Why Do Semi-Trucks Have so Many Gears?
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- čas přidán 5. 06. 2024
- Why Do Semi-Trucks Have so Many Gears?
In this video, we're diving into the world of truck gears and transmissions. Have you ever wondered why a truck has 12, 18 or even more gears when a car only typically has 5 or 6?
We'll explain the advantages of having a high number of gears in a semi-truck, including improved efficiency, fuel economy, and safety.
We'll also discuss the difference between manual and automatic transmissions and why one may be better suited for certain driving conditions.
Whether you're a truck driver or just curious about the inner workings of these massive vehicles, this video has got you covered.
▬▬▬ The video ▬▬▬
00:00 Start
00:18
Why trucks
have so many gears
02:12 Why Manual gear?
03:28 Why automatic gear?
04:35 The Conclusion
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Volvo
www.volvotrucks.com/en-en/
/ volvotrucks
Volvo USA
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Freightliner
/ @freightlinertrucks
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/ @eatonvideos
MAN
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www.mantruckandbus.com/de/man...
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Know What the numbers in a Axle configuration means?? If NOT, then this video is just for you czcams.com/video/BjHXyLHiEoo/video.html
I think you don't mean Automatic transmissions are common in Europe, but really Automated transmissions.
Automatic: Mechanically operated gearboxes.
Automated: they are like manual gear boxes, but there is a computer handling the transitions between gears.
PLEASE get a new narrator.
That dbag voice is annoying..
Is this an infomercial? tf man. that voice sounds so stupid
I'm surprised no mention of how big truck gearboxes are different than automotive gearboxes.
Is strange how in the USA and Canada, where Automatic cars are dominant. Manual trucks are more popular. Whereas in Europe where Manual caea are more popular, Automatic trucks are more popular.
That’s changing. More and more carriers are switching to trucks with automatic transmissions. In the next couple of years the majority of trucks on the road will be automatic.
@@a-a-ron4679 Yeah. But I still find it strange even today and in the last 5 to 10 years that most American trucks are manual considering that Americans like automatic cars compared to Europeans
@@terrificspokesman7416 there’s a big difference between cars and trucks. As truck drivers we want to be able to control the vehicle ourselves
Any chance they might still be manual in Australia and New Zealand?
@@a-a-ron4679 true. But in Europe drivers like to control their cars with manual but many want automatic trucks.
As someone who has never driven a real semi truck and all of my knowledge comes from Euro Truck Simukator 2 and American Truck Simulator, this channel does teaches me a lot.
Get your license
Yeah well don't believe half the shit this channel says because it's only about half right...manual transmissions are the only way to go...I'm a 2nd Generation truck driver and I'm not a pavement princess, I might be hauling gravel 20 miles into the woods building logging roads one day and out hauling asphalt paving highways the next day...I've driven when it was sunny and 100F out driving down the Interstate and when it was -30F on ice and snow covered logging roads...
Same here!
@@aaronsanborn4291 Should have told him if he sees a sigh on a gravel road with CB channel number on it, stay the f..k off that road unless you have a CB
@@aaronsanborn4291 we're not in the 60's no more mate 😂😂😂😂
Automated gear systems are superior to even the best driver, so turn down your self esteem and join the real world.
America: Manual trucks, automatic cars
Europe: Automatic trucks, manual cars
100% right 😂
Asia: 100% manual
ye this is legit ahah
@@Raz82000 most new cars here in my part of Asia are automatic now.
Kalo Indonesia bang🤔
A big part of the reason people always seem to miss is large diesel engines do not turn as fast as your normal car engine. It needs more gears to make up for it. Your average car engine can turn at least 2.5 times faster than a big truck engine.
In fact, it's not the speed that matters, but the rpm range. A car engine operates in the range of 800-6000 rpm while a truck engine operates in the range of 500-2000 rpm and the highest torque is around 1000-1400 rpm.
