Freymiller or Prime?

You say it sucks now until you're in Atlanta and then you'll be glad to drive an automatic.

 

I hate automatics in traffic.

 

I find this a bit far fetched

 

I can see larger outfits going to autos, and eventually they will become the majority for one reason, fuel savings. Autos are more fuel efficient, their shift points are set to keep the engine in the horsepower/torque efficiency range. I have driven both, they both get the job done, but I have recovered tractors with autos that were programmed to stay in economy mode, and it was noticeable as the shift points are for economy, not performance, which is noticeable on grades.

 

My problem with autos is that they don't know everything about what is going on and they sacrifice safety for fuel economy.

Also they are ok for big fleets who trade out the trucks before they start having problems, but the more complicated they make them the more prone to failure they are and the harder and more expensive they are to maintain as they age. Owner Operators and small fleets who buy used trucks will not want used and abused autos that will need expensive repairs and maintenance, affecting the resale value of the autos.

 

How do they compromise safety? I heave heard plenty of objects and issues with certain manufacturers, but there are also some that are nothing moire than a manual with an electronic or air shift.

 

I expect a truck to behave in a predictable manner. When I don't know when it's going to use the jake brakes, when it's going to shut them off because it thinks it's an appropriate time to save on fuel, when it's going to just do the jake brakes, or when it's going to drop a gear, or when it's going to drop three, it can't be described as predictable. When I'm dealing with traffic, I want to know what's going to happen when I take my foot off the gas, if I need to hit the brakes, how hard I need to hit the brakes, and when it's off doing it's own thing because it thinks that that's the fuel efficient way to do it, I don't think it's terribly safe.

And manual mode doesn't work very well on a lot of these trucks, even if it hasn't been disabled many of them have been neutered to where it governs the rpms at an unreasonably low point when it's in manual mode, lower than where it sometimes shifts in automatic mode.