… so am considering replacing a 2003 Volvo FH12 with something from around the same era (to avoid complicated electronics, ad blue etc) but low mileage (mine has done 1 million km & is starting to show it). Lots of trucks now seem to be automatic but I have always had manuals so have no experience of auto trucks … should I look for another manual or accept an automatic?? … how come everyone has gone to automatics when with cars manuals gearboxes are normally more fuel efficient than automatics?
Diggerlot:
… so am considering replacing a 2003 Volvo FH12 with something from around the same era (to avoid complicated electronics, ad blue etc) but low mileage (mine has done 1 million km & is starting to show it). Lots of trucks now seem to be automatic but I have always had manuals so have no experience of auto trucks … should I look for another manual or accept an automatic?? … how come everyone has gone to automatics when with cars manuals gearboxes are normally more fuel efficient than automatics?
I’ll answer the easy last question: auto trucks are the same mechanically as a manual. Dry clutch and manual box, but with electronic control; as opposed to older traditional auto cars with fluid flywheels, and often only 3 or 4 ratios. That’s the economy query out the way.
I’ll leave others to argue the rest.
Good luck finding an 18 year old FH12. As for one with low mileage : 
You want to avoid complication why would you then want to add the complication of an ‘automated’ shift transmission when the driver will generally have two good eyes and left arm and leg.If you can’t trust them to handle a gearbox why would you trust them to handle how many tonnes/width/length of HGV.
In the car world at least manuals are generally worth more in the used market I’d guess trucks are the same.
Bonus points if you can get an Australian 18 speed Fuller equipped import through IVA.The glacial depreciation should make it worth all the aggro of maintaining it and shipping it back when you’re finished with it. 
Franglais:
Diggerlot:
… so am considering replacing a 2003 Volvo FH12 with something from around the same era (to avoid complicated electronics, ad blue etc) but low mileage (mine has done 1 million km & is starting to show it). Lots of trucks now seem to be automatic but I have always had manuals so have no experience of auto trucks … should I look for another manual or accept an automatic?? … how come everyone has gone to automatics when with cars manuals gearboxes are normally more fuel efficient than automatics?I’ll answer the easy last question: auto trucks are the same mechanically as a manual. Dry clutch and manual box, but with electronic control; as opposed to older traditional auto cars with fluid flywheels, and often only 3 or 4 ratios. That’s the economy query out the way.
I’ll leave others to argue the rest.
Ok great thanks
DCPCFML:
Good luck finding an 18 year old FH12. As for one with low mileage :
I’m certainly not fixed on a Volvo as a replacement… the rest of our trucks are Renault rigids. Mainly do lightweight haulage of our own kit and I have to say that the Renaults have been a lot more reliable than the Volvo and with cheaper parts and servicing.
Just dont plan on having it long. This government is going to go nuts on people with older polluting vehicles. Only a matter of time before they target old HGVs.
To be honest, I am surpised they haven’t already.
The reason people have gone to automatic is because they provide better mileage I think. Yea, a good driver can get better mileage out of a manual. But with auto it doesnt matter. That’s my theory anyway.
Automatics are not any less reliable though. There are certain bearings in the gearbox that tend to go at certain mileages though ( I think its like every 200km may be wrong) forgot what they are called (might be thrust bearing). So probably best to find one that has recently had a service.
I’ve had two auto boxes go on me and unlike the manuals there is no real warning.
That being said I really enjoy driving a automatic. Just nice to sip a cofee without having to put it down for a gear change.
Hi diggerlot i think you’ll find a lot of lorries that age will have been exported or scrapped .Some have gone to the fun fair people .cheers Ray
I don’t know your circumstances , maybe just you drive it , but my last manual ( think 15 plate scania ) for me was brilliant , for the company , hopeless as no one else , mainly agency would drive it , so whereas the company would want it out at W/end , when I was on hols , it would just stand , in the end even though the 4/5 of us who had manuals were not happy , the depot got rid of them as they needed lorries that’s could be used 24/7 ,
As I say if it’s just for you wouldn’t be a problem
adam277:
Just dont plan on having it long. This government is going to go nuts on people with older polluting vehicles. Only a matter of time before they target old HGVs.