@@daliborhabijanec1694 I won't argue the more gears for more weight. It does help, but nobody ever mentions the one tiny mechanical issue that automatically doubles your gear count from the start.
@@jasonstclair6293 No, the higher top engine speed of a car's gasoline engine doesn't "double your gear count" or anything like it. Dalibor is correct: it is the ratio of highest usable speed to lowest usable speed which is important, and diesel truck engines have a relatively narrow range of usable speeds. Dalibor's examples have a 7.5:1 ratio for the car and 4:1 for truck, illustrating this. More reasonable ranges would be 1500 to 5000 RPM for a car (3.3:1) while the truck engine's range might be 1000 to 1500 RPM (1.5:1)... but the point is that more ratios are needed because the diesel has a narrower useful range.
@@brianb-p6586 I know I was kind of stretching things a bit, but in the end I knew what I was trying to say. I haven't exactly drove a semi with a load, but have moved them around enough to know how they work. In all reality having more gears isn't about driving at high way speeds in the best possible gear as you will most likely only have two to work with, but more about getting up to speed.
@@brianb-p6586 I put the complete range from idle to the highest revs, but yes, you are right, the usable range is the one you stated. I don't know how it is in American trucks, but in European ones, for example, it is marked on the rev counter. Full green field where the best ratio of power and fuel consumption is, for example, from 1000-1400, then a dotted green field that is around 900-1000 and from 1400-1600 revolutions, where the lower and upper limit values are, then a blue field from 1800-2200 for the efficiency of the engine brake, and from 2200 the red field starts.
Ive been driving OTR for 30+ years now and have used manual, new automatics, and the old automatics from the 90's. An 18 speed manual is the top of the line. My personal opinion on why new trucks are mainly automatic is that most people under 40 dont have any idea how to drive a manual.
No one is willing to teach either. Go to cdl school now and they do the bare minimum. I've been learning on my own and it does take time.
I concur about 18 speeds. They were by far my favourite, especially in the mountains. Automatics make sense for fleets where you want to get a bunch of new hires on the road making miles with as little training as possible. On average, they are more fuel efficient too. Hate on them if you want, but the are a natural result of free market profit-cost pressure.
What I hated most about automatics was low speed manoeuvring. The lowest gear was never as low as that of an 18 or 13 speed and you have no clutch control so the computer is making the decisions about when to engage/disengage the clutch.
@@QDWhite You can control an automatic gearbox manually, if you think the gear isn't low enough. But why? The engine won't stall and why not use the automatic, as far as I know, nobody has beaten the automatic in fuel usage. Another benefit, you can sit and pick your nose and scratch your as. without thinking on next gearshift. 🙂
Having driven both manual and automatic the best gearbox is the scania opticruise it changes quickly and seamlessly and holds the gear well without changing up and down constantly and it's a very reliable gearbox
Thanks for sharing 👍
Scania has become way better than before, but are still behind Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and those using ZF
Agree, I like the opticruise on my Scania, verry good on the road, but on off road its not that good.
Volvo’s i-shift gotta be the best autobox out there followed by scania’s Opticruise & MB’s. The rest are just pants bar the new Daf’s as I ain’t driven one yet
Lmfao BULLSHIT
Most trucks have between 10 and 18 gears. Having driven for a number of companies, I would say that at least 40% of trucks out there are 10 speed.
I prefer Manual transmissions. I have
Control all the time and I enjoy shifting gears
Tendinitis and a worn out shoulder thanks to a manual truck transmission. An automatic may have saved me years of pain
Either the vehicle rides you or you ride the vehicle
Speaking from experience, I drive off road in snow, mud, and mountain conditions. If I have a choice then mine would be an Eaton 18 speed. That particular gearbox gives me all the range of gears I need on demand.
