Saw an automatic Mack today.

Does your truck not have that hill assist start button? Does it do that even when you use it?

 

Haha! Oh boy I regret to say this but what button would that be? There no Manuel in this truck. So I'll explain what I see. First there the little screen with that shows what gear, the trucks in, or if it's in R or N. Then below is a engine button not sure what that is. R N D + - and M those I know. I don't know what the engine one is or the PERF means.

 

Never mind on the hill thing.. I was thinking of hill assist that helps you start from a stop on a hill. Mack calls it Grade Gripper,
Grade Gripper uses the ABS to hold a truck in position on a grade for three seconds while a driver moves his foot from the brake to the throttle.

There are a couple other features your truck may or may not have that you may or may not know about.. In the interest of not repasting what I found I'll just give the link..

http://www.trucknews.com/test-drive/driving-the-mack-granite-with-mdrive-hd/

 

I drive a Volvo with an Ishift for Bouchard, and at first I wasn't sure I would like it, but like you, it's grown on me. I have the same problems you do with getting under a loaded trailer and starting on hills. We take full advantage of the 100k lbs weight limit in Maine so it might be worse. We are also phasing out standard trucks for all autos.

The Volvo I drive doesn't have hill assist, but the newer trucks have them and the few auto Macks we have do as well. They don't have a button to activate the hill assist, it will kick in on its own when it senses your on an incline.