Automated Tranny Pros and Cons

born&raisedintheusa · May 7, 2016

Steel Dragon said: ↑

Face it,with the millions of cars added to the road each day,manual is on the way out.
Silly to be shifting all those gears in heavy traffic.
Soon we will all be out of work..where is my flying truck?
(Meet George Jetson)
Click to expand...

Judging from what the TTR forum is saying or implying, standard shifts may become as obsolete as dinosaurs, perhaps in the next 15 to 20 years.

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!

scottied67 · May 7, 2016

PackRatTDI said: ↑

I put mine in manual mode when on ice just to be safe. The only time I had issues was in Texas with a light load and I would have had the same traction issues with a manual. Traffic came to a stop on an untreated stretch of I 20 near Eastland that went up hill and it all went downhill from there, no pun intended lol.
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I'm talking about with new drivers training on auto trannies not knowing anything but riding the brakes down and relying on the computer to do all the downshifting. When it dumps two gears at a time twice in quick succession we will see a lot of these new drivers jacknifed in the ditch on slick icy roads.

I remember climbing Cabbage in icy conditions, another truck stuck going up the hill in the middle lane, his auto tranny in auto mode totally confused what to do. The driver didn't know what the Traction Control switches were for, didn't know about interaxle locks and certainly didn't know about how to use the Manual mode. This is why I say people need to know how to grip the stick before they are ever cut loose on an auto.

PackRatTDI said: ↑

\

Volvo is working on a system called I see where it "learns" the terrain and tries to match shift patterns when it senses by GPS that it's approaching a hill, curve, etc. that it's traveled before.

\
Click to expand...

Yeah I saw the headline for that but didn't click on the full article.

scottied67 · May 7, 2016

Dave_in_AZ said: ↑

I still think when you come across a truck with no gear shift, you should make the sign of the cross, say a Hail Mary, and back away from it, never turning your back on it.

The only plus thing I can think of for an auto is you wouldn't have to climb around the gear shift in the cab.

What kind of MPG you getting with that big dude? What year shaker is it?
Click to expand...

\
It is a 2016 and the display is showing 7.5 mpgs although i think it is doing better than that because I picked it up in Stockton CA with full tanks and have put in only 210 gallons since and will be arriving in Chicago with half tanks.

scottied67 · May 7, 2016

realdesertkickin said: ↑

When I dont feel like working, i'll set the cruise and the engine brake on level 2 and just let her go...Im on hilly curvy all day, so its full throttle or engine brake back and forth the whole way...Still think its funny I did my whole run the other day without really doing anything...I slouched back with my armrest holding me up, one hand on wheel like i was in a new cadillac cruisin carefree without a care...Its cool, but, at the same a safety concern, correct? !!
When I rolled in a old 80's Mack pullin double bellys, bald tires, rotted floorboards, scary suspension and brakes...I feared death every mile!!! I was my mostest awake and ready for disaster to hit..

This new truck gonna get me in trouble with all the relaxin, kickin back, having chips and dip, smartphone sideways on the brake knobs watchin cooking shows with my pants off truck in 'auto' mode....Truck will page me if it needs me, if i dont answer it'll slow or stop for a hazard by itself..It'll also snitch me off by callin my TM and sending him a live picture of me doing what Im doing to HIS smartphone....so, ya...I gotta sit up, pay fricken attention, Like I did with all the pieces of crap Ive driven in my life...LOL!!

Coming from sand and gravel, mining, paving...Ive driven, and gotton used to, the worst rollin hazards you could imagine...OMG, these new trucks...These cadillacs y'all driving..Some of ya roll up on 4 wheelers so fast close and crazy...I always think, "man that guy really knows, and is comfortable, with that rig"...!!

I havent adjusted to 8 super singles all on abs, the fattest widest pads ever...I still drive like I have crappy old brakes!! Which ticks off some fellaz, but oh well, i drive my own line!!!!

I ramble...I on a 34..I on booze...lol
Click to expand...

i have to admit, running the auto relieves a lot of fatigue I get with my 13 manual. There's nothing 'smart' about my truck, it doesn't have that fancy trick where you can set the cruise and the jakes will hold it back no more than 3 miles per hour over the set cruising speed. So going down a hill have to kick it out of cruise and do actual work like holding back the speed.

If it was a bunny hill it will gain speed downhill and at the bottom settle back to cruise speed then lug back up the upside thereby causing me to kick it out of cruise to to actual work again, downshifting and using the foot go pedal.

With the auto the only thing to do is keep the steering between the lines.

MidWest_MacDaddy · May 7, 2016

Been in both automated KWs and Volvos

I must say I prefer both over a manual

The Volvo is much smoother in the lower gears (as well as backing) and doesn't jump around as much while the KW is more in sync with me in the upper gears. In the Volvo I was always wanting to downshift (as it always runs in much lower RPMs) but the KW seems to shift closer to when I would.

Both could be put in full manual mode and just shift when you wish which comes in handy too.

Stay Safe,
MD

25(2)+2 · May 7, 2016

Eaton Utra-shift is what you would get with a Cummins in about anything,new, and I don't follow Paccar enough to know if you can get a real automatic(Allison)with a Paccar engine or not, International is selling it with their engine, which is now probably okay, now that no one wants to buy them.

I-shift is proprietary with the Volvo engines and DT12 is proprietary with Detroit engines, so they are make specific.

