Standard Transmission vs Automatic
 

I drove trucks 20 years ago and they were just coming out with automatics I never got to drive one. I'm now 53 and thinking of driving again. I got my CDL and passed my dot phys. I would like some help on deciding on an auto or standard. Also is there a difference between an automatic and auto shift. I have been looking at Volvo 2002 -2004 Cummings 450 hp. for OTR what does everybody think. I am in Texas and am going to hall in Texas and west. Would appreciate any advise I can get.

Thanks,
Rookie at 53

The transmissions, for the most part, used in the big trucks are auto shifts, manual trannies that shift themselves through servos. Some still have a clutch pedal and some do not. The ones with out a clutch pedal still have a clutch but it too is activated automatically through servos.

An actual automatic uses a torque converter, has no clutch what-so-ever. You rarely will see these is the big trucks as they do not stand up well to the high miles and road speeds.

Re: Standard Transmission vs Automatic
 

Are you looking at buying a truck? If so, I can't help you there, I like the old fashioned manual.

If you are looking to drive for someone, you will get what you get. The newer manual trannies are pretty darn smooth, they float the gears very smoothly. :wink:

the auto shifts are pretty smooth just takes some gettng use to after throwing gears.

I've been driving for 2 years and never had knee problems. If things keep up I'm gonna have to get a knee replacement before too long. I'm thinking very seriously about going to a company with auto's or get out of the truck all together.

I LOVE the automatics and for me, there's no going back. And I was amazed when you get into heavy traffic (I do a lot of NYC) what a stress-reliever it is. I can turn that really tight corner and just worry about steering the thing. I thought shifting becomes automatic after a while but it doesn't. I just never realized how much brain power was being utilized in the backround with shifting.

Here's another thing about them that you'll like that's more applicable to where you'll be trucking- They up and down shift without knocking the cruise control off. And the jake can be blended in there too, so now you have MEANINGFUL cruise. It's super.

It will take some getting used to though; five minutes ought'a do it.

I drove a full auto 1 day and never want to go back. I feel i have more control of the truck with a stick. Downshifting and all that. As far as driving with a stick i dont even think about it it just comes natural. So making turns is not a problem. How you think all them old timers did it with the 2 or 3 stick tyranny's. Autos are overrated to me.
Just my 2cents. :wink:

Auto's in semi trucks are just like glorified pick up trucks to me, i know personally 1 of the reasons i started driving a truck was to feel that i was doing something that took skill, and that most people can't do. I drove an Auto Mack for about 3 weeks, and was embarassed to do so, to me there's just something about shifting, and downshifting properly that just makes me feel like i'm doing something right, and i take pride in it. If i happen to scratch a gear, i get pretty down on myself, i think i've perfected the art of shifting and i wouldn't go to an automatic, but that's just my personal preference.

everybody misses a gear now and then. miller

NOTHING comes natural, and NOTHING happens that you don't think about. You work for every one of those shifts, you just don't realize it.

I've driven 9's, 10's, Super 10's, 13's and Autoshifts... The only way that I would want to drive an autoshift would be if I was always in the flatlands.

If you crest a hill on a road you are not familiar with....and don't bump the autoshift down low enough and quick enough....and start gaining speed, its already too late unless you can brake fast enough to get the road speed and rpm down low enough to downshift it. Take I-40 for instance going east through Ashville, NC on a dark night with a little fog....and then you pass the mandatory pull off for brake checks and start down "Black Mountain" and you weigh about 79K...... If you survive to reach the bottom, you will have to change your underwear, pants, socks and shoes.... Its bad enough to see trucks with sticks smoking their brakes going down that mountain...and others.

Me, I'll stick to a manual transmission. Using the "clutch"? Not much. Normally just for starting out, stopping, and backing up....thats about it.

Really? I miss a few now and then, like when I am cut off, and have to do the "oh shit" thing. But other than that, it is a natural thing. I don't even think about it, even in the mountains. And I just bought this truck?

What am I missing? :?

I don't think you're missing anything.... I tend to only miss a gear if I think about it... other than that the sound of the engine triggers the shift... I learned to drive a stick 42 years ago in a 1960 VW that didn't have a tach, and didn't even have a gas guage :shock: After a while it just becomes second nature and you do it...... 8)

I have driven both auto shift and manual. I prefer manual for much of the same reasons that Skywalker suggested. It makes a difference going down steep grades. I prefer down shifting with a manual. I feel that you have better control with a manual going down mountains, although you can shift manually with the auto. I prefer the auto shift during heavy traffic, such as in Chicago at rush hour. :D

we at maverick have automatics with autoswitch which basically you can shift it manual with a pull up or push down of a switch like a high beam switch just on opposite side. It does not have a clutch pedal. I like using auto mode. But it shifts at 1600rpm, and Ive learned that even fully loaded you can put it in manual and shift at 1300rpm and it will save you fuel mileage. Upshifting I do manual and once its in 10th gear I switch it to auto for the down shifting.

