We have my rigid and three manual 480 Scania units in our yard, the new driver decided to crash one of the tractor units last week so a hire unit was brought in for a week a Scania 420.
Its an auto with a clutch, now me being a mere class 2 often poodle about the the tractor units but I have never driven an auto, I knew I was being set up as I was last one back the other night so it was me putting the units away in the warehouse and locking up.
No one told me about the auto thing, so I get in and find my arm flailing around for the gear stick, just space, and a foot naturally resting on the clutch.
It dawns on me …hmmm
So looked around couldn’t see any buttons, at this point I am determined not to phone anyone eureka moment, look on the stalk, a message flashes up on the screen about its ratio, sussed, well I say sussed I twiddled it until the thing moved.
Funny how the new driver was asking me have I driven an auto before
I kinda piddled on his parade but in truth I got it moving not actually driving
arnt they just a pish setup altogether…either be full auto like the rest,or stick to having a clutch…total bollox,no traction whatsoever in the snow,and just the worst of both worlds.resting on laurels they wore from 35 years ago…that’s what their like for me anyway…bad setup…obviously the survey they took before deciding to keep the clutch was from drivers who never drove autos in the 1st place.but,you pays your money…just wouldn’t be mine…
Drift:
It confused me, I remember driving semi auto buses but they did it the right way around, keep the stick and loose the pedal
Indeedy, but don’t buses have a fluid flywheel rather than a clutch, which is why they will creep forward slowly without acceleration.
Auto trucks on the other hand (with the exception of Scania) are all accelerator and brakes in heavy traffic.
Seeing as we’re nearly all stuck with these poxy semi auto gearboxes, i agree that for retaining manoeuvering control the 3 pedal Scania takes some beating.
Not a bad box for manual shifting once you’ve got the hang of it, far more responsive than ZF’s effort, for those who haven’t overriden the horrid fully auto function and driven the Scan in manual find MH, faster changes than in M.
jeffrey ellener:
the Scanias are a lot more controllable when reversing onto docks ect than the press and go boxes.
Rubbish. I find a straight auto box works much better at controlled low speed motions.
+1 there for me…no complaints whatsoever with any auto ive been in…you only have 2 feet,you don’t need 3 pedals…once again britains about 50 years behind the rest of the world in accepting new technology…leccy windows,and you would spend 10 mins looking for the remote control before you would walk to the tv and switch channels,why have to use a clutch when full auto does the job for you.? I used to have to deliver into a farm in Ireland with the same load every week from france…I tried climbing the track in scania,daf,magnum,all with clutches,lost traction every time,none of the drivers could get up there,then I got a full auto actros,and just drove up it as if it was tar…never missed a ger,wrong gear,or took any pins off hooking up…just the dogs doodaahhs.
Drift:
I kinda piddled on his parade but in truth I got it moving not actually driving
Be thankful you didn’t have to figure the box out fully loaded in the middle of London on a busy island.
Pulled up once, fully freighted on an incline. Box immediately drops to 1st but this isn’t low enough to pull away. This box was a 12+2 so had 2 crawler gears which the computer won’t select for you, you have to select them yourself.
Cue a stalled motor and brief period of head scratching before remembering what they’d told me back at the depot. By pure coincidence I’d asked someone about the box as I was waiting around for ages for a truck to become available and someone explained it to me. I’d usually just turn up, jump in the truck and work it all out as I go along. God knows how long I’d have been there had someone not have told me about the crawler gears.
I personally think it’s a great box, gives you good control when manoeuvring and unlike an man tgx you don’t have to say sorry every time you pull out of a junction
jeffrey ellener:
the Scanias are a lot more controllable when reversing onto docks ect than the press and go boxes.
Rubbish. I find a straight auto box works much better at controlled low speed motions.
Totally agree, the auto with clutch is a real pain when pulling away on a hill with a heavy load. A case in point was a few months back in Bristol at Cabots Circus, where coming up the incline the light remained red and she just would not pull away thereafter, due to the weight. Know many drivers who complain about this and the roll/back effect…
jeffrey ellener:
the Scanias are a lot more controllable when reversing onto docks ect than the press and go boxes.
Rubbish. I find a straight auto box works much better at controlled low speed motions.
Totally agree, the auto with clutch is a real pain when pulling away on a hill with a heavy load. A case in point was a few months back in Bristol at Cabots Circus, where coming up the incline the light remained red and she just would not pull away thereafter, due to the weight. Know many drivers who complain about this and the roll/back effect…
Can’t get my head round this ‘incline/wouldn’t pull away due to the weight’ stuff! It’s no different to having a manual gearbox…low gear/find the bite of the clutch/handbrake off/power on/buggar off!! But a good driver would have made allowances for the red light and slowed before hand in anticipation of the light changing to green…a good driver doesn’t stop!!
TheRowdyTrucker:
I personally think it’s a great box, gives you good control when manoeuvring and unlike an man tgx you don’t have to say sorry every time you pull out of a junction
Have to disagree here as dislike the Scania box totally dont see the point of having a clutch tbh the MAN tga has a better box as when reversing you can go into slow speed easy
Find the Scania uncomfortable to drive as cant get the seat & steering wheel in a good position to drive
eureka moment, look on the stalk, a message flashes up on the screen about its ratio, sussed, well I say sussed I twiddled it until the thing moved. 