Automatic trucks

Don't tell him that, next we will be hearing about the entire European Haulage industry being bottom feeding training companies just trying to get warm butts in the seats.

 

Whether it's a car or truck, I think learning to drive using a manual first is the best approach. I wouldn't have wanted to drive an auto truck for 10+ years and then try and learn how to shift. Like was mentioned above, a bad or careless driver will be bad and careless using either transmission.

That being said, just placed the order for my first ever auto truck. Scheduled to be built in March. Adios to shifting!

And I will add, I used to make fun of the auto drivers with the best of them.....until I drove one through traffic, lol.....

 

Those automatics sure are nice when your sitting in Seattle traffic

 

Until the clutches start overheating because you're in D with your foot on the brake at a dead stop, lol.

 

I have no bone to pick with the Europeans they are thousands of miles away from relevance here.. how you even try to compare the two in this way shows how little you know of a dynamically different Industry.. almost everyone is a company driver in Europe.. there are almost no Owner Operators... Its cost Prohibitive... There really Isn't long haul Trucking in Europe like there used to be back in the 60s 70s 80s so naturally an auto would be better for them. So completely Leaving out how fundamentally different their Driver Training is compared to ours.. what I just typed is just one of the differences... get it?
I'm speaking In terms of being an Owner Operator where all the costs for repair fall on you... Which is why Drivers who have to foot the bill want everything as simple as it can be....I know automatics are much better than they were 10 years ago.. or even 5 years ago.. You don't need to point this out..

I get that some of you don't like what I have to say..
act like an Adult about it.. I mean If you are going to essentially bash Old School Truck Drivers on a Trucking Forum you had better be ready to pony up your case to people who take offence to it.. and dont start your Argument with "I make 70k so im right" or "I have friends and a Dealer who agree with me So im Right" and Certainly not "I just really like Automatics....so I think im right"

And Lets not Forget my People's Republic of China sweatshop built standard issue Communist Smart Phone's Text app sometimes incorrectly capitalizes words if I stop typing and am not being pro-communist enough.. and sometimes I forget to correct them.. (Sorry I didn't know I was Writing a article for Merriam Webster).. "So im going to act like a pre-pubescent call names and criticize spelling and ignore what you have to say..but still..Im Right"

Doesn't really bother Me..this kind of thing is all too common anymore.. but to those who act this way.. is this really how you want to represent yourself to The Newcomers in the Industry..?

Id much rather Hear that Cabover Pete Guy tell me about when he used to drive the old air shift twin screws If you screwed up you pulled off to the side of the road and started over.. and how he used to put a Coin with a Hole Drilled into it inside the fuel return on the old Shiny 290 to get more power, Or how great it was to get away from Bias Ply.. Or how you used to have to wait to get enough Air Pressure to let your Detroit Shut Down and empty your catch cans back into the motor before you went home... how the old motors would run backwards If you lugged them down.. Back when You actually conversed with your fellow Driver in person, and didnt talk about them on the internet because they wanted to be sociable with you.

I bid you the fairest of farewells Comrades..

 

That's about the 5th time you've said you're leaving the thread.. Jus' sayin'

 

You are absolutely correct, there are very few Owner Ops, but I don't see what that has to do with your assertion that the only reason companies are switching to auto is to get new drivers in their trucks.

In all sincerity, I am interested in your thoughts on why autos in European fleets are acceptable, or at the very least, not subject to your scorn. What could be the advantage for the European trucking company and why wouldn't a US company also want the same for their business.

 

My mistake if I made it out that that was the only reason some fleets are switching, that wasn't my intention..
there is certainly money to be gained running automated manuals in fleets.. with the reliability that most of them have now any extra maintenance/repair cost of running them is irrelevant given the scale of the fleet involved.. But still there is just more to go wrong on an automated manual..

As with apus and global positioning systems and everything else that makes a drivers life easier, it does allow people with less overall experience to get behind the wheel of a truck.. That doesn't mean any of those things are inherently bad..

I cant really answer your last question since I never found automatics to be "unacceptable" to begin with.. However I will say that automatics got so popular there because Volvo really nailed it in the early 90s with their I shift, everyone else just copied their design to varying degrees of success..

 

Strange how it seems ok for the tone of this thread to bash all of us drivers that use autos as poor incompetent drivers that can't drive a real truck and are unsafe on the roads. But a few people put out their feelings about autos and changing times or what their company buys and suddenly it's an attack on old drivers... LOL

As to grow up, the OP simply asked for some referrals to companies that drove autos and he got what three serious replies and the rest is preaching about the good old days of totally safe drivers and auto vs manual.

Well, unless you are driving a truck without A/C, without Power Steering, without a Jake Brake, without Air Ride, without ABS, and only one gear shifter then you are not driving a "real truck"... lol ... Auto vs Manual is far down the list of what makes a real truck a real truck.

I believe the gentleman that you were replying to simply stated that his company only hired experienced drivers and they ran autos... Sounds a bit like my company. They do a bit of training (I am currently a trainee) but are not a mega training bottom feeder... They have a good business plan in place and push safety and professionalism and yet they too run several different brands on autos... And many of the drivers have many many years of safe driving records too.

As for me, I rather like my auto and hope to never need to drive a manual. If I do, then like everything in life, I will just learn to do so. But with the way things look, I bet I will be driving an auto for many years to come and will probably be replaced by autonomous truck trains on the interstates and then we can all complain about "no real truck drivers" then as there won't be one in the cab expect for the city drivers who drive the last few miles to the customers' doors.

So, Chevy vs Ford, Pepsi vs Coke, Kenworth vs Volvo, PC vs Mac... A hundred years from now it won't matter a bit.

Stay Safe (no matter what you drive),
MD

 

So now I am really confused... Is this an auto vs manual thread or equipment choice options between O/O vs Company Drivers... LOL

Oh right... Some guy just wanted a few referrals for companies that drive autos... Had nothing to do with O/O and why they choose the equipment they choose...

peace all y'alls,
MD