I am commenting as someone who has been working and driving trucks in Canada and the USA for my entire life. I also own a small company and have 12 of my own trucks plus 20+ owner operators. I have concluded that manual transmissions out last and out perform automated manuel transmissions(automatics) in the real world applications we experience in North America. I personally have driven both, upfront the convenience, fuel savings and simplicity of the automatic for drivng is a novel idea. But that is when everything works. I have had manual transmissions fail over the years as well but I have never had a manual transmission cost as much trouble and headaches as the automatics. From sensor issues, leaking airlines, failed ECMs and the list goes on I have seen automatic transmissions cost a lot more money than they will ever save in fuel economy and convenience. Now letˋs talk about the "safety" claim they make. This seems acurate on the surface but it is a lie that marketerˋs use to sell fleets and other people the transmission. Truck drivers as supposed to be PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS not people that just jump in and steer a truck down the road. Large companies and many businesses have deminished the value of a professional truck driver and as a result treat driverˋs worse and worse. In society truck drivers are often treated and the least valuable people when they are actually essential to our entire lives. But because corporate people and most of society donˋt understand the value that drivers bring to everyoneˋs existence they have descimated the profession of driving and donˋt pay drivers appropriately. It is hard to find qualified drivers or just people in general that want to be a part of our industry. This means that large companies have to comprimise to get as many people to drive their trucks as possible and as a result they keep lowering the standard of what it takes to be a professional driver. Automatic transmissions do exactly that, they lower the qualification of knowing how to shift and drive a standard transmission. Automatic transmissions are terrible in snow and ice, this issue is made even worse in mountians, hills and other terrain. Any driver that is distracted by shifting their truck doesnˋt have enough experience. A driver should be able to shift subcounciously through the gears and be in harmony with the machine. If not subconcously at least with minimal thought. Hereˋs and example. Think about playing a video game and using the controller. You learn what each button does on the controller, they you get familiar with it and then as you play over time you subconciously just push buttons to play the game. You donˋt think about which button you need to push. The same is with shifting a standard transmission. To steal a line from a movie "If you have to think, your dead!" Shifting to a professional truck driver should be like feeding yourself. You sit down to eat and start eating. You donˋt think about where to put the food, or how to chew it! You just do it. The same thing with driving a truck. When you sit down in a truck you should be familiar enough with the size of the truck, physical mechanics, switches, dials and gears that you can drive the truck wherever you want to. The idea that an automatic transmission makes a truck safer is just an absolute falacy that some marketing person in an office came up with because "safety" or more accurately "fear" sells almost anything to coorporations these days. "Safety" is a marketing ploy to corporations like "Sex" is a marketing ploy to general consumers. Whoever said that Europe has more traffic congestion than North America is correct overall but they obviouly havenˋt driven in LA, Miami, Toronto or New York if they think driverˋs in NA donˋt have to deal with stop and go traffic. Both types of transmissions have a place in this world but the big missing conception here is that automatics are safer or more efficient on their life cycle(yes I know new auto transmissions are better). Here is an example, if I told you that something was created for your conveinience and it will be safe 95 out of 100 times but gauranteed that each year 5 out of 100 times you would be put into a dangerous situation that could cost you your life or someone elseˋs life. 5% is a small comprimise you might say. But that 5% is guaranteed every year. If you are truly concerned about safety, would you still consider that device to be safe? You shouldnˋt when there is an alternative that is effective 99% of the time but requires you to learn and be skilled at what you do.
You are absolutely correct in all of your observations. I just put in a post saying the same. The creator of this site is obviously not a prodriver. He may have gotten his class 1 licence and headed right back to the office. You can tell by many of his silly comments.