DONT ASK USELESS TO DRIVE A AUTO HES TO STUPID AND WILL TELL ON IT

I just got issued a truck after training, and it's a super10 and I hate the thing so far. I keep forgeting to flip the button and just shift.

I had an auto for 8 months, got out of it first chance I got.

:D Although you see more and more autoshifts coming out nowadays I would stick to manuals. When I was in truck school I dreaded shifting the straight ten-speed tranny in our training trucks. After awhile it became second nature after getting used to it. It's always good to learn to drive a manual as there aren't that many companies who use autoshifts, yet. Most of the autoshifts are used by owner/operators.8)

Not one time have I ever felt 'out of control' in an auto, be it in the mountains or anywhere else. I hauled many loads of paper, charcoal, etc through the worst of the mountains east of the MS and never had a problem, smoked the brakes, etc. The same for the couple of trips I made to Seattle in the same truck.

If you don't put it in the manual mode and let it take off rolling, sure, it'll be hard to get it slowed back down, but that's exactly the same as in a manual tranny.

Putting the transmission in 'Low' changes the shift points in the transmission so it'll downshift at a much higher RPM. I'm thinking it would downshift at about 1,500. So, if you need to slow down quick, hitting the 'Low', turn the Jake on, and hit the brakes. You'll slow down..

Now, before anyone says something like "sure, do that in rain/snow/ice", well, you shouldn't be going so fast that you'd lose control of the speed of the truck anyway.

I never had a problem either, but then I had some extensive experience before I got an auto-shift. I was speaking in terms of "neophytes", and especially those with limited travel experience around the country in all kinds of weather conditions.

You're mostly correct, however...depending on the computer settings for the allowable downshift point, it may be more difficult and time consuming to downshift the autoshift than the manual. Its a much easier process with the manual than the autoshift..at least to me.

I think that you are or have used a very different auto-shift than I did. We had no "low" only manual or auto settings. And the blasted things were rather unforgiving about the rpm to downshift...if you were too high and tried it...all it would do is "beep" at you to say no.

On that point you are 100% correct!! Using jakes on snow or ice is suicidal. Wet roads are very iffy...

I can't help but think that new drivers should be required to drive a manual transmission for a couple of hundred thousand miles before using an automatic of any kind. I don't plan on ever driving an auto again other than my pickup truck.

I'm a newbie driver (2 months), but from what little I have driven before and during the CDL school, the above quote mirrors my thoughts word for word. You don't realize how much concentration is being focused on the shifting until you don't have to do it anymore. I can drive my truck without ever thinking of the shifter. If I choose, I can slip into manual mode and shift as stevedb28 spoke of and sometimes do, but usually if I'm making a turn or anything where I need to pay close attention to the truck and trailer, I slip the transmission into auto mode and let it take care of itself while I concentrate on getting through safely. Once I'm through the turn (or whatever), many times I'll go back to manual mode and force it to shift at lower rpms to keep my MPG up. If I'm just feeling lazy today....I leave it in auto 8)

I learned how to float gears in 1978 in a '68 Datsun from a truck driver buddy. I had to because the car was a POS and sometimes the hydraulic clutch would up and quit working.

All the cars that my wife and I own are manual trannies. When I went to driving school 2 1/2 years ago after being burnt out from the IT field, my instructor would chastise me for floating gears instead of double clutching because it was school policy to learn how to double clutch because the state DMV tested you on it. So I got my timing down on double clutching, single clutching and I already knew how to float gears. I passed my DMV test no problems.

I turned in 7 apps with 7 companies and got prehired by all of them. The company I chose was based in Seattle and when I took my drive test with them I did it in rush hour morning traffic. I asked my company tester what shifting he preferred and he said he didn't care as long as I didn't hit anything, so I double clutched and floated and he signed off on my driving skills. I got assigned my trainer for the 4 weeks on a new truck with less than 30,000 miles on it and a tight tranny so there were a couple of grrr's here and grrr's there as we broke in that tranny and smoothed out the sharp teeth some.

