AUTOSHIFTS

[Shebear]

US Express says the entire industry will be running with auto transmissions in a couple of years. Comments?

Is this better for fuel economy? How do they drive?

[Cam]

lllloooovvvveeee mine. It's great having one less thing to think about when you are watching both the nose of your truck and the rear of your trailer at the same time during a turn. Ah, it's just easier all the way around!

[mike3fan]

no thanks

[Kranky]

I prefer to shift manually, thank you.

[coastie]

I could go either way....

[Rookie McRookerson]

I'm a new driver. Just finished school with 10 speed tranmissions. My employer has autoshifts. I've spent the last 4 weeks over the road. I have to say, I love 'em.

Now, I'm no spring chicken (50). I have no macho image I'm trying to preserve. I just find it so much easier to concentrate on the other things I need to watch without the added task of shifting.

I've read other posts where drivers have said they would never want to drive an autoshift. Then they get to a point where they have to for one reason or another. They come back and say they were wrong. They love them too.

I think its just the next evolution of trucks. How many drivers with a manual transmission would like to go back to the days with a 5/4 double stick? Reaching through the steering wheel with your left arm to shift both sticks?

[Kranky]

How many drivers with a manual transmission would like to go back to the days with a 5/4 double stick? Reaching through the steering wheel with your left arm to shift both sticks?

I would, in a heartbeat.

[Fozzy]

5X4? only if they are limited to trucks with power plants under 300 HP.. This is crazy!

[LadyNorthStar]

No more auto for me thanks. Had one for 7 months. ugh

[Uturn2001]

IN 5 years I could see maybe 40% of the trucks running auto's and maybe in 10 years that number jumping to about 60%. IMHO truck drivers will be flying cargo sleds before the entire industry is auto shift.

[Malaki86]

In response to the question of the fuel mileage, I can give you some fairly average numbers from the two trucks I've had where I work now.

Our average haul is east of the MS, mainly in the north-east, carrying an average load of 40-45k lbs. All of our trucks has the Webasto heaters, so until it starts warming up, idling the trucks (lowering the mileage) isn't an issue.

When I started here, I was assigned a 2001 Volvo 660 with a Super 10. Over a period of 2 months my average mpg was 5.9.

I've been in my 2002 Volvo 780 with the 10 speed automatic (it's a former USXpress truck) for about 1.5 months now. My average mpg is 7.3. Also, I used to drive for USXpress, and those numbers are pretty much right on from when I drove for them.

So, figure an average week of 2500 miles (I honestly don't know my actual average, but 2500 is about average overall).

2500 miles @ 5.9mpg = 423.73 gallons
2500 miles @ 7.3mpg = 342.47 gallons

81.26 gallons less per week in the automatic
$203.15 less in fuel per week in the automatic (figured @ $2.50/gallon)

Pretty hefty savings...

As far as automatics being heavier than standards, it is. By about 30-40#. The only difference is that there's an additional computer, a servo plate with 2 electric servos that mount on the top of the tranny (replaces the gearshift plate in a standard) and an electric servo for operating the High-Low range in the tranny. Oh, and the control pad in the truck (R,N,D,L).

Before I received my current truck, the tranny had an oil pump go out, which sent metal through the gearbox, destroying it. The mechanic pulled out a newly rebuilt standard 10 speed transmission, put the parts I mentioned above on it, put it in the truck and it was done. He had no idea that they were IDENTICAL.

Myself, if I ever would buy a truck, it would be an automatic.

[GMAN]

I drove an auto shift for several months. It was in a Volvo. My fuel mileage was less than when I drove a Peterbilt with a 10 speed. In fairness the Volvo was new and not yet broken in. The Volvo had a Cummins and the Pete had a Detroit. I love the auto shift in heavy Chicago rush hour traffic, but don't care for the way they shift in mountains. Over all, I prefer a manual transmission. I think it will be some time before the auto shifts will be in the majority of trucks, if ever.

