DT12 vs 13 speed

You're not kidding...heck things change like night & day in matter of weeks here sometimes..lol

 

Maybe some of these issues are brand specific. Like I mentioned in an earlier post I am driving a KW T680 and other than the low speed creep I have had none of those problems.

Cannot give you comparison MPG because I was issued an auto as my first truck and only drove a ,manual in school and as a loaner once. I can give you my mpg based on the T680 auto governed at 66 mph which is where I drove it at all times I could. I am a company driver so have not devoted too much time keeping track of my mpg but have kept a general eye on it with thoughts of someday becoming a L/O or O/O.

I averaged between the low to mid 8's mpg 90% of the time including many heavy loads (40k or higher) and about 20% of the time was in hills. If the average time spent on hills increased I would drop down to low to mid 7's, maybe low 7's mpg but very rarely lower than that. I have seen into the 9's and even the occasional low 10 mpg with light loads on mostly flat terrain.

My company recently upped the governed speed to 70 mph and I have been keeping it there as much as possible. That extra 4 mph has really taken a toll on the mpg, so much so I am quite surprised. I have barely hit 8 mpg since I've been running at 70. Seems like an excessive drop but it's what I've experienced.

 

Thread isn't old, and already a huge change down the pipe for choice.

I hate to say I told you so, but.....

 

I'm the one who gets to say I told you so!!!!!.... Lol

 

Nevermind, disregard the last statement I'm not to be held responsible for anything typed or read.

 

Haha, a whoomping 1400 ft tq cap. We've come a long way baby!

 

I guess am curious about the guys that are having issues with the auto's on down hills, maybe it's because we are light at only 54,000 or maybe I have been doing it all wrong, but I have a pretty good idea what gear I need to be in when I crest the hill, I stick it in that gear on manual (usually 9th. sometimes 8th) and I use the 3 position switch on the jake to adjust my speed, thought every one did???

 

I have driven both the I-shifts and the DT-12 ( along with owing just about every other AMT that has ever come down the pike) and I can tell you they are worlds better at creeping or backing, esp. uphill compared to my Ultra-shift plus, the US is a "slam-bang" type of creep!!
huge difference.

Not trying to be a smart ###, but the single biggest issue I have found on running a fleet of auto's is that "most" drivers simply do not read through the tranny manual to see what features that particulate tranny has or how to use them.
As an example, I had a guy smoke a clutch in an auto trying to back up a small hill, found out he didn't know that tranny has TWO reverses available. It's that kind of stuff that gives the auto's a bad name.

I am specing a new KW right now with an Allison TC-10, I can't wait to get it, I feel it is the best of both worlds, guess we will see.