Autos vs Manual transmissions

You're right, maybe people should learn to use the clutch brake. Go back and read my post carefully, especially the part where I said these drivers were not snot nosed rookies driving for mega's.

Spoken like someone whose never actually driven one, but get's tons of knowledge sitting around the truck stop counter

Apparently, you are not a real truck driver either, that truck in your pic has air ride suspension, air ride seats, air conditioning, power steering and sleeper bigger than a coffin. Tell you what, give up every single one of those creature comforts, forever, then we'll talk about "real truck drivers". ​

 

Yep, every day I see and hear drivers with 20+ yrs exp. grind gears, maybe they need an auto so they stop abusing that trans.

 

Hmm, that's funny, sounds like more driver abuse. Of our 12 autoshifts or autos, 8 are out of warranty and have not been in the shop for a single trans related item, in fact none were in the shop for a trans related item while under warranty. Our current highest mileage autoshift has 560K on it, never had a trans related issue, but the injectors have been replaced 4 times. I'm sure though that that's only because it's an autoshift, mauals never have injector failures How about giving me the name and phone number of these shops with these dozens upon dozens of auto's breaking down, I'd like to call and verify. BTW, I have friends who drive heavy wreckers in the Denver area, I can easily call and ask them how many auto's they tow in because of trans related failures. Although I sure do see a lot of older Pete's, KW's and Freightliners on the hook, trucks built before auto's came about.

Almost every day I do these things, next argument

 

Friday morning, I jumped in our Mack with mdrive auto. It was -3 degrees and a bit of an icy mess over the course of the day. Very shortly after leaving, the dumb auto got all confused, froze up due to cold and ice. Had to sit on side of road and let it warm up for an hour. Then, due to the auto transmission, truck slipped on ice on a downgrade and off the road I went! Had to get a wrecker to pull me out of a ditch.....get to customer FINALLY, missed appointment due to being late (thanks to the auto). Of course once I arrive I couldn't even bump the dock without slamming into it, hit it too hard and part of the load tipped over (thanks to the auto)......

Just kidding, none of those things ever happen, it ran flawlessly as usual.

 

It’s all the fault of the driver and the way the company programmed the computer rogue.... couldn’t be that a computer screwed a truck up.

Yes striker it has Pete air leaf, ps, pw, 62” bunk and the trans even has that new fangled automatic single stick with the air shift thing that they brought out in the 80s.......but not a computer in sight to cause a break down and all I had to do was put forth a little effort and pride and learn how to shift

 

Correct on both counts @MACK E-6. I didn’t call Mr. Redings skills into question in fact I was merely educating Striker on the real reason autos exist and it ain’t for the qualified driver. My truck does have a computer however......it’s behind the wheel where it should be

 

^^^ Correct. 'Remember always follow the money.'

Despite what some believe, the largest expense in trucking is driver wages, not fuel!

You increase the pool of drivers, you are able to lower the wages: Supply and demand you know.

As such, the one untapped pool of potential is women, over half the population. Women represent 51-52% of the population but only about 5% of the commercial drivers. (actually 4-8% depending on who you believe.)

While no one is saying a woman can't drive a manual. The overwhelming data is most prefer an automatic.
Can Women Handle a Manual Transmission?
Why the industry needs more women

Now while you automatic lovers have been led to believe that it was about fuel economy, I have pointed out several times that is not really the case. If it does at all, It only provides greater fuel economy for a fleet of poor drivers. For experienced drivers, that should not be you.

The fuel economy issue is just a diversion from the real issue; automatics are to increase meat looking for a seat. Thus lowering the price of the driver: the greatest cost to a trucking company.

Fuel economy is just a bone thrown out to the drivers that might protest. For drivers that might miss their stick, that feel neutered with an automatic.

Now just because automatics are to increase the driver pool with more women, that is no reason for you automatic lovers to be so sensitive about it.

 

....BTW I drove 80 miles on the big road today and saw two trucks driving down the shoulder ~10 mph.