[pepe4158]

Never been so scarred in my life, as when going down Eisenhower in my crappy USX auto-shift truck and that ^$%*in piece of &*#t eaton-fuller automatic went out on me leaving me in neutral going down Eisenhower
:-P
He$$-no I wouldnt own 1
The truth is that USX wanted to put in their trucks cuz they treat people like dog-$*&^T and have a 99% turn over rate so they have to fiqure out how to put people in their trucks with minimal training (I trained for USX almost 5 years :-p ) I liked the automatics ONLY cuz I could make good $ their as a trainer.
Max Fuler wasnt a bad owner, when he turned the company over to his broker partner Pat Quinn ,to run while he played politician, we drivers were treated like dog-@*^p! N they needed a faster way to replace experienced drivers(thats the real story as Paul Harvey says!)
I was wondering how they spin their stroy in propaganda now?
Auto-shifts good to own LMAO

[Fozzy]

Never been so scarred in my life, as when going down Eisenhower in my crappy USX auto-shift truck and that ^$%*in piece of &*#t eaton-fuller automatic went out on me leaving me in neutral going down Eisenhower
:-P
He$$-no I wouldnt own 1
The truth is that USX wanted to put in their trucks cuz they treat people like dog-$*&^T and have a 99% turn over rate so they have to fiqure out how to put people in their trucks with minimal training (I trained for USX almost 5 years :-p ) I liked the automatics ONLY cuz I could make good $ their as a trainer.
Max Fuler wasnt a bad owner, when he turned the company over to his broker partner Pat Quinn ,to run while he played politician, we drivers were treated like dog-@*^p! N they needed a faster way to replace experienced drivers(thats the real story as Paul Harvey says!)
I was wondering how they spin their stroy in propaganda now?
Auto-shifts good to own LMAO

As for the automatics being any different than any other equipment failure on a grade is just hogwash, if you lose something in the powertrain on a steep grade, then your in trouble.

On the other comments:

Bitter much?
First you say they had poor training and then that you "trained" there for 5 years... what kind of real statement does this make?

[pepe4158]

Never been so scarred in my life, as when going down Eisenhower in my crappy USX auto-shift truck and that ^$%*in piece of &*#t eaton-fuller automatic went out on me leaving me in neutral going down Eisenhower
:-P
He$$-no I wouldnt own 1
The truth is that USX wanted to put in their trucks cuz they treat people like dog-$*&^T and have a 99% turn over rate so they have to fiqure out how to put people in their trucks with minimal training (I trained for USX almost 5 years :-p ) I liked the automatics ONLY cuz I could make good $ their as a trainer.
Max Fuler wasnt a bad owner, when he turned the company over to his broker partner Pat Quinn ,to run while he played politician, we drivers were treated like dog-@*^p! N they needed a faster way to replace experienced drivers(thats the real story as Paul Harvey says!)
I was wondering how they spin their stroy in propaganda now?
Auto-shifts good to own LMAO

As for the automatics being any different than any other equipment failure on a grade is just hogwash, if you lose something in the powertrain on a steep grade, then your in trouble.
On the other comments:
Bitter much?
First you say they had poor training and then that you "trained" there for 5 years... what kind of real statement does this make?

WHAT KIND OF REAL STATEMENT, more $ in my pocket and more in USX pockets, bottom line was all either of us carred about.
Those transmissions were crap......be my quest to own one if you must and they went out far more then the problem YOU sited!

[Blacksheep]

When I was buying my truck in January I test drove identical W900L's everything being the same exept the trannies one had a 18spd and the other had a freedom line automatic ( no clutch).
The auto was nice and all but the 18spd just felt better, and that's what I ended up with.
Can't complain with my choice one bit, in the end I just prefer the old school way of trucking. :wink:

[flood]