Exactly what I was thinking, I've had my drivers license for about 6 months now, I haven't been thinking about shifting for the past 5 months, it should come naturally, exactly like you pkay games with a controller. I rarely question myself if I should downshift maybe but that's it, the rest just happens. I also know that truck drivers are underpaid nowadays, I once took a taxi and made some small talk with the driver, he mentioned he used to be a truck driver, my man showed me his driver's license, he had the whole damn thing checked, every single class, he said he also had permits for dangerous cargo and mentioned some of the tests you have to go through for that. He gained my respect, driving is not easy, I saw that during my first lesson, your brain has to automatically scan everything around you, approximate the size of the car, feel the engine, see the speed,ayne shift, every single second. Trucl drivers should indeed be truly pro drivers who know exactly what they're doing. I'm with the manuals, better control of the car from what I've seen, it keeps you more alert, and a lot more reliable, I don't like the idea that the car thinks it knows what I'm thinking and shifts for me, I'll stick with manuals.
It's very rare l read such long comments but this was very interesting 👍🇯🇲
Perfectly said
i am a truck driver myself with almost 30 years experience driving both over the road and short haul and i learned to drive on a manual transmission ,,new drivers today that take their driving test in a new truck with a true automatic , or even an auto shift can not drive a standard transmission truck so they are much more limited in what they can do ,,i learned on a standard transmission when i got my first drivers license and later when i took my test to get my class A ,, i actually took my driving test in a truck with a twin stick spicer transmission ,back in 1995 ,,today i can drive almost any vehicle with a steering wheel and pedals
the thing with automatic transmissions being safer only holds true with trucks that operate continually in stop and go environments ,, trucks like garbage trucks an automatic transmission is beneficial ,,in europe trucks operate in a lot of urban environments most american drivers don't experience ,,also why euro trucks are all short wheelbase COE trucks and not long hoods like american trucks ,,2 completely different vehicles for completely different requirements
Can't say for other countries, but atleast in the USA, the auto trans that were being used about 10-15 years ago had some problems, like not wanting to go in gear, not switching gears quickly, and being slow as he'll at even thinking about shifting.
Automatics are still GARBAGE
yup in the internationals they’re so slow to shift and you have to step on it for it to shift
Still are. I got this 23' 389 with a Paccar 13 auto, it has been reprogrammed twice, and still stays in manual mode most of the time. If not Thing upshifts while pulling hills, Drops into neutral on a 5-6 shift while making turn and takes 4-6 seconds to recover which will leave you hanging in an intersection looking like a rookie manual driver. Faster shifts my azz. My old 17" 389 would surprises the crap out of cars with how it accelerated empty, This thing is slow to shift meaning it feels like it is always loaded. even with the 3rd gear start.
EATON FULLER 18 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. Shift smooth like butter
For example you take certain motors along with transmissions
Some motors with a 8 or a 10 speed transmission, you’ll feel like the motor just wants more gears when it tops out.
18 speed transmission is fantastic for heavy haul trucks or always on highway trucks. 13 speeds are nice too
10 speeds or 8 speeds are common on daycab trucks or local driving trucks.
A 8 speed is like butter and is simple to shift same with a 10.
18 speeds are the real deal though 😎
I like an 18 speed for lots of reasons, and also I like to shift while going in reverse. Try that in any other transmission. Not many can do that1
@@SternDrive nope pretty much can only get more reverse gears in a manual. Your high and low reverse, super low, it’s just convenient in automatics you usually just get one fricken reverse and it’s stupid for construction purposes…
Automatics in big trucks are just stupid unless your always on the fricken highways.
I've been driving semi trucks for 23 years now. So far my favorite transmission is the Eaton Fuller 13 speed manual.
Yep, sport car Transmission for trucks
Yup I started in ‘01. Indianapolis. C1 truck driving school
yep. I shifted mine at 5 mph for low, 8 mph for 1st, 11 mph in 2nd, 15 mph in 3rd, 19 mph in 4th, then range shift to high side and do 25 in 5th, 29 in 5th overdrive, split to 6th and do 34 mph, then 6th over to 39 mph,, shift to 7th and get up to 45, split 7th and hit 51, and shift into 8th direct for cruising at 55 loaded with gasoline, or when empty accelerating to 60 and dropping into 8 over, or 13th gear and loaf at 1800 deadheading all the way back.
