Why Not Automatic?!

Give me a darn break. That line of thinking is so old school and outdated. Why don't we then chuck the cell phones too? After all, if you don't want to wait in line for a pay phone, you are in the wrong job! Or how about the old coffin sleepers? If you don't want to crawl thru a small opening and bang your head getting in an out of a little sleeper, then you are in the wrong job! This "machismo" line of thinking about "you just aint a real truck driver unless you shift gears all day long" is a crock. If you want to, great. I like my 18. But if someone wants to use an auto to make their life easier, then go for it. I am seriously contemplating going with an Allison T10TC full automatic tranny next go around on a truck. If you hate autos, then by all means don't ever buy one. Then you can stroke your ego that you are a "real truck driver" and look down on those that have mental acuity to make their life easier.

 

Yup of course, same gearbox as an I shift , safe, easy, reliable and no drama, same when manouvering or backing up as an automatic car or pickup truck yet nobody gives out about those, they don't miss or grind gears especially on hills and anybody can use one including new students. There's no control issues and can be manually overridden at any time.

 

Must be a transplant. REAL TX gals don't whine so much.

 

Well we are back to this again are we. The transmissions are the same they have just removed the stick and put on an electronic/air shift system on them. Same gearbox different top. You can actually use any gearbox provided the top fits and it has the right number of gears. The setback is there are more parts, and an electronic package that if you get some ####### dropping the positive clamp on while trying to jump the truck on the gearbox will set you back 5G whereas the same ####### can drop the positive clamp on a stick and not cost anything. I will not mention Gill by name as the ####### to protect his identity.

 

That is why I am looking at and considering the new Allison T10 TC. True automatic and not some robot trying to shift a manual transmission. Allison has been putting automatics in trucks before these autoshifts were a gleam in someone's eye. Long before there were ever computers as part of engines or any other part of a vehicle. I drove an International with an Allison automatic pulling an end dump in Alaska for a while in the 80's. I actually liked it. Now they have really perfected their automatics to where they are giving the autoshifts a run for their money on fuel economy. A lot less complicated and no robot trying to float the gears like in an autoshift.

 

Dont know about that talk to my wife she has an 18 auto in her Volvo 780 she loves it. It hasnt caused any problems so far and she drives mountains and does heavy haul all the time. She has driven every type of truck with every type of gearbox and multiple gearboxes. Love for you to tell her she is not a real trucker. She will put you in your place.

 

Whether you have to shift or you have an automatic. It makes no difference. If you are driving that big rig, you ARE a trucker. I'm sick of the old school stuff of, we use to do this, we use to do that. That was OLD school. If you can't keep up with the current days of how things are done, then it's time to retire. Some people have knee issues & are hard working folks driving so driving an automatic helps so they can still do what they love to do. Drive the big trucks. For most, it's their life. They do with what they can when they can. Stop degrading people for changing. How rude and immature. Everyone has their own opinion & choice of either auto or stick to drive. Deal with it.

 

you made some good valid points.I never use the old school line manily because I didnt drive back then.I always suggest a manual because if the driver decides to get a company with automatics and then later on down the road goes manual thats never been trained on manual will have to go thru training all over again.

 

exactly the issue with not knowing how to shift!! IMO the OP has shifter envy cant shift so wants an excuse for it. I for one rather have manual for better control of my truck. now im not saying you will have less control with an automatic as i have never drove one in a semi so cant say from personal experience but have plenty of experience with 4 wheelers automatics and there fine and dandy for the commuter but any one that needs to control the power of the engine needs control over the tranny ..ie hauling heavy loads.

 

I have never drove an automatic.Heck I don't even know what an automatic trk looks like.You made an excellent point needing the manual for heavy loads.