. I rarely even switched the auto into manual control. And yes, you can manually control an auto, so that argument is pointless too.

I bought a manual this time around really just because I missed shifting and possible resale implications. I am not going to try to act like my preference makes me a better driver though.The next truck I buy may be an auto, who knows.

 

A few years? Shoot, a few WEEKS ago I had a guy in this forum tell me I was a terrible driver (never mind my 2+ decades of accident free driving in Philly and NYC) because I didn’t want a driver facing camera in my truck. He literally insisted that they made you better drivers and only bad drivers didn’t agree with him.

He didn’t understand that I’d had one, pointing at my face for well over 3 years, and it made no improvement at all. You’re either a professional, or you’re not. Cattle prods and other beeping, flashing, and buzzing doo dads don’t make a bit of difference to a professional driver. Same goes for auto vs manual. Shifting is driving.

 

My first stick was a 2 1/2 ton in the army national Guard. Truck was from the 60`s. I will never endorse the use of an automatic in a big truck. My reasons are pure stubbornness, and have no logical reasoning

 

Wait, what? You drive a milk truck? Locally? And you worked at Werner for 4 months?!??

REALLY?!? I had no idea!! That’s the 1st I’ve heard of this. You should tell us all one more time how you drive a milk truck, just to make sure we know.