Bad news for manual lovers

I know several truck drivers with bad knees & or hips, yet it was not from the clutch pedal, it was from getting in & out of their truck, jumping off the trailer, & or docks. As for me I never injured my knee from using the clutch pedal.

 

US Xpress is once again going back to autos.

 

And we have a winner!!!!!!

 

Let me say this, I've been driving for about 8 months now. 1st company had a manual and learned to drive it fine. 2nd company get stuck in a frigging automatic...ive been begging for a manual truck and have only been in an auto a month....when I was in a manual I was getting 7.5 mpg, now in the auto I'm getting 6.8 mpg

 

You can't compare 2 different companies hauling 2 different loads on 2 different truck setups. Gearing, load weights, aero packages, motors are different.

 

I know that's right... hearing some driver "roaring" through the parking lot always draws my attention and a head shake...

 

It wasn't too far back in these forums where this driver bought a used truck with an Eaton automated manual. He was driving in some nasty winter weather and the truck had him broke down on the side of the road freezing his butt off. He had to be towed to a dealer at great cost. They found that the ice collected onto sone wires on the tranny and several connections got yanked out. Then they charged him a small fortune to figure out how to fix it. You'd think after 15 yrs of having these transmissions, Eaton would have a recall on this? Guess not.

 

Good thoughts, & good advise. No doubt after several miles troubles will come, & that means dollars out of the owners pocketbook.

I wonder, how much more does the auto weigh than the manual shift transmissions?

The smoothies & quietest trucks I ever drove were those with a set of boxes. And they are very good at putting the power to the wheels without losing power in-between the engine & the tires.

Yet the new breed of truck drivers will never see it that way, they just want easy street thinking we know nothing.

 

Driven: Allison 4-speed auto, Allison 5-speed auto, Detroit 12-speed auto (in the Cascadia Evolution), 7LL, 9-speed, 10-speed, 13-speed (direct, short OD, and double-OD), 15-speed OD (old, horsecollar), 18-speed, 5x4 and a 6x4.

Personal favorite was the 6x4.

Least favorite: Detroit 12-speed.

And that isn't nostalgia speaking from a veteran driver, I'm 22. I liked the 6x4 because it was forgiving. There's so many gear combinations you can always find a hole to drop it into.

Problem is trucking schools teach you how to drive a 9, 10, maybe a 13-speed.

They never teach you how to shift.

 

Look I dont know anyone whos drivin an auto and actually prefeered it over a manual and I agree with rockyroad I drive a 379 pete and id take that with my eaton 18 any day thats a real truck and at the end of the day its all about lovin what u do. I know I do