The Lyonator:
The LGV industry now seems to be following the path of the “Automated” Manual (semi-automatic, clutchless manual) gearbox due to the fact it saves weight, driver concentration and fuel!
Can you see manual gearboxes being cast into the history books, especially with MAN and Iveco now supplying the ZF AS Tronic (sold as the TipMatic and EuroTronic respectivly) transmission as standard across most of their ranges with a manual gearbox option no longer available?
Personally I can see it happening, as Buses have not had clutch pedals for almost 40 years and these AMTs will be snapped up by Coach companies on the double, so I can even see the PCV industry not having any clutch pedals soon as well!
A coach company I have recently applied to join has just gone fully automated/automatic, they now either have ZF fully automatic or Volvo I-Shift transmissions - so they can now take on potential applicants with Automatics only driving licences (Restriction Code: 78).
Richard
first at all drive Coaches most on Motorways and Buses in Cities only forwards,
and second did i over Years never Use the left Pedal when with Eaton on the Way roadranger.com/Roadranger/pr … /index.htm
So long as it is Volvo I-Shift (which I hope to be getting soon in a new FH )
I also like Scania’s Opticruise and M-B Telligent, though these do still retain the clutch.
Wouldn’t want a DAF, MAN or Iveco with AS-Tronic though.
I can see the end of three-pedal transmissions.
Trouble is that in today’s world where ‘one driver to one truck’ operations are getting rarer, use of ‘never-been-been-in-here-before-today’ agency drivers is getting more and more frequent coupled with the fact that more and more transport office staff are not ex-drivers and can offer no advice or tips to these guys when faced with a strange 'box. Lets be honest, there is very little training offered at the best of times in this industry.
It is therefore usefel to companies to be able to give drivers the keys to, say, an FM I-Shift, safe in the knowledge that the driver shouldn’t go and wreck the transmission or the clutch during the next ten hours. They may not get the best from it, but at least the truck will be usable tomorrow.
Stanley Knife:
If a woman in the US of A can get $5m compo because she didn’t understand that if the vehicle had cruise she still had to be behind the wheel
That’s an urban legend.
On the original topic, though, I think that if AMT is going to replace manual, they need to sort out the low speed, high torque manouevring problem - e.g. moving a loaded trailer at sharp angles.
Plus, I really dislike the way that it slows you down when you try to pull out into a gap e.g. at roundabouts.
Those are urban legends too. I don’t have problems with either of those things. But then I’ve had three and a half years to LEARN the NEW SKILL of driving with AMT.
In other words, if you can’t do those things just the same as you would in a full manual, then you still haven’t learnt how to - 'cos there sure as hell ain’t anything wrong with the box.
Ps. Anyone who doesn’t believe me is welcome to get in touch and I’ll happily demonstrate.
On the original topic, though, I think that if AMT is going to replace manual, they need to sort out the low speed, high torque manouevring problem - e.g. moving a loaded trailer at sharp angles.
AMT gearboxes are going to be fitted with a camera so that they can see you are just trying to do a doughnut with a loaded 44 tonner and try to rip the tyres off the rims at the same time
As long as you stop and dont try to spin it round in too high a gear they manage very well. After all most of the really heavy haulage trucks use auto boxes and they dont seem to struggle
I admit an auto lgv is a nice leasurly drive but all the one I have driven are let down the lack of the ability to shunt into a bay nice n smothley, they tend to give you a littlebit then the ecu thinks your moving of & hey presto it all hell breaking loose. I once said that to a more experianced driver his responce " no auto are lovely things" until we had to make a 27 shunt uturn around a tight corner to get out of an unmarked deadend road. He rephrased himself afterwoulds & said “your right no good if you just wanna creep round she wanted to do her own thing & take off”…
robntl:
I admit an auto lgv is a nice leasurly drive but all the one I have driven are let down the lack of the ability to shunt into a bay nice n smothley, they tend to give you a littlebit then the ecu thinks your moving of & hey presto it all hell breaking loose. I once said that to a more experianced driver his responce " no auto are lovely things" until we had to make a 27 shunt uturn around a tight corner to get out of an unmarked deadend road. He rephrased himself afterwoulds & said “your right no good if you just wanna creep round she wanted to do her own thing & take off”…
Another two drivers who haven’t learnt to drive 'em yet then.
You have to learn to feather the throttle pedal just as you would do the clutch. Which makes sense given as how the clutch is on the throttle pedal.
Driveroneuk:
I counted the clutch presses on an EPS Actross with a very light trailer from Seaforth dock gates(Liverpool) to the the M58 in quiet traffic on a saturday morning: 40
I reckon you could close on double that with a heavy trailer and heavy traffic.
Dont bring EPS into this thread, phhh, (Spits on floor)
You can trust the Germans to complicate the issue. An auto box with a clutch and a BMW motorcycle with 2 indicator switches
All modern auto trucks have a clutch. only difference is a computer does it all instead of your left leg. You prob mean clutch pedal but i had Scania opticruise which had a clutch pedal!!! Now back to manual and prefer it anyday
Driveroneuk:
I counted the clutch presses on an EPS Actross with a very light trailer from Seaforth dock gates(Liverpool) to the the M58 in quiet traffic on a saturday morning: 40
I reckon you could close on double that with a heavy trailer and heavy traffic.
Do do recall a Foden 2-stroke with a 12-speed 'box and 2 levers. I never drove it, but did drive a Foden 12-speed with the single stick and a lo-int-hi switch.
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