I prefer a real manual, just easier for me to not have to figure out how to make it do what I want, and with the rpm range of a DD15 that hasn't been restricted, the shifting is much reduced. Easy enough, and when it snows, there are tricks I can do to drive away that an automated just cant do.

As for Eaton Ultra, never, ever again.

RyanMckey916 · May 7, 2016

scottied67 said: ↑

OK so I had to rent another truck again but this time it is an automated 13 speed. So far has been outstanding. Climbs hills in the top most gear it can, will downshift in higher RPM's to keep it inthe highest speed sweet spot it can. Even the steepest hills, I never got below 35 miles per hour.

On the flipside, seems like most of the time when cresting over a hill to go down or a downhill offramp, downhill weigh station or a speed limited curve , it is playing 'catch up' to downshift and help you slow down. In other words going down a short offrramp downhill, it is in top gear 13 and the brakes alone may or may not be enough to stop in time before the tranny catches up to what you want to do. This particular one is the Freighliner Smart Shift which I found out even in Auto mode I can downshift it manually in those situations. Just tap it forward, or down and it will downshift. Get immediate help with torque and jakes and brakes and tap it again for more help, after that it catches up and aggressively downshifts sometimes 2 gears at a time.

There is that curve on I 80 Salt Lake City, 45 miles per hour, braked into it but tranny was still in 13 so had to 'help' it along by downshifting. Then that 50 mile per hour curve as you get north of SLC sorta downhill going into the curve, tranny is blissfully in 13, I'm like "helloooo" (in my best Mrs. Doubtfire voice) and had to help it again.

Then of course the weigh stations, it likes to blast right into full top gear too fast and make the driver look like a fool so you have to know how to downshift. Also want to set it on Manual to creep across the scale as well or it will upshift on you automatically and again make you look like a fool.

Love it in the rolling hills. With my stick I gotta constantly reach over and split shift or full shift going up and down the rolling hills. Not so with the auto, it takes care of that stuff for you.

Still I think new drivers should run stick for at least 2 full years OTR all over the US before running these autos because they're just not going to know to downshift when stuff gets real.

The only other bad thing about running it the last couple days is that my estrogen levels have spiked way up and I have these uncontrollable urges to pluck my eyebrow into two separate eyebrows, pull on some skin tight yoga pants, sign up for ballet classes and get a facial.
Click to expand...

Are you a truck driver or lazy?

If I wanted to drive a big ole automatic I'd retire and get an RV

Zeviander · May 7, 2016

I haven't driven autos outside the yard (Pete 579 and KW T680), but if they shift as aggressively as they do in low range as in high, I can tell you I'd never want to drive one. I prefer to have the transmission glide between gears, not jam them in and out like it's race.

And the lack of control during backing drives me nuts. In my 379, I can back under a trailer, lift it up and click the pin in place in one fluid motion. In the autos, I'm always nervous that the motor is going to over-rev and jam back on the pin with a thunderous KABOOM (happened a couple times when I was shunting trucks/trailers for service/wash).

Then there is backing a set of B-trains. There is no way I could ever do it in an auto. The fine control that the clutch allows for has no equal in those auto beasts.

BigSky · May 7, 2016

Verdel said: ↑

The new allison 10 speed automatic transmission has been tested with a very good results up to 10% better MPG on OTR trucks compared to manual transmission. Because this is a real auto, not automated manual, doesn't have the delay when shifting - this is the trick, when fuel saving is done.
Click to expand...

25(2)+2 said: ↑

... I don't follow Paccar enough to know if you can get a real automatic (Allison) with a Paccar engine or not ...
Click to expand...

PACCAR TO RELEASE THE ALLISON TC10 TRANSMISSION IN PETERBILT CHASSIS
DENTON, Texas (April 21, 2016)

PACCAR has started an engineering program with Allison Transmission to release the fully automatic Allison TC10® in the latest PACCAR models. The TC10 transmission will be offered in Kenworth T680 and T880 and Peterbilt Models 567 and 579 with both PACCAR and Cummins engines.[/QUOTE]

PackRatTDI · May 7, 2016

RyanMckey916 said: ↑

Are you a truck driver or lazy?

If I wanted to drive a big ole automatic I'd retire and get an RV
Click to expand...

Are you implying drivers who like automated manuals are lazy?

Log in or Sign up

Forums

Find Trucking Jobs

Automated Tranny Pros and Cons

born&raisedintheusa Road Train Member

Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

Wait, employers can't reach you!

scottied67 Road Train Member

scottied67 Road Train Member

scottied67 Road Train Member

MidWest_MacDaddy Road Train Member

25(2)+2 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

RyanMckey916 Bobtail Member

Zeviander Road Train Member

BigSky Light Load Member

PackRatTDI Licensed to Ill

Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

Wait, employers can't reach you!

Log in or Sign up

Useful Searches

Find Trucking Jobs

Automated Tranny Pros and Cons

born&raisedintheusa Road Train Member

Wait, employers can't reach you!

scottied67 Road Train Member

scottied67 Road Train Member

scottied67 Road Train Member

MidWest_MacDaddy Road Train Member

25(2)+2 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

RyanMckey916 Bobtail Member

Zeviander Road Train Member

BigSky Light Load Member

PackRatTDI Licensed to Ill

Wait, employers can't reach you!