Manual for life ❤
After driving manual transmissions for over 30 years then was assigned a new Volvo automatic it took a few loads to learn and know the truck and after now a few years later am very happy with it.
You can elect either auto or manual up or down hill for efficient braking power downhill or plenty of torque up hill
I think is just a matter of doing a job with what we have available
Yep! And your one of the few that didn't have to write a book on your opinion. Thank you
Does automatic have a jake brake like the manual trucks.
Nowadays automated manual is more common in the US as well
True 👍
"Automated manual" just means automatic. There are various automatic transmission designs; "automated manual" is sometimes used to describe a parallel-shaft transmission with automated dog clutch shifting.
One remark. In Europe, trucks don't actually have a classic automatic transmission like in cars or city buses. Trucks actually have automated transmissions. Structurally speaking, these are still ordinary gearboxes, but the gears are changed not by the driver but by the truck, depending on the conditions, the load and the mode it is in, eg eco mode or power mode. There is an electro-pneumatic circuit on the gearbox that changes gears by itself. We still have a clutch, but without a pedal, because the electronics take care of it. The gas pedal is also electronic. When the computer senses that the gear should be changed, it removes the accelerator by itself, presses the clutch via the air cylinder, changes the gear, releases the clutch and adds the accelerator again. All this is still connected to the engine brake or intarder and cruise control.
isn't the gas pedal technically electronic on most diesels since they tend not to have throttle bodies
@@Gazzxy Well, I just mentioned that for the sake of a broader picture of how this whole process of changing gears by electronics works. Like, that wouldn't be possible if the gas pedal wasn't electronic.
@@daliborhabijanec1694 yeh to be fair the way those engines work now its probably ALL electronic or it wont work.. and am not sure thats a good thing haha
@@Gazzxy the "gas pedal" obviously isn't a gas pedal (or a throttle) with a diesel. It can be mechanical in both cases (moving a throttle valve for a gasoline engine or moving the injection pump rack for a diesel), but in all modern vehicles the link from the accelerator pedal to the engine is computerized, resulting in a motor moving the throttle valve for a gasoline engine and in changing the fuel injection pulse duration for a diesel engine. That electronic control (by whatever method is appropriate) is necessary for well-managed shifts, which was Dalibor's point.
My favorite transmission is, was and always will be a standard/ manual in any vehicle i drive. Its just a shame that alot of cars dont even offer a manual transmission anymore and im pretty sure rigs are starting to phase em out :(
Yes they are. I believe if you want a Volvo, manual is an option, thus costing more.
True automatic transmissions use a torque converter to connect the engine to the input shaft of the transmission. Inside the transmission, hydraulic brakes and clutches constrain portions of planetary gears to provide the different gear ratios. The most common heavy duty automatic transmission is made by Allison.
Manual transmissions use a clutch to connect the engine to the input shaft of the transmission. Heavy duty manual transmissions commonly have a main section operated by a gearshift lever, and one or two range sections selected by buttons and operated by air. Car and light truck manual transmissions typically have synchronizers that will spin the transmission input shaft to match the speed of the next gear. Heavy truck manual transmissions typically do not have synchronizers on gears selected by the gearshift lever, and it is up to the driver to manually manually match the engine speed to where it needs to be for the next gear during a shift. A foot pedal operates the clutch through three modes on non-synchro transmissions: The default position is up, which makes a direct connection from engine to transmission. Pressing the pedal half-way down disengages the connection between the engine and transmission for shifting or stopping while in gear. Pressing the pedal all the way down engages a clutch brake to stop the input shaft from spinning, to allow the transmission to be shifted into a gear from neutral. Clutch pedal all the way down is only used while stopped, and never used while moving. Internally, a manual transmission has an input shaft, an output shaft, and between them is a counter shaft that contains all the gears that are selectable from the gearshift lever.
