Manual transmissions

chessie4905 · August 15, 2019, 08:15:45 AM

Interesting...

https://www.ttnews.com/articles/automated-transmissions-shift-high-gear

CrabbyMilton · August 15, 2019, 11:38:47 AM

Interesting article but AMT's
stink in buses.
MCI and I believe VAN-HOOL no longer even offer the ZF ASTRONIC.
Some liked them but most prefer the good old ALLISON.

Jim Blackwood · August 16, 2019, 07:38:41 AM

@$#-Tronic? Why would anyone use a name like that?
Makes ya wonder, don't it?

Jim

bevans6 · August 16, 2019, 11:44:39 AM

If they are anything like the old Autoshifts, you feel the shifts and there are a heck of a lot of them... But for OTR trucking I can definitely see a benefit to being in the right gear for every situation.

DoubleEagle · August 16, 2019, 04:54:36 PM

I had autoshifts in the last two trucks I had for Hogan transport. They shifted smoothly and appropriately in good weather, but they got you into trouble on snowy roads. The first time I discovered this I was hauling new Cummins engines from their Jamestown, NY plant, which is surrounded by hills to get in or out. A Canadian trucker and I were leaving at the same time, he had a conventional Peterbuilt with a 13 speed manual, and he just walked up the snowy hill in a mid-gear, and was gone. I followed as far as I could, but only got half-way up, and had to back down (in a snow storm). The computer interpreted the spinning wheels as a sign to upshift, which only made it worse. I made a second attempt using manual upshifts, but the same thing happened. I backed down again, and waited. An hour later a snow plow came by, plowing and spreading sand. That got me out, by leaving it in first gear and revving it up. Maybe the newer models are more sophisticated, and/or they allow more driver control.

harpold700 3 · August 16, 2019, 05:28:23 PM

I can honestly say from experience that an auto shift is crap. If you can't shift gears please get off the road. Flat land and city use only. Canadian truck Logger,..Eh.

buswarrior · August 16, 2019, 09:22:05 PM

Geezus...

There's a ton of 10 and 12 speed AMT in everyone's buses, Prevost, MCI, VanHool...

And have been for over a decade.

Allison wouldn't get their @$# in gear to lubricate the World Tranny at lower RPM... finaly fixed...

The fuel economy of an AMT has been very hard to ignore by the fleets run by accountants who don't ride in the buses...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior