What are your thoughts on automatic vs manual transmissions?

I might need to go back and read his statement again but I don’t recall him saying anything about descending a hill “faster”… just how he uses the options on the engine in his examples to safely descend a hill.

Seems you might be responding to an argument that was never asserted.

 

Did he make such an assumption?

Everyone uses the tech they are comfortable using.

Strangely, I believe your post is the first one to suggest certain drivers may be “luddites” or “troglodytes” and assigning an age range to that group and then making the assertion that someone else is making those assumptions.

but maybe I am wrong.

 

Hopefully the highlighted areas help you see where I was coming from.

If my first post you quoted came across as arrogant, so be it. But it was frustration at the same poster having posted misleading and incorrect information, not just in this thread, but repeatedly elsewhere, as well.

That highlighted section? That's how you plow into stopped traffic. You've used a substantial portion of your braking system's heat capacity in order to save a few minutes of descent time. If something happens in front of you, your stopping distance is substantially longer because that already used up capacity will result in reduced braking due to the earlier onset of brake fade.

The proper way to came off a grade with a Jake is in a gear that requires only occasional brake applications, if any at all.

But I'm done here. We've veered far of topic. Largely my fault (I am a long-standing member of the Hjjacker's Club!) but I have a hard time letting misinformation slide. It's especially frustrating to read how much of it comes out of the CDL schools.

Now back to your regularity scheduled programming...

 

Disc brakes or drum brakes, auto or manual transmission, this is correct.

Experience brake fade just once in your life and you will understand.

 

Thank you sir, for saying what needed be said.

Riding the brakes for a long way, at 10 psi, is a recipe for disaster.
Thats okay for 300' then releasing them, just to slow down, but not prolonged use.

If schools are teaching this BS, they should be shut down immediately.

 

Thanks @Oxbow as usual you are correct.

Only occasionally are you incorrect, but I understand when you are. Not everyone can be perfect like me

 

Well............you have attributes that I don't have!

But I try.

 

You are wrong, you still have lots of stopping power. You can look up the data they did on both methods the brakes are almost identical in their temperature. Keeping this on the automatic transmission subject. The Detroit automatic Descent Mode will not work once you apply the brakes. You will have to set it up again as your going downhill. That is probably why lots of older drivers say they don't feel they are in control of the truck and transmission going downhill. They keep driving it like their manual and don't learn how to even use Descent Mode.

Depending on how drivers handle the truck with manual transmission. They can probably go faster and not touch the brake pedal if they let automatic transmission and engine and computers do their thing. Most drivers in manual transmission won't go downhill at 2100 or 2200 RPMs. I was trained that's a big NO because you can't pull the trailer needed without shifting gears. Do you run your RPMs 2100 2200 going downhill in manual transmission ?

 

You can ride the brakes all day long at 10psi or less and they won't overheat. If you been driving for some time you should know this.

 

No, I'm not wrong, you're not grasping the point. You don't have to overheat the brakes to reduce the overall stopping capabilites of the system.

in favorable conditions, of course! And while I haven't driven one, I would bet that your descent mode does the same thing. In any conditions were pulling the trailer is a worry, you're going to be operating at substantially lower speed and RPM to minimize torque at the drive tires.

Quite frankly, the whole last half of that post is right back into the tell me without telling me territory. I don't say that to insult you, I say it in the hope you'll understand that the training system in Trucking is broken, and much of what drivers are taught is wrong!