Stupid auto shift or stupid driver.

6.5? Holy crappy mileage Batman. Auto's should do a lot better than that. I have a 579 Pete with a straight 10 speed and I am averaging over 8 so far this month. Another driver here has the same truck with an auto and is in the 9's as long as it isn't windy...and we haul reefer freight grossing in the 77-79k lb range.

 

We climbed mountains well enough, just not steep enough to matter as far as putting the #### thing into manual mode.

Now getting off a mountain downgrade was always done in manual mode.

The very best automatic benefit for us was gridlock traffic, you can stop and go all day long and not be tired as you might be fighting a manual.

 

I've tried to stay out of the auto vs manuals threads. Personally, I find autos work fine 90% of the time. It's like driving a '99 Cavalier. It works, it does ok, it doesn't cause too many headaches.

Manuals to me kind of go hand in hand with slightly older trucks. Where there is a switch for the wipers, a switch for the jakes, switch for the headlights, etc etc. The driver needed to manually drive the truck and move switches and levers to make things do things. The newer auto trucks seem to try to insulate the driver from choices, or from having to do things. I'm talking '90s/'00s trucks vs. '10-15 trucks.

Anyway, that's my opinion. I think Chewy didn't screw up, and I think in a manual there would've been no problem.

I personally have issues with autos dumbing down society to the lowest denominator, but that's including cars and class 8s.

 

My first trip out with my last flatbed company, was in a auto. I hope i never drive one again.

It don't upshift till 900 rpm. climbing hills. and it didn't downshift till 11 going down hills. the trip took 90 minutes longer. On the way back, i stayed in manual and did my own shifting. I didn't see any better fuel economy then the 13sp manual i got assigned. My new truck i got last year was the last manual the company ordered. It got better fuel economy. But, considering pulling a flat through the western mountains. I'm not seeing how economy can be a big factor between stick or auto. It's a lost cause as far as i'm concerned.

I also heard that if you slide or whatever in the snow. You're pretty much screwed in trying to get rolling again as the trucks derate. Leaving you parked on the side of the road.

 

I was making a illegal u turn at a intersection and just when I made it dead center of the four lanes my automatic thing started beeping and blinking. I was now blocking 2 east bound and two west bound lanes. Restarted the truck and it didn't change anything ... I undid the ground on the batteries and waited what felt like an hour and tried again and I was able To clear out. Jesus talk about getting so sweaty lol.

 

My very first trip with an auto (not happy) pulled a uturn in a parking lot that was just a bit too small. I knew the trailer tandems would rub into the snow bank (12"). As they did so the tranny paused to upshift. NOT the time to shift.

That trip I will begrudgingly admit the auto MIGHT have made my life as a rookie easier, all I had to do was gas brake steer. Ultimately, I miss the control of the older trucks. I miss the skill that's needed to operate one.

 

I'm not sure the Eaton auto shift are very good. The Volvo ishift and Detroit seem to me a much more advanced transmission

 

What I truly love about this story is you accepting blame, or assigning blame onto yourself for a failed POS technology,
You told the truck to do something, and you blew it's little electronic mind.

The mega's call the overburdening the driver.
Too many tasks for the driver. Driver needs to hold steering wheel, and fill out 97 QC forms. All those forms take time. It necessary to know how to fill out forms, not shift, back, or do log books.