Automatic trucks

Me too... The instructor hated that I was "out of gear and not in control of the power" (or whatever he said) ... Perfect example of a habit that doesn't work on a big truck.

 

I never drove a manual before getting my Class A. I had no problems learning how to shift. I do want to stress as far as automatics go, i wouldnt recommend working for a company with automatics until you have a solid year of manual transmissions under your belt. Thats enough time to learn manual and have it ingrained in your mind how to drive it. I went 1 year manual then went automatic. I drove automatic for 4 straight months then had to drive a manual while my truck was in the shop and let me tell you, it was still like second nature to me. I thought i would be rusty but i went back at it like i always did.

 

I have done in an automatic what you said can't be done in an automatic. Remember most of what is called automatic is not a true automatic. It is a 10 speed manual with an air driven X Y shifter sitting on top of it.

 

Me buddy has an `09 ZR1, one heck of a car. Manual.

 

I have driven both. I have many years in manuals too. In my heart I love the manual. But when you get into urban area's that automatic takes so much work off of you, and it is really nice when you are at the end of your day. I see nothing really wrong with the autos but I try to warn everybody that for the foreseeable future there are going to be manuals. The worse nightmare you will ever know is to get stuck in a manual with no experience in one. It is very easy to screw up a clutch if you have never used one before. One of the worse smells is roasted clutch. I seen a gal burn one up to the point it stopped pulling. I seen another guy smoke one on the Campbell's soup scale house in Texas.

 

I picked up shifting a truck transmission right away. My instructor even asked if I had any experience. I said it was my first day but that I had found a book published in 1981 about training to drive a truck at a used book store and read it from front to back.

 

Unless you're running an Allison, there isn't a torque converter.

In both instances, probably a moot point. If Swift's gone auto, it's a new thing - however, them and many other carriers put RPM limiters around 1400 - 1600 RPM.

Yeah, and you probably should've put yourself in check after that sentence.

There are instances where it will be, insofar as it pertains to diagnosis and repair of the ECM and such, although I don't think he knows this, or really knows the dynamics of an autoshift transmission.

Because these aren't true automatics we're talking about - they're automated variations of existing manual transmissions. The additional parts are the ones which actually shift it; otherwise, it's the same set of gearboxes as in a manual equivalent.

As @Toomanybikes was keen to point out in an earlier discussion, Volvo's own literature specifically uses the term "automated manual" in describing the transmission. The only true automatics on HD vehicles are the Allisons.

 

Funny back a few years ago the old timers claimed that the Cruise control is going to ruin trucking it will never be in all trucks. Now its the same thing with auto transmissions. Auto will be coming soon to all companys as it will become hard to find trucks that are not.

 

And you can feel the torque converter lockup at 15MPH on trucks after 2005 or so. Before then it was 45MPH.

 

War games,
Tell us how much experience you have? You know nothing g about automatics except you probably don't drive a truck with an automatic.

Let me prove you know nothing. You commented that a driver should be paid less because they drive an automatic. I've never heard any trucking company say "we pay you X amount more because you can drive a manual".

Trucking companies go to automatics because it lowers the barrier to entry for new drivers and if you get your shifter knob out of your arse, and clear the cob webs off your eyes and ears, you would see that many veteran drivers, some with 20 plus years experience, tried automatics and would never go back to manual trucks.