lancpudn:
Not many Auto boxes around when I was driving, Now crash boxes sorted the men out from the boys, you could hear a new driver or agency driver over half a mile away from the depot trying to shift gear lol.
You could also hear the fitters swearing every time they had to rebuild a knackered one!
I wonder if a lot of the resistance to automatics is as a result of more experienced and older drivers harking back to the days when there was, undoubtedly, a lot more learning to be done simply to be able to drive a lorry. Like many on here, I’ve driven lorries with boxes ranging from old David Brown 6-speeds with Eaton 2-speed axle, Fuller Road-rangers, Eaton Twin-Splits, ZF’s and every ■■■■ thing else. So I know HOW to drive the old-fashioned way, and having the odd day at it is fun; but I wouldn’t want to do it every day any more than I’d want to go back to roping and sheeting a flatbed in a ■■■■■■■ gale.
I forgot about the Eaton 2 speed axle on an old G reg 1969? (I think) Dodge. That was me in 1980. Those were the days until the cable snapped!
Yeah I think robroy is right with the idea about autos make life easier now.
Auto gearboxes in trucks are THE worst thing ever dreamt up! I remember driving an actros years ago that must have been one of the first auto trucks invented. It was so carp I only drove it with the emergency clutch peddle folded out and put up with a warning on the dash. I remember thinking thank god this will never catch on…erm…how wrong was I!!! Everything I believe is wrong with this has already been said so I won’t bother repeating it.
Roll on next March when my new truck with a proper transmission turns up! Yes, if you have a decent boss that respects your opinion you too can have a manual. It’s down to you auto haters like me to fight for it and hopefully manuals will make a come back. I live in hope.
What surprised me is how much of a fight the rep put up against spec’ing a ‘proper’ gearbox! He tried on several occasions to talk my boss out of it but he stood firm! [emoji4]
nomiS36:
Auto gearboxes in trucks are THE worst thing ever dreamt up! I remember driving an actros years ago that must have been one of the first auto trucks invented. It was so carp I only drove it with the emergency clutch peddle folded out and put up with a warning on the dash. I remember thinking thank god this will never catch on…erm…how wrong was I!!! Everything I believe is wrong with this has already been said so I won’t bother repeating it.
Roll on next March when my new truck with a proper transmission turns up! Yes, if you have a decent boss that respects your opinion you too can have a manual. It’s down to you auto haters like me to fight for it and hopefully manuals will make a come back. I live in hope.
What surprised me is how much of a fight the rep put up against spec’ing a ‘proper’ gearbox! He tried on several occasions to talk my boss out of it but he stood firm! [emoji4]
Those early Merc autos (EPS wasn’t it?) were pretty dreadful I’ll grant you; used to have a nasty habit of dropping into neutral without warning if you took your foot off the gas. Things have improved since then, trust me.
I suspect you’re fortunate in having a boss who’s willing to shell out extra for the manual option, cos as I understand it that’s how it is today with many manufacturers.
We’ve only got 4 trucks and a van as I work for a company that makes a building product but have their own trucks. 1 rigid, 2 artics and a drawbar. The 2 artics are being replaced with drawbars so that’s the one concession, I’ve got to learn to reverse again but at least I’ll have a proper gearbox so I have the control. I managed to get some other goodies agreed to as well and the order was placed last Friday. TBH, i won’t believe it until I see it but I have been assured I’ve got my wish list so we’ll see.
nomiS36:
Auto gearboxes in trucks are THE worst thing ever dreamt up! I remember driving an actros years ago that must have been one of the first auto trucks invented. It was so carp I only drove it with the emergency clutch peddle folded out and put up with a warning on the dash. I remember thinking thank god this will never catch on…erm…how wrong was I!!! Everything I believe is wrong with this has already been said so I won’t bother repeating it.
Roll on next March when my new truck with a proper transmission turns up! Yes, if you have a decent boss that respects your opinion you too can have a manual. It’s down to you auto haters like me to fight for it and hopefully manuals will make a come back. I live in hope.
What surprised me is how much of a fight the rep put up against spec’ing a ‘proper’ gearbox! He tried on several occasions to talk my boss out of it but he stood firm! [emoji4]
Those early Merc autos (EPS wasn’t it?) were pretty dreadful I’ll grant you; used to have a nasty habit of dropping into neutral without warning if you took your foot off the gas. Things have improved since then, trust me.
I suspect you’re fortunate in having a boss who’s willing to shell out extra for the manual option, cos as I understand it that’s how it is today with many manufacturers.
