switchlogic:
Never understood this control argument. You’ve just as much control, just with a different foot.
You have nothing like the same amount of control. They’re fine if all you do is go from one loading bay to another with lots of room, but sometimes the successful journey depends on the final couple of feet or inches and an auto is akin to using a mallet when you need a scalpel 
I disagree, I think you do have the same control. And I’ve done a wide wide variety of work in autos. You should see some of the places we deliver. No auto related problems yet. From me anyhow. But I took time to learn the gearbox and how to get the best from it. Too many just get in truck and think ‘its an auto, bloody hate autos’ and so its really no surprise when they don’t drive it to its full potential.
I don’t want or need a vehicle to do what it thinks is best for me. I want a clutch pedal.
Well that’s fine. But it doesn’t make autos bad, or unsafe!
Auto’s are less safe than manuals in all sorts of situations. Hill starts when heavily loaded, the ability to select reverse without a lockout device, (not all versions) snatchiness when manoeuvering etc etc.
it seems we have come full circle.
first the old uns ripped the young uns because (apparently) we wouldn’t be able to operate a truck with an eaton box.
and now it seems, the old uns cant use a modern auto box. :smiley: the amount of people than moan about MAN boxes being either on or off...always amuses me.they obviously havnt selected the manoeuvre option. 
Scanner:
Auto’s are less safe than manuals in all sorts of situations. Hill starts when heavily loaded, the ability to select reverse without a lockout device, (not all versions) snatchiness when manoeuvering etc etc.
Don’t see how an auto is less safe on a heavy hill start, still has hand brake! Not yet found a situation that was less safe or more difficult with an auto.
It may depend a bit on the box, there are autos and autos but there are also manuals and manuals. It seems to me that the control that some feel lacking is the ability to slip the clutch!
For controll and driving experience I prefer a manual, for my average 12-15 hr shift I want a auto, I’d be absolutely shagged after a week with a manual
bazstan009:
Scanner:
Auto’s are less safe than manuals in all sorts of situations. Hill starts when heavily loaded, the ability to select reverse without a lockout device, (not all versions) snatchiness when manoeuvering etc etc.Don’t see how an auto is less safe on a heavy hill start, still has hand brake! Not yet found a situation that was less safe or more difficult with an auto.
It may depend a bit on the box, there are autos and autos but there are also manuals and manuals. It seems to me that the control that some feel lacking is the ability to slip the clutch!
Most new auto’s have hill start button which will keep the hand brake on for 5 sec’s or until the engine has enough power to stop it rolling back.
Scanner:
Auto’s are less safe than manuals in all sorts of situations. Hill starts when heavily loaded, the ability to select reverse without a lockout device, (not all versions) snatchiness when manoeuvering etc etc.
I suggest you learn how to use one correctly if you genuinely believe that twaddle! 
Truckulent:
Scanner:
Auto’s are less safe than manuals in all sorts of situations. Hill starts when heavily loaded, the ability to select reverse without a lockout device, (not all versions) snatchiness when manoeuvering etc etc.I suggest you learn how to use one correctly if you genuinely believe that twaddle!
Grow up, will you?
bazstan009:
Scanner:
Auto’s are less safe than manuals in all sorts of situations. Hill starts when heavily loaded, the ability to select reverse without a lockout device, (not all versions) snatchiness when manoeuvering etc etc.Don’t see how an auto is less safe on a heavy hill start, still has hand brake! Not yet found a situation that was less safe or more difficult with an auto.
It may depend a bit on the box, there are autos and autos but there are also manuals and manuals. It seems to me that the control that some feel lacking is the ability to slip the clutch!
Its less safe because the driver has less control.
What do you mean by “the ability to slip the clutch”?
Maybe I need to make that video I talked about a while back where I do a hill start fully loaded with an egg behind the wheel. And auto is not unsafe in any of the situations you mentioned. A driver in an auto with an intense hatred of autos may be though. Just like anything.
Scanner:
Truckulent:
Scanner:
Auto’s are less safe than manuals in all sorts of situations. Hill starts when heavily loaded, the ability to select reverse without a lockout device, (not all versions) snatchiness when manoeuvering etc etc.I suggest you learn how to use one correctly if you genuinely believe that twaddle!
Grow up, will you?
It’s a perfectly reasonable comment if you feel you can’t safely drive an auto…
switchlogic:
Maybe I need to make that video I talked about a while back where I do a hill start fully loaded with an egg behind the wheel. And auto is not unsafe in any of the situations you mentioned. A driver in an auto with an intense hatred of autos may be though. Just like anything.