After the 4 weeks out with the trainer and a completed 4 page check list, the company assigns me my truck. I open the door to the truck and there's no shifter. I went back inside to ask why they assigned me a paddle shift truck and was told that was what they had available. I pissed and moaned, went and picked up my load to go home. I was embarrassed to tell anybody that I was assigned a paddle shift. I just told everyone that it was a 10 speed. Well my truck had the Manual/Auto mode button on it where the other company trucks were all manual paddle shifts.

Here is what I learned about it:

1. City driving, I loved it, driving in Seattle, Portland, San Fran, LA in rush hour was great. I put it in Auto mode and it up-shifted and downshifted great.

2. Highway driving, while getting on the freeway I would put it Auto mode, as soon as it hit 9th gear I switched it to manual mode so I could control the up-shift and downshift(beep, beep) damn, I forgot to wait for the RPM's to drop.

3. Mountain driving, Manual mode only, unless you want to smoke your brakes downhill because it's going to up-shift on you in Auto mode.

4. I-5 between Weed and Redding just put it in 9th gear and leave it there so you have good jakes (only when its dry pavement out) because the jakes are crap in 10th (my truck).

I had that truck for 8 months until the company sold it and moved me back into a 10 speed manual. Had to get my timing back for the sloppy 5/10 gear hole on that truck.

I left that company in June of this year to help my brother to do a network conversion, phone conversion and new data lines between branch offices of a company. In January I will be buying my own rig and leasing on to a company to do regional work 4-5 days out 2-3 days off so my wife won't divorce me.

I haven't decided between an autoshift or a 10/13 speed. Just whatever the best truck I can get for the right price.

super 10's i feel are the easiest transmission i have ever seen, once through the pattern and your done

I don't get you all who are saying you don't realize how much your concentrating on shifting until you don't have to do it anymore.
Something was missing when I wasn't shifting and I pay better attention to everything when I am driving my truck including shifting. The whole "package" so to speak.
I have never once thought I was a more attentive driver in my auto. Geeze, what would you have done back when you had to use 2 sticks?

For me I prefer the manuel I drove a automatic in Volvo for a while but didn't really like it I much prefer my 13 speed and 475 Cat.

Ladynorthstar, i have to agree with you, if others can't downshift and turn at the same time, then they might be in the wrong profession, sure an automatic is easy, but shifting gears is just as easy too. Anyway, like i said i'm with you, no auto's for me, tried them for 3 weeks, and not only did i feel like a yuppy, that thing was constantly doing things, as far as up, and down shifting when i didn't want it to. Manual transmissions for me all the way, but if others like the auto's, all the power to them.

or God forbid, THREE !!!

Re: Standard Transmission vs Automatic
 

Eaton has offered a number of AUTOMATED transmissions. these are manual transmissions that are shifted by a computer, similar to what exotic sports car manufacturers have been using for many years.

the eaton autoshift has a clutch pedal, but no stick. a keypad controls shift selection.

the eaton ultrashift has no clutch pedal or stick. again, a keypad (or variation of) controls shift selection. the clutch is centrifugal, meaning that it engages as the flywheel rpm increases, similar to a snowmobile/4-wheeler clutch in theory. hmmmmm, just had this thought.... a "runaway" engine could be an interesting scenario... not that it happens often today.

rockwell/A-M has variations of each type as well, their midrange centrifugal clutch is a "wet" clutch.

...manuals are AS failure prone, and they reak havoc on your knees and back IMHO...

... i'm not opposed to either.



AUTOMATIC transmissions are hydraulically engaged planetary gear sets. most current makes are electronically controlled as well.

automatics are coupled to the engine through a torque converter. they live mostly in light- and medium-duty truck... for now.

Just about every truck on our fleet are Auto's. Just about every trip we do is in the mountains, I've never heard of anyone having an out of control truck, or any serious issues with it. If you know how to drive the mountains, you aren't whipping around or for that matter not paying attention to the Speed or information signs. I'm a fairly new driver, 5 months now. I got thrown into the fray as it were with no training in the mountains, but common sense told me that they make those little signs for good reason..lol I worry now though that if I have to drive a manual it's gonna be a little bit scary for anyone watching or god forbid in the truck with me..lol.

I do like the fact though that with an auto you are concentrating on the road, rather than worrying about a misshift. This is especially helpful in the cities, where you are making tight corners and stuck in stop and go traffic. My one beef is that the auto can be a bit of a rough ride when empty, it tends to jerk you around.

Quite the contrary, regarding mountains..... my auto would hold way better on the downhill than our standard trucks. That was never on my complaint list, I miss my auto for that reason.

wow hmmm okay whats the difference between a Manly Truck and a Girlie Truck ? Answer: the transmission