Yeh, the Mercedes EPS ‘Powershift’
There’s a long hill stretch up hill, near where I live, it could never make up it’s mind what gear to be in, it used to be up and down like a tart’s knickers, bloody awful thing.
Why does anybody want to go back to manuals ?
Nostalgia? Or is it a macho thing, or what?
Ok some boxes (Spicer ) sorted the men from the boys, the drivers from the steerers, and you were in more control, the motor did not drive you like today, and unlike today you could not teach chimps to drive a truck, and all the rest of it, But you adapt, it’s less work, it’s easy, it’s convenient, less stress…chill out ffs.
Why not go the whole hog and spec non pas,… now that IS macho stuff, I used to have arms like Popeye driving an old Atki, but I’m ■■■■ ed if I wwnt to go back to it.
Can not understand it myself…wheres Juddian, he’ll agree with me on this .
switchlogic:
What people seem to miss as they dismiss autos is the fact to get the best from them you have to take time to learn how to operate them to full effectivness. A good auto driver in a good auto has every bit as much control as a manual
Aye, the more you put into an intelligent auto the more you get out.
I’m sure a lot of drivers that complain of lag or slow changes are the ones who just jump on the throttle from a slow or standing start. Like a manual being jerky when driven badly an auto can be just the same.
Drove an MP4 Actros the other day and it was the first auto I’d driven since the Scania Opticruise about 8yrs ago, didn’t really have a problem with the Scania Opticruise back then and I didn’t have any problems with the MP4’s auto box either, if given the choice I’d possibly choose a manual but I think my decision would mostly depend on what the gearbox was bolted to and also what type of work I was doing, but I’m certainly no hater of auto’s.
Same old same old isn’t it really… there’s drivers and then there’s screwdrivers.
That’s the key really! The trucks should be spec’d for the type of work they do. When I was on fridges cruising up and down the motorways I had no complaints about the auto merc. Thing is now I’m back on multi drop site work where I spend a lot of time on tight back roads and building sites the autos just get themselves ■■■■■■■ in knots so I have to put them in ‘manual’ therefore if I need to use manual to override the autos stupid decisions I feel I might as well have a proper manual.
Anyway, I was having an idle muse the other day on this very subject and wondered how many people had been hurt or even killed by these auto ‘boxes! My train of thought went something like now the trucks practically drive themselves and the ‘drivers’ have a redundant upper limb how many accidents have been caused by the gear knob being replaced by a mobile phone…
nomiS36:
That’s the key really! The trucks should be spec’d for the type of work they do. When I was on fridges cruising up and down the motorways I had no complaints about the auto merc. Thing is now I’m back on multi drop site work where I spend a lot of time on tight back roads and building sites the autos just get themselves ■■■■■■■ in knots so I have to put them in ‘manual’ therefore if I need to use manual to override the autos stupid decisions I feel I might as well have a proper manual.
Used to drive a Renault Premium with an auto box on farm and building site work, so loads of different roads from farm tracks and country roads to the centre of London, can’t recall having to use the manual mode and the gearbox was fine, in fact far more relaxed going round country roads, didn’t tie itself in knots just a nice progressive drive.
nomiS36:
Anyway, I was having an idle muse the other day on this very subject and wondered how many people had been hurt or even killed by these auto ‘boxes! My train of thought went something like now the trucks practically drive themselves and the ‘drivers’ have a redundant upper limb how many accidents have been caused by the gear knob being replaced by a mobile phone…
Mobile phones were popular long before most trucks were auto’s and used to see plenty of drivers with one elbow on the wheel with lent over with a phone to the ear while trying to change gear with the other hand.
muckles:
Used to drive a Renault Premium with an auto box on farm and building site work, so loads of different roads from farm tracks and country roads to the centre of London, can’t recall having to use the manual mode and the gearbox was fine, in fact far more relaxed going round country roads, didn’t tie itself in knots just a nice progressive drive.
Well that’s the thing with the Premium, it’s actually the Volvo iShift, and I’ve heard it said that it was somehow set up better in the Premium 460 Dxi than it was in Volvo’s own vehicles, and we all know that the Volvo iShift was the best “Automated Manual” gearbox out there (at least until the new gen Scanias apparently)
muckles:
Used to drive a Renault Premium with an auto box on farm and building site work, so loads of different roads from farm tracks and country roads to the centre of London, can’t recall having to use the manual mode and the gearbox was fine, in fact far more relaxed going round country roads, didn’t tie itself in knots just a nice progressive drive.