A typical heavy duty manual transmission would be a RoadRanger 9-speed. This has an H-pattern of four gears on the gear selector. None of these gears are synchronized. There is a two-speed range selector that operates on the input shaft. Low range underdrives the input shaft for the first pass through the 4-speed, then a lever incorporated into the shifter knob is pulled upward resulting in direct drive of the input shaft, and the driver repeats the 4-speed pattern for gears 5th through 8th. There are also gear positions for Reverse and Low. Low is only used in low range, and is lower than 1st gear. 8 speeds plus low make it a 9-speed.
An enhanced version of the 9-speed adds a close ratio two-speed section at the tail-section, providing four extra gears, making it a 13-speed. This transmission has a close-ratio range selector called a “splitter” operated by the driver’s thumb on the side of the shift knob. There is an interlock within the shift knob that only allows the splitter to be operated while the range selector is in high range. The splitter operates a close-ratio two-speed section on the output shaft that provides an extra gear half-way to the next gear for gears 5th through 8th. This split is either between underdrive and direct, or direct and overdrive, depending on the specific model of transmission.
Another version of the 9 and 13 speeds adds capability for the splitter to be operated in low-range, allowing every gear of the 9-speed being split, resulting in an 18-speed with four reverses.
Another common manual transmission is a 10-speed. It is a close ratio 5-speed with gears 1st thru 5th in low range, then air-shifted to high range, and the 5-speed pattern is repeated for gears 6th through 10th.
Mack makes a 10-speed manual that has six gear positions, 1st thru 6th. All six are used in low range. In high range, first two slots are skipped, and the last four are repeated for gears 7th thru 10th. Instead of providing a slot on the gear shifter for Reverse, an air switch is engaged to select reverse, and the six gear slots provide six progressive reverse ratios in reverse.
A driver with an advanced skill set can change gears on a non-synchronized manual transmission without using the clutch pedal by careful coordination of gearshift movements into the next gear after perfect matching of engine RPM. A human can shift a non-synchronized manual transmission smooth or fast, but not both.
What is not mentioned in this story is the automated manual transmission, which are often mistakenly called an automatic. They may seem like an automatic because the driver interface is similar, and they lack a clutch pedal, but internally they are the same as a manual. Electronics control robots that operate the clutch and shift rails, and provide perfect synchronization of the engine RPM to match the next gear. Every shift is perfect, fast and smooth.
When a shift occurs on an automated manual, the computer will briefly take over the throttle from what the driver is doing with the pedal. The throttle will smoothly be reduced to zero to break the torque, allowing slack in the driveline, which allows the robot to exit the current gear. The computer will rev-match the engine RPM to match what is required for the next gear. The robot will then select the next gear. If the driver is applying throttle to the pedal during the shift, the computer will add only a slight amount of throttle to speed up the engine enough to take up the slack in the driveline. Once the slack is removed, the throttle will rapidly, but smoothly, transition to the position the driver has on the pedal, and return throttle control back to the driver. This throttle transition following the shift is done in a fraction of a second, but at a rate that will not oscillate the torque applied to the driveline. This minimizes the stress on engine mount bushings, transmission mount bushings, driveshaft bushings, driveshaft U-joints, drive shaft slip joint, drive axle suspension bushings, and drive tires, by creating only one torque oscillation per shift, as opposed to the several torque oscillations per shift that occur when a driver attempts to rapidly shift a manual transmission.
I repeat, a human can shift a manual transmission smooth or fast, but not both. An automated manual will shift both fast and smooth, every time.