To be honest, I am surpised they haven’t already.That being said I really enjoy driving a automatic. Just nice to sip a cofee without having to put it down for a gear change.
There’s no link between emissions and transmissions.Australian trucks meet most recent Euro emissions standards with manual transmissions.
The final sentence says it all.Do we really want that mindset in control of a truck.I laugh at the way these amateur muppets approach a hazard using their brake as late as possible and let it do the gears to go bit by itself.Even getting a good gear to go with is too much for them, let alone the finer points of well timed downshifts to maximise engine braking and using the downshift points to govern the approach.
Carryfast:
let it do the gears to go bit by itself.
Well that is sort of the point with an automatic.
switchlogic:
Carryfast:
let it do the gears to go bit by itself.Well that is sort of the point with an automatic.
Ironically maybe they are actually driving manuals.
youtube.com/watch?v=FxTOvnJ0Jkg 1.34-1.41
Carryfast:
adam277:
Just dont plan on having it long. This government is going to go nuts on people with older polluting vehicles. Only a matter of time before they target old HGVs.
To be honest, I am surpised they haven’t already.That being said I really enjoy driving a automatic. Just nice to sip a cofee without having to put it down for a gear change.
There’s no link between emissions and transmissions.Australian trucks meet most recent Euro emissions standards with manual transmissions.
The final sentence says it all.Do we really want that mindset in control of a truck.I laugh at the way these amateur muppets approach a hazard using their brake as late as possible and let it do the gears to go bit by itself.Even getting a good gear to go with is too much for them, let alone the finer points of well timed downshifts to maximise engine braking and using the downshift points to govern the approach.
Well I dont think I stated that there was a link between emissions and transmissions. If I did it wasnt my intention. Perhaps it was just a chance for you to bash autos? Just so you know OP, Carryfast is heavily biased towards manuals.
When I spoke to my team manager at CO-OP and asked why we were not buying anymore autos he said it was simple. We have a fleet of over a hundred and the autos give better MPG. Probably easier to recruit people as well now. Because frankly, a lot of the new drivers can not drive manual. I believe Co-op used four over four manual boxes and quite a few struggled I think.
Just go with an auto mate, you’ll soon get used to it, and if you’re anything like me after a while you would never go back to manuals.
I first got an auto in 2005, a MAN and I hated it, but I got used to it very soon.
They are so blody easy to drive, you could teach a chimp…as they have done nowadays when you see some ‘drivers’, that is maybe the only downside tbh… 
The purists on here will disagree with me, and pine for a Fuller or a ZF, telling us how more efficient they can make life, and how better they can drive their trucks productively, quoting revs and torque and all the rest of it. 
Me?..
Nothing whatsoever to prove anymore, driven most gearboxes, even an old David Brown, and used to use a Fuller with no clutch habitually, until we went to full synchro, but I’ve got no interest any longer, anything for a quiter life as far as I’m concerned now, and as somebody else said…much easier to drink your coffee.
The only downside of a modern truck is all the electronic dog ■■■■. 
robroy:
Just go with an auto mate, you’ll soon get used to it, and if you’re anything like me after a while you would never go back to manuals.
I first got an auto in 2005, a MAN and I hated it, but I got used to it very soon.They are so blody easy to drive, you could teach a chimp…as they have done nowadays when you see some ‘drivers’, that is maybe the only downside tbh…
The purists on here will disagree with me, and pine for a Fuller or a ZF, telling us how more efficient they can make life, and how better they can drive their trucks productively, quoting revs and torque and all the rest of it.
Me?..
Nothing whatsoever to prove anymore, driven most gearboxes, even an old David Brown, and used to use a Fuller with no clutch habitually, until we went to full synchro, but I’ve got no interest any longer, anything for a quiter life as far as I’m concerned now, and as somebody else said…much easier to drink your coffee.The only downside of a modern truck is all the electronic dog [zb].