Well that’s the thing with the Premium, it’s actually the Volvo iShift, and I’ve heard it said that it was somehow set up better in the Premium 460 Dxi than it was in Volvo’s own vehicles, and we all know that the Volvo iShift was the best “Automated Manual” gearbox out there (at least until the new gen Scanias apparently)
I have driven both in a Volvo and in the Renault premium, I didn’t notice it was set any better in the Renault. It was just the same to me but I am no expert mechanic. I loved the Renault premium because of the ishift though.
muckles:
Used to drive a Renault Premium with an auto box on farm and building site work, so loads of different roads from farm tracks and country roads to the centre of London, can’t recall having to use the manual mode and the gearbox was fine, in fact far more relaxed going round country roads, didn’t tie itself in knots just a nice progressive drive.
Well that’s the thing with the Premium, it’s actually the Volvo iShift, and I’ve heard it said that it was somehow set up better in the Premium 460 Dxi than it was in Volvo’s own vehicles, and we all know that the Volvo iShift was the best “Automated Manual” gearbox out there (at least until the new gen Scanias apparently)
Yes I know, but as with manual gearboxes some auto’s are better than others and other manufactures are catching up with or getting better than the Ishift. People seem to write off all auto boxes because they’ve driven a bad one, I drove a Renault with the early auto and it was crap, I also really don’t like the box in the MAN, but if to write all auto’s off because of one or 2 sub-standard gearboxes would be the same as writing all manuals off because some of those gearboxes weren’t all that clever.
muckles:
Yes I know, but as with manual gearboxes some auto’s are better than others and other manufactures are catching up with or getting better than the Ishift. People seem to write off all auto boxes because they’ve driven a bad one, I drove a Renault with the early auto and it was crap, I also really don’t like the box in the MAN, but if to write all auto’s off because of one or 2 sub-standard gearboxes would be the same as writing all manuals off because some of those gearboxes weren’t all that clever.
It’s more a case of people who like driving a decent manual box ( Fuller for example ) are happy with a situation of freedom of choice IE if you prefer to drive an auto that’s fine.While the auto box crusaders are all about removal of that freedom of choice and forcing everyone else to accept their preference for an auto.As we’re seeing across the automotive spectrum from cars to trucks.
lancpudn:
Not many Auto boxes around when I was driving, Now crash boxes sorted the men out from the boys, you could hear a new driver or agency driver over half a mile away from the depot trying to shift gear lol.
I take it then that you were born with the gift of being able to master crash boxes then? Or perhaps like the rest of us you learnt as you went along…even making the odd mistake. Maybe you colleagues mistook you for an agency driver while you were learning?
Anyway. I also used awful crash boxes of many awful designs, but one that is mainly overlooked in its awfulness was the MAN 12 speed column change ( 6 + splitter). Christ, I must have looked like a stinking agency driver, even in 1978 when there werent any agencies.. you could get used to it though but it was genuinely hard work to use it. Anyways 40 years on Im happy to use either but prefer an auto, but being an agency driver who doesnt know squat Ill just drive what I am given.
muckles:
Yes I know, but as with manual gearboxes some auto’s are better than others and other manufactures are catching up with or getting better than the Ishift. People seem to write off all auto boxes because they’ve driven a bad one, I drove a Renault with the early auto and it was crap, I also really don’t like the box in the MAN, but if to write all auto’s off because of one or 2 sub-standard gearboxes would be the same as writing all manuals off because some of those gearboxes weren’t all that clever.
It’s more a case of people who like driving a decent manual box ( Fuller for example ) are happy with a situation of freedom of choice IE if you prefer to drive an auto that’s fine.While the auto box crusaders are all about removal of that freedom of choice and forcing everyone else to accept their preference for an auto.As we’re seeing across the automotive spectrum from cars to trucks.
A) You’ve never driven any truck with any sort of modern Auto Box, so how do you know you’d prefer a Fuller box to the Ishift or the latest offering from Scania?
B) I’ve never said that manuals should be replaced or drivers should no longer use them, I’ve just expressed my opinion from my experience of both manuals and auto’s, and although it’s nice to get a manual from time to time, I’d prefer an auto box for everyday driving.
C) Unless you’re buying your own truck the choice of which gearbox it’s comes with isn’t normally yours, it’s down to the person buying the truck, it’s got bugger all to do with some lack of freedom of choice, if your main criteria is to be driving a manual truck you have the freedom of choice to find an employer with those trucks or go and set-up on your own, however most of us have many other criteria for choosing a job that is more important that what type of gearbox the truck has.
) sorted the men from the boys, the drivers from the steerers, and you were in more control, the motor did not drive you like today, and unlike today you could not teach chimps to drive a truck, and all the rest of it, But you adapt, it’s less work, it’s easy, it’s convenient, less stress…chill out ffs. 
