To be perfectly honest, I don't like the clutchless auto's at all, for a few reasons:

1 - When the truck is loaded, no problem. The problem comes when you're bobtail and trying to back under a trailer. To engage the clutch in a clutchless truck, you have to build your revs up (it's a centrifugal clutch). All at once it grabs and takes off like a rocket. I don't know how many times I thought I'd ripped off the trailer king pin or broke the truck's fifth wheel doing that.

2 - If you get into a situation where the drive tires lose traction and start sliding, you're pretty much screwed if you can't push the clutch in to let them freewheel. In a full auto, all you can do is put it in neutral. Of course, then you have to come to a complete stop to get it to go back into gear. Not the best in the ice/snow.

As far as any other time to see the benefits, unless traffic is at a dead stop, I can put my auto into 1st gear and creep along as low as 2mph if need be. Also, an auto will get you better fuel mileage for the simple reason that the computer will always shift correctly, not to mention the lower maintenance costs.

 

I just use that magical slot called...neutral...when rolling in slow traffic ...I don't see how a set up could be lower maintenance that has more parts to fail and wear out this would only apply to those who can't shift ...rookies...who may tear up a transission ,but I would think as long as the operator can shift decent that the basic manual cheaper and more reliable with less parts to wear out and fail .

 

I'm quite capable of shifting correctly manually, and as far as lower maintenance costs, well, I've never torn up a transmission or wrecked a clutch, so where would the savings come from????

 

Better fuel mileage and lower maintenance costs are what they report Kranky. (as Malaki86 has already stated)

Apparently by constant and consistent analysis of RPM/speed ratios, torque etc, and the ability to apply corrections and optimization adjustments immediately and exactly, as opposed to 'when it feels right' is more efficient and is easier on the power train.......just for starters. No more over-revving, and gear selection is made to maximize efficiency rather than a 'sweet spot' that is arbitrary to each individual driver. I drove one for about 2 months and was impressed. I talked with an Allison engineer from the Indianapolis plant one day and my head was spinning as he (tried:lol to explain the auto-shift to me. One thing for sure, the auto-shift is much, much more than just an automatic transmission.

Seems to work though. Especially in the urban environment. Most of the large fuel hauler companies around here now purchase only automatics. Only time will tell Kranky. Hell, at this rate, they won't need us to hold the wheel much longer either.

 

Just knock it outa gear then push, hard, on the shifter till goes in the next one. Might rev. the engine up and down hard (use the jake) as that will help it go in

 

u will quicky learn how ugly it sounds grinding that shifter around looking for the hole. u might get lucky and get a truck with a good trans that wasnt beatin to shit from the guy before u. my truck was definalty beat up. everytime u hit the rev range it made an awful grinding bang noise. got that fixed now just 9th and tenth are a little dry. some days it seems to shift smooth all day, others it just feels loose and sloppy