Got to say same as Pete, no hesitation on our auto trucks from a standing start, I do think its a bit of a myth.
I’ll see if i can put together a video this week and post it on youtube, i’ll put a link on here for everyone to view, i’ll have to dust off the GoPro camera and put it in the Volvo FH and FE, both have i-Shift gearboxes which are market leading and frankly they change gear better than any driver could possibly manage all the time.
Maybe some of issues arise from drivers not adapting well to an auto, don’t expect the gearbox to do what you want it to do, it does what it wants, considering clutch load, fuel economy, suitable starting gear, engine speed all to reduce wear and tear. If you are used to teaching drivers to launch off from a standing start at a roundabout in a high gear then an auto gearbox is never going to be as quick off the mark. They are without doubt slower to gain speed from a standstill compared to a manual truck being bullied into a small gap but only because they won’t over rev the engine, but with an auto you can relax, wait for a more suitable gap and let the gearbox do the work, after all it knows what to do better than you do.
One thing that these auto boxes do is hold onto a higher gear than you would normally do in a manual when slowing down, they only select the gear you need once you press the accelerator - this is the delay everyone speaks of, so this just boils down to the driver needing to plan his/her driving better, just like you would driving a diesel car with a fair bit of turbo lag - keep the accelerator depressed hard down until the engine revs to 2000rpm then start easing it off as the power builds, also you would find yourself applying the accelerator slightly earlier to cope with the turbo delay. Most drivers will naturally adapt to any vehicle, whatever it requires without much thought and auto’s are no different, in my opinion they inspire smoother and safer driving than a manual truck, but on the downside it less enjoyable to drive if you are very skilled with large gearboxes, they are, well, a bit boring - because everyone just passes the driving test, with no drama’s most of the time.
Good instruction will enable any trainee to adapt to an auto gearbox, it takes a different skill to driving a manual. Avoid rushing up to a roundabout and suddenly demanding max power from the engine/gearbox suddenly, drive up to normally, find your gap before you arrive, go onto the accelerator in good time tell the gearbox what you want to do. If you need to stop, just wait for a normal gap, don’t try to bully off the line 12 tons of dead weight, it won’t let you so you have to adapt your driving style and some existing drivers will always prefer a manual gearbox. Which is why we have kept our Volvo FH440 Globetrotter with a manual gearbox with both a range change and splitter, its a joy to drive - but a lot more wearing on the driver.