Never been so scarred in my life, as when going down Eisenhower in my crappy USX auto-shift truck and that ^$%*in piece of &*#t eaton-fuller automatic went out on me leaving me in neutral going down Eisenhower
:-P
He$$-no I wouldnt own 1
The truth is that USX wanted to put in their trucks cuz they treat people like dog-$*&^T and have a 99% turn over rate so they have to fiqure out how to put people in their trucks with minimal training (I trained for USX almost 5 years :-p ) I liked the automatics ONLY cuz I could make good $ their as a trainer.
Max Fuler wasnt a bad owner, when he turned the company over to his broker partner Pat Quinn ,to run while he played politician, we drivers were treated like dog-@*^p! N they needed a faster way to replace experienced drivers(thats the real story as Paul Harvey says!)
I was wondering how they spin their stroy in propaganda now?
Auto-shifts good to own LMAO

so you lost a tranny going down hill. will if you had been been going slow like you should have been and if you had the tranny in MANUAL like thay tell you to then it would not have come out of gear like you said but most likely you bumped it out of gear yourself by trying to hit manual but missed and hit N..?

my frist auto was a 2000, we are in a 2007 now and have NEVER EVER had one jump out of gear and BTW we have never had one go bad either. maybe that says something about how YOU drive

and just so you know max IS running the company and has been for years so i don't know ware you get YOUR info.

as for being a trainer you were that kind that only cared about using two log books so you could make more money not about realy training.

in short it ready doesn't take much to see that your post is more of a reant than anything and that in general you are nothing but a bitter little man

[Dejanh]

I drove an auto shift for several months. It was in a Volvo. My fuel mileage was less than when I drove a Peterbilt with a 10 speed. In fairness the Volvo was new and not yet broken in. The Volvo had a Cummins and the Pete had a Detroit. I love the auto shift in heavy Chicago rush hour traffic, but don't care for the way they shift in mountains. Over all, I prefer a manual transmission. I think it will be some time before the auto shifts will be in the majority of trucks, if ever.

is one of your trucks volvo Mike and if so whats it like?

[pepe4158]

Never been so scarred in my life, as when going down Eisenhower in my crappy USX auto-shift truck and that ^$%*in piece of &*#t eaton-fuller automatic went out on me leaving me in neutral going down Eisenhower
:-P
He$$-no I wouldnt own 1
The truth is that USX wanted to put in their trucks cuz they treat people like dog-$*&^T and have a 99% turn over rate so they have to fiqure out how to put people in their trucks with minimal training (I trained for USX almost 5 years :-p ) I liked the automatics ONLY cuz I could make good $ their as a trainer.
Max Fuler wasnt a bad owner, when he turned the company over to his broker partner Pat Quinn ,to run while he played politician, we drivers were treated like dog-@*^p! N they needed a faster way to replace experienced drivers(thats the real story as Paul Harvey says!)
I was wondering how they spin their stroy in propaganda now?
Auto-shifts good to own LMAO

so you lost a tranny going down hill. will if you had been been going slow like you should have been and if you had the tranny in MANUAL like thay tell you to then it would not have come out of gear like you said but most likely you bumped it out of gear yourself by trying to hit manual but missed and hit N..?

my frist auto was a 2000, we are in a 2007 now and have NEVER EVER had one jump out of gear and BTW we have never had one go bad either. maybe that says something about how YOU drive
as for being a trainer you were that kind that only cared about using two log books so you could make more money not about realy training.
in short it ready doesn't take much to see that your post is more of a reant than anything and that in general you are nothing but a bitter little man

Are you frickin for real dude????man you dont know me so why make it personal with insults instead of the points?, but since YOU did first I will respond in same by saying your OBVIOUSLY some USX mind-numbed robot propaganda tool. If you think your crappy lease USX programs (and trucks are good)....your decision, but I would tell any other owner-Ops you were suckered.
As far as being bitter?????How could just I be bitterafter making $?????? If I was just a double log book trainer why would I be bitter after making lots of $????, but just one of the many logic contratictions you made(that I dont really want to go into) since you are brainwashed (and obviously brain-dead) by USX propaganda.

[flood]

pepe4158

you whinny little insignifant opinion has been dually noted then it was weighted and measured and it has been found to be lacking substance therefor i printed it and round filed it in the commode