For example, a Volvo D13 500/1850 engine creates peak horsepower over a range of about 1400 to 1800 RPM, but peak torque occurs over a range of about 1100 to 1400 RPM. On a 12-speed iShift (Volvo’s most common automated manual transmission), RPM after an upshift is about 78% of RPM before an upshift. If a driver manually upshifts at 1800, RPM will drop to about 1400, a difference of about 400 RPM. But in the automatic mode, the engine could upshift at only 1410, dropping to 1100, the bottom of the peak torque curve, but only a 310 reduction of RPM. The upshift dropping 310 RPM will complete slightly quicker than the same shift dropping 400 RPM. Multiply this by eleven shifts, results in acceleration times noticeably quicker by operating in RPM ranges that favor peak torque rather than peak horsepower. The high horsepower RPM range also consumes more fuel than the high torque RPM range, while returning slower acceleration.
Volvo invited experienced drivers to an iShift test drive, doing timed acceleration from a stop sign to a distant marker, with the driver first shifting manually, then repeating the test shifting automatically in the Economy Mode. No driver was able to win the acceleration test while manually selecting the shift points.
The Volvo iShift 12-speed automated manual is a 2x3x2, which internally has a close ratio 3-speed manual in the middle, a wide-range two-speed in the front, and a narrow-range two-speed splitter at the rear. The 3 speed is repeated after range shifting the input making six gears. The splitter adds half a gear to each of those six, making a total of 12 forward gears. To the driver, it just appears to be gears 1st thru 12th. Here’s what’s going on internally, range, gear, split (Low and High):
01=L1L
02=L1H
03=L2L
04=L2H
05=L3L
06-L3H
07=H1L
08=H1H
09-H2L
10=H2H
11=H3L
12=H3H
Depending on the option configuration, the 12-speed iShift can have as many as four reverse gears:
R1=LRL
R2=LRH
R3=HRL
R4=HRH
The iShift can skip-shift as needed by simply holding the same splitter gear while shifting the 3-speed section.
Who cares
JESUS CHRIST! YOU TOO WROTE A STUPID BOOK. YOU SHOULD'VE GOT YOURSELF A PUBLISHER. TOO LONG WINDED, YOU MUST HAVE TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR HANDS. MY MIND IS ALWAYS ON DRIVING TO GET THE NEXT LOAD AND PLAN. TOO MUCH BS!
Give me a good ol 13-speed manual all day!
👍
Ahmen
You got that right!
I live in Sweden and here Scania and Volvo charge more for manual, so automatic is cheaper here in Sweden. Don't know how it in the rest of the Europe. Fun fact.
18 speed manual is definitely my favorite.
I'v driven just about every kind of manual transmission from the 5 speed Maxidyne to the 20 speed 5x4, but without a doubt, my favorite was the 15 speed Triplex in my mid 1960s B-61 Mack.
5x3 ?
Personally i like manual more, than automatic. I like to have full control of vehicle.
But there is only one true gearbox. Fuller Roadranger fitted into a Sisu😁
As a truck driver I prefer a manual all day everyday!!
You need to shift gears everyday for 35 years. The repetitive motion injury that causes if life long
@@belaoxmyx298 I have driven pro long haul for 48 years, and I prefer manual. I have never owned an automatic car and I have no "repetitive motion injuries". It helps if you know how to drive. I have videos on how to drive manual cars and trucks properly so you will never get injured.
FYI the most common gearbox in Europe is not really automatic, it's more of a mix.
They're called robotized mechanical gearboxes, as they work exactly like a manual but are worked by the truck computer and the driver can still shift gears manually with a lever just behind the steering wheel.
No clutch pedal still but it takes the best of both and also kinda the worst of both as it's very hard to maintain.
In new car and SUVs and Pickups it is now already common to have 8, 9 or 10 then gears in an automatic transmission.
The more gears you have, the more efficient will be your car or truck.
Good point - the difference is evaporating. Yes, manuals are typically 6-speed in cars and 13-speed in trucks, but automatics have about the same number of ratios in both types of vehicles... and the cars and light trucks now commonly have more ratios than heavy commercial trucks.
I've only driven manual semis I don't know what to do with an automatic semi would confuse me and I can honestly say it is never distracted my driving
I've always thought it was to cope with the size of a truck engine.
