Oh that figures i am having Poll Questions issues lol.

Auto verse Manual. I know US-xpress has the auto but are they really that automatic like, full automantic? no clutch in site lol. Just curious.

Pros: No clutching in and out every time you stop that would be sweet, no need to grind its already shifting for ya.

Cons: mountain driving anyone with Automantic going through like Colorado or something. Is that a nightmare with an auto whats your thoughts just curious?

 

"Wish you had a both option on your poll."

lol, Yes first time trying out the polls took me a few trys a lot of re-typing just trying to sumit it and make it work lol. But yes Good thing to know in the future =D.

 

Manual......if I'm driving a tractor trailer (oh, wait I don't have anything else) it best have a clutch and gears.

Wouldn't want a auto in the rockies, besides why did I learn manual if I'm never going to use it? DUH!!

 

Manual all the way. I dont like the lack of control with the automatic. you shift up when it wants to. I also like to keep the RPMs up when going down hill and the automatics we have wont let me do that.

 

Why do you want the rpms up when going up a grade? Are you drivng an old 6V92?

 

Same here-I want to control what the transmissions doing-Not it telling me

 

Frankly, I don't mind either way. I've been in an Meritor Ultra shift for most of my training and I can tell you it is sweet!! 1 less thing to worry about when your going through a town or city. I learnt on a 13 speed Eaton and have driven a tractor with a Eaton super 10 as well. I'm going to clear up a misconception about auto/ultra shifts, they are not true automatic transmissions. You still have the ability to drive the tractor as a manual if you like. They have a selector button on them to switch from manual or "hold" to auto shift capabilities. When in the manual/"hold" position, you can upshift and downshift using the push button or paddle controls depending on the make of transmission. The auto/ultra shifts work completely fine through the rockies, as long as you select the gear you want before starting down the grade, put into the "hold" position and away you go. Even if you have the truck in the "auto" position when you start down, put the Jake on and the truck will only downshift and continue slowing. I've heard from a few of the drivers at my company that swore they'd never drive an auto/ultra shift transmission,...until they actually got into one and drove it, now they never want to go back to a manual transmission. I'm pretty sure over the next 5 years you will see the majority of fleets out there using the auto/ultra shift transmissions in thier trucks. I was listening to the midnight trucking show on Sirius 147 the other night and they were even saying that auto shifts are becomming so popular that Arvin-Meritor is discontinuing thier line of manual transmissions and are going to produce auto/ultra shifts only starting in 2007-2008.

 

Honestly, if I were to able to spec and buy a truck to take the O/O route with my company I would prefer an automatic.

I used to be a manual snob - "REAL truckdrivers drive manual" - but I'll tell ya, after driving both an Autoshit and and Ultrashift, I would take the Ultrashift 13 speed over a manual these days. Really, once you're up to speed with a good motor, how often do you shift on the Ineterstate? And since I round-trip out and back to Houston on a daily basis, the Ultrashift wins hands down- especially on 59 or I-10 at rush hours.

Sure, money no object I would love a big long-nose Pete with a 625 Cat and an 18 speed, but in the real world a Freightliner Columbia with the Mercedes MBE4000 and the Eaton Ultrashift 13 speed LEP could put an extra $12,000 or so in my pocket via the fuel savings.

-p.