Yes’n’no.
An older truck as proposed will avoid the LDS, AEBS, false alarm stuff on EU6.
At that age unless a Volvo it will be a worn out Arse.tronic, not one of the better Traxon boxes. Not good boxes to start with.
Horses for courses with auto/manual debate…depends on use.
T it’ll
Franglais:
robroy:
Just go with an auto mate, you’ll soon get used to it, and if you’re anything like me after a while you would never go back to manuals.
I first got an auto in 2005, a MAN and I hated it, but I got used to it very soon.They are so blody easy to drive, you could teach a chimp…as they have done nowadays when you see some ‘drivers’, that is maybe the only downside tbh…
The purists on here will disagree with me, and pine for a Fuller or a ZF, telling us how more efficient they can make life, and how better they can drive their trucks productively, quoting revs and torque and all the rest of it.
Me?..
Nothing whatsoever to prove anymore, driven most gearboxes, even an old David Brown, and used to use a Fuller with no clutch habitually, until we went to full synchro, but I’ve got no interest any longer, anything for a quiter life as far as I’m concerned now, and as somebody else said…much easier to drink your coffee.The only downside of a modern truck is all the electronic dog [zb].
Yes’n’no.
An older truck as proposed will avoid the LDS, AEBS, false alarm stuff on EU6.
At that age unless a Volvo it will be a worn out Arse.tronic, not one of the better Traxon boxes. Not good boxes to start with.
Horses for courses with auto/manual debate…depends on use.T it’ll
Like I said, lost interest,.as long as it goes forward when selected, and backwards other times, that’ll do for me.
Been on autos since 2005, could not enter into a discussion as I just drive them, where as manuals I could lecture you all day…but STILL not interested in doing so. 
…as I’m sure you’ll be glad to hear.
easier just to go for an auto such as Scania 3 pedal Opticruise… that way you have an auto that will shift up and down when you want it to by flicking the r/h stalk forward or back, but will also shift by itself as per revular auto. Or you can put it in manual and override it, easy shifts as an when required.
wide-load85:
easier just to go for an auto such as Scania 3 pedal Opticruise… that way you have an auto that will shift up and down when you want it to by flicking the r/h stalk forward or back, but will also shift by itself as per revular auto. Or you can put it in manual and override it, easy shifts as an when required.
Don’t they all do that??
Carryfast:
adam277:
Just dont plan on having it long. This government is going to go nuts on people with older polluting vehicles. Only a matter of time before they target old HGVs.
To be honest, I am surpised they haven’t already.That being said I really enjoy driving a automatic. Just nice to sip a cofee without having to put it down for a gear change.
There’s no link between emissions and transmissions.Australian trucks meet most recent Euro emissions standards with manual transmissions.
The final sentence says it all.Do we really want that mindset in control of a truck.I laugh at the way these amateur muppets approach a hazard using their brake as late as possible and let it do the gears to go bit by itself.Even getting a good gear to go with is too much for them, let alone the finer points of well timed downshifts to maximise engine braking and using the downshift points to govern the approach.
You are wrong yet again, NSW are coming down hard on old trucks here, RTA, RMS are starting to fine polluting trucks , further more some polluting trucks are not permitted in parts of Sydney especially the Kingsgrove tunnel … all new trucks are Euro 5 euro 6 … the old Sterling , kenworth , frieghtliner and others are frowned upon…
But of course you live here and know all the rules and regs… just like Qube who pull 90t on a scania day cab …
As for light vehicles been happening since circa 1970’s …
robroy:
wide-load85:
easier just to go for an auto such as Scania 3 pedal Opticruise… that way you have an auto that will shift up and down when you want it to by flicking the r/h stalk forward or back, but will also shift by itself as per revular auto. Or you can put it in manual and override it, easy shifts as an when required.Don’t they all do that??
No.
But since you ain’t interested I won’t explain