I watched a guy trying to reverse a trailer with a full load of bottled water on it recently. He was in a fairly tight spot and the trailer wouldn’t move with the amount of throttle he was using. A bit more and around she went. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get off the throttle before he hit the wall which was to the nearside of the trailer. With a clutch pedal, this accident would never have happened as there was very little momentum, so breaking the drive would have stopped the vehicle (more or less) dead.
For the record, I don’t hate every auto in every situation. I’ve recently been using a dockspotter to move some very large (but light) loads around and it’s brilliant, wouldn’t want anything else. It also has the advantage of having a true (Allison) automatic transmission.
Truckulent:
Scanner:
Truckulent:
Scanner:
Auto’s are less safe than manuals in all sorts of situations. Hill starts when heavily loaded, the ability to select reverse without a lockout device, (not all versions) snatchiness when manoeuvering etc etc.I suggest you learn how to use one correctly if you genuinely believe that twaddle!
Grow up, will you?
It’s a perfectly reasonable comment if you feel you can’t safely drive an auto…
It would be if I had said I couldn’t safely drive an auto, plus the sunglasses smiley… Really?
Most of our fleet of Scanias, Volvos and [zb] Axors, are auto boxes. I love the Volvo box! The Scania is OK, but not great, and the [zb] Axor shouldn’t be installed in anything with wheels… but every now and again, I get to drive one of our very, very, old (04, 05) Daf CFs which all had manual boxes… And it’s great to use a manual again. It also give me the chance to keep my double de-clutching technique fine tuned…
If I had a choice? Give me a Volvo auto box any day!
Oh, and to those that constantly sing the praises of Eaton splitter boxes, I started driving in Australia about 35years ago, in a Kenworth SAR, with a ■■■■■■■ 350 attached to an Eaton gearbox. And driving fully loaded up the Paramatta Road in Sydney was a complete pain in the [zb]rse! They were great when you got the ■■■■ thing into top gear and had 350 miles of flat tarmac before you needed to shift into low range, but these days, although still totally bullet proof gearboxes, they’re about as useful in urban environments as a spare [zb]ock at a wedding!
Scanner:
switchlogic:
Maybe I need to make that video I talked about a while back where I do a hill start fully loaded with an egg behind the wheel. And auto is not unsafe in any of the situations you mentioned. A driver in an auto with an intense hatred of autos may be though. Just like anything.I watched a guy trying to reverse a trailer with a full load of bottled water on it recently. He was in a fairly tight spot and the trailer wouldn’t move with the amount of throttle he was using. A bit more and around she went. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get off the throttle before he hit the wall which was to the nearside of the trailer. With a clutch pedal, this accident would never have happened as there was very little momentum, so breaking the drive would have stopped the vehicle (more or less) dead.
For the record, I don’t hate every auto in every situation. I’ve recently been using a dockspotter to move some very large (but light) loads around and it’s brilliant, wouldn’t want anything else. It also has the advantage of having a true (Allison) automatic transmission.
What was he driving? Sounds like he was in the wrong gear.
Scanner:
Truckulent:
Scanner:
Truckulent:
Scanner:
Auto’s are less safe than manuals in all sorts of situations. Hill starts when heavily loaded, the ability to select reverse without a lockout device, (not all versions) snatchiness when manoeuvering etc etc.I suggest you learn how to use one correctly if you genuinely believe that twaddle!
Grow up, will you?
It’s a perfectly reasonable comment if you feel you can’t safely drive an auto…
It would be if I had said I couldn’t safely drive an auto, plus the sunglasses smiley… Really?
Based on your erroneous comments about driving an auto it seems a reasonable supposition that you aren’t very good with them. You obviously don’t like them. Perhaps therein lies the reason you don’t feel in control with autos.
switchlogic:
Scanner:
switchlogic:
Maybe I need to make that video I talked about a while back where I do a hill start fully loaded with an egg behind the wheel. And auto is not unsafe in any of the situations you mentioned. A driver in an auto with an intense hatred of autos may be though. Just like anything.I watched a guy trying to reverse a trailer with a full load of bottled water on it recently. He was in a fairly tight spot and the trailer wouldn’t move with the amount of throttle he was using. A bit more and around she went. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get off the throttle before he hit the wall which was to the nearside of the trailer. With a clutch pedal, this accident would never have happened as there was very little momentum, so breaking the drive would have stopped the vehicle (more or less) dead.
For the record, I don’t hate every auto in every situation. I’ve recently been using a dockspotter to move some very large (but light) loads around and it’s brilliant, wouldn’t want anything else. It also has the advantage of having a true (Allison) automatic transmission.
What was he driving? Sounds like he was in the wrong gear.
An Ax*r. The non-steering mid-lift was painful to watch, I thought he was going to pull the tyres off!