Volvo 670 D13 2014 ishift or freightliner Cascadia D13 automatic

I cannot speak of "repairs" per se...

but I've been driving a Ryder Rental 2016 Freightliner with the DT12 Auto Shift for 3 weeks now, and I have to say...I like it.

Initially the volvo i-shift was tugging at my heart, but, im cheap, and unless someone can convince me that volvo is the way to go, I'm strongly leaning towards Cascadia with DT12 Auto Shift

 

I-shift hands down. I've driven both and and the freightliner didn't even come close to i-shift..

 

@win-some-loose-less ....GREAT....BUT

we still did not learn anything from your response other than you an i-shift fanboi

Maybe you can elaborate the preference a lil deeper?

 

Freightliner starts in first and wines out till it's about to blow up, skips a few which is ok but it decides to skip gears at the wrong time a lot and ends up lugging. The freightliner also kicks itself into neutral every time you go down a hill and doesn't decide to kick itself back into gear and start pulling till you have already lost Speed and it's to late to recover going back uphill. The freightliner also takes forever to shift.. the i shift does none of that and literally drives like a dang pickup truck.. the trans programming on i shift is just so much ahead of freightliner. Guess I am a fan boy.. never thought I would LOVE a auto but i shift is the best in the game.. the Mack m-drive is suppose to be pretty close to ishift so it's probably good to just haven't drove one.

 

@win-some-loose-less ...Thanks for your response (I thought you might get mad with me calling you a "fan-boi" and not respond)

Nonetheless, The experience you've mentioned above is not what I've experienced in the last 3 weeks. Maybe its because I'm driving a 2016/17 cascadia w/ auto-shift.

It starts off in 2nd (level / minor incline ground with less than 30K lbs)

It does not skip gears...It actually goes thru the entire 2-10 shifts even when downshifting, unless I come to a stop while its on 5th gear, then at a complete stop, you can hear the gear levers doing their re-adjustment (just like I would with a manual)

I HAVE NOT seen it switch to NEUTRAL on downhill. it re-adjusts to correct gear/road speed combo and I use cruise control/engine brakes 99% of the times.

I actually pass other trucks on the up-hill since its already in the sweet-spot for that grade/gear/road speed/load combo.

Maybe you drive an early version of freightliners attempt to have automated transmission.

I will take extra notes today and provide further input

BTW, the motor on this 2016/17 Cascadia is ISX-450

 

@nax, what transmission does that cascadia have? An Eaton auto 10 speed? In one post you say DT12, in another you say it shifts in order 2-10. (which sounds like the POS Eaton auto 10 speed)

I drove a 2017 Cascadia the other day that had a DT12 transmission. It was pretty solid just about as good as the 2011, 2012 Volvo I shifts I was driving. Yeah, I'm with win-some-loose=-less on this. The volvo I shifts are seriously solid and have been for some time. Smart shifting, both up and down, great jake's (way way way better than the DD's jakes.) and easy peasy to back up. (something the Eaton's suck at)

I always pulled better mileage (same route, approx same weight) than I did with a similarly spec'd Freightliner. And the Volvo I shift would usually pull better still. (mostly because it was a 12 speed and the manuals were all 10 speeds).

A 500k mile Volvo is still solid and rattle free and well there isn't a 500k mile freightliner in existence that is solid and rattle free.

The volvo has much better ergonomics than a freightliner. Anyone who drove a late 90's century is instantly at home in a brand new cascadia. That's not a compliment.

 

Brain fart moment.

I thought dt12 was just synonymous with all freightliners auto trannies. I did not realize the "12" implied 12 forward speed gears....lol

That said, I guess I have the crappy eaton 10spd automated.

 

Last week i passed 1,800,000 miles on my Volvo 780 , 2008( bought it new in June "07, running team mostly) ; Volvo D13 engine, no in-frame yet, i replaced cam once and injectors twice, cups twice, still pulling great 8-9 mpg.
I can't comment about transmission, i have on original Eaton 13 manual and original differentials, i replaced all 3 axles.