Bad news for manual lovers

Contrary to the OP, the Navistar/automatic is a pilot program. Not a fleet wide change.

Swift used to prohibit training in automatic trucks for the same concerns many have eluded to here. The fear being that a driver trained on a automatic will not have the proficiency to drive a manual in the fleet should the need arise. I don't hear that that policy has changed.

As far as the sales pitch that automatics are more fuel efficient I have no doubt that appeals to Swift's middle management; they know nothing about trucks or trucking. That is why they are working for Swift: nepotism not knowledge. A stupid sales pitch can always convince the clueless.

Swift is not buying these trucks. They buy very few trucks. They are leasing them with a warranty from International. The downsides of the automatic will not be seen by Swift. In fact, International will pay Swift to do the warranty work, unlike Frieghtliner who caught Swift screwing them with warranty labor and parts.

 

Pfft! OK thanks 2MB. Sounds like they have some work to do yet LOL.

 

Yup. The very truck Swift is leasing.

 

And you read the manual before driving it?

 

Auto is the default shifting method. I can't speak to Allisons, but with the iShift, you can shift manually when conditions require it.

 

Yes, what is your point?

 

My point is that many think they can drive a auto just because they can drive a manual.
They don't have the same driving style which causes lost off ill feeling towards auto's.

I will explain with a example.
Few months ago a driver came and complained about auto's,to be exact the I-shift.
He said they were dangerous because the way it acted when taking a left turn at a junction.
Jerky,running to high revs,lagging in shifting.........
I then asked him if he had put the peddle to the metal at said junction.(he was at a full stop before crossing)
"Offcourse,just like i do with a manual" was his responce.
Now i know that if you do that with a I-shift (and this is true for several auto's),it will act in a very strange way.
If you ,in that situation,just push down the peddle lighty you will cross in a fast way and the truck will shift like a dream.
Skip gears when it needs to,won't run high revs.................

It took me more then a month to really be able to work my auto best way.

Auto's require a different drivingstyle compared to manuals.

And lets not forget,a driver who stinks at driving a manual will most likely also be a bad driver with a auto.
It is NOT like if you drive a auto that you don't need skills to drive.
You should look at it like powersteering.
You don't need it to drive a truck but it makes it easier.

ps don't forget there are 3 kind off auto's
1°automatics ,like you find in most cars

2°automated manuals which i think are a waiste off money

3°purpose build auto's which are basicly mechanical gearboxes,like manuals,but can only be operated by a computer.
And those are the ones i think will be the future.(example is the I-shift)

 

Here is the way I see it. An automatic or a manual is just a transmission configuration.

In either/or a driver who is a bad driver will still:

Speed
Run tires up on curbs
Cut off other drivers
Get in the hammer lane when governed at 62
Haul ### on ice
Drive like a madman through a truckstop
Try to be a super trucker
Back into your rig at the t/s, shipper, receiver
Txt while driving

and...

Flash his #### brights at night to signal you over...

There are safe drivers and unsafe drivers. Experienced and inexperienced. If the idea is that SWIFT will save money on fuel and make it less daunting for people to enter the field with automatics, that is all fine and dandy--but at the end of the day they will still be paying everyone and there mom for accidents that are still going to happen regardless of what kind of transmission is in the box.

unloader

 

Thank you, I was wondering when someone was going to point out that you can shift manually. My truck is always in manual because I prefer to grab my gears. I can have it in auto mode and still grab a gear if I want , so many strong opinions from so many that have clearly never drove a truck with the auto shift OPTION.

 

Western express is also switching and us express is switching back to autos as well.