Given how big they are, they need to run as slow as possible to minimise wear from having such large components constantly being accelerated back and forth. Many heavy rigid trucks I've driven idle at 500rpm and redline at 2500, whereas my diesel ute idles at 750rpm and redlines at 4200rpm. The gears in a truck are there to compensate for this low rpm range set out by the large engine format.
Manual all the way and forever!
I drive in Europe, mainly Volvo's with the 12 speed I-Shift . By the way, the new I- Shift selector design is very modern. Back to my comment - I would really love to use the E.F. 13 or 18 speed manual . The skill and technical challenge. Thanks for this gearing video. 🙂
The I-shift drives like luxury car 👌🏼👌🏼
I feel the same
When I use an automatic transmission I’m more focused on the road. Here in France roads are often small and tight. More and more automatic transmission uses GPS data to anticipate and to choose the right gear. But I agree that manual transmission is better when you are stuck in the mud or in the snow
Thanks for sharing 👍
It's also worth noting that terrain in the United States is *WAY* more varied than in most other countries. It's rare to find a major roadway in Europe with more than a 3% grade while, in the US, 5% grades are quite common and steeper grades (up to 7%-10%) aren't that uncommon.
More to the point is that an automatic transmission can only respond to the "here and now", such that the truck has already lost considerable speed and repeatedly downshifts in its mad scramble to find a gearing and powerband sufficient to make it up a steep grade. With a manual transmission, the truck is already in the proper gear - with RPMs raised and the turbocharger already fully engaged - when starting up the grade. In simpler terms, with otherwise identical trucks with the same load on the same hill, the truck with a manual transmission will reach the top still going 45-55 MPH while the truck with an automatic transmission will be lucky to still be going 25-30 MPH.
The inverse, when descending, is also true. Non-truckers don't comprehend how much force is required to slow a heavy truck going downhill; even inexperienced truck drivers underestimate how much force is needed to keep the truck's speed under control when going down a steep grade. (The reason why so many US highways have "truck escape ramps" every mile or so - deep gravel pits that can seize a runaway truck.) The trucker's bromide is to "always go down a hill using the same gear you went up in", using the engine compression (aka Jake Brakes) to control speed rather than the brake pedal. Manual transmissions are easy to 'lock' into a specific gear, while automatic transmissions will just keep upshifting on their own. (While I'm sure that automatic transmissions have *something* to avoid upshifting when the engine braking is active, I would never rely on it - give me a manual transmission so I *KNOW* I can control the truck's speed on a downgrade.)
I prefer Mercedes Telligent gearbox. It's a semi-auto gearbox, with a joystick instead of gearstick, but with 3 pedals. Clutch pedal required to slip the clutch and shift gears, pushing forward the joystick will make the computer calculate all the factors and will choose the best higher gear to shift into,but it will only shift once you lift the clutch. Same for pulling back the joystick,but with lower gears.
American cars: automatic, American trucks manual
European cars: manual, European trucks automatic
Genius 😂
As for me I prefer manual 1001% because I love to be in control, not putting my life and hope on some dombass computers and sensors.
However it seems these newer europe semi have better automatic transmission that can decide the most effective gear or when to shift, and their auto trans habe large contribution with the safety feature on these semi like emergency braking. With the trans it can slow down faster instead of a slower manual
@@MAlif-qg5snI truly understand you very well about how technologically advanced those European trucks are but if you have driven a manual transmission truck before you will understand what am talking about . There is nothing like being in charge broo.
@@iboyioghenetejirigift2552 i got it bro
Your gear choice is probably not as good as the computer's choice in modern truck automatics, but if you want just move the selector to the manual position ("M" with the shift selector shown in the video) and use the "+" and "-" (or whatever they are labeled) switches to select your desired ratio.
As automatic trucks have become common in the u.s., so has the lack of quality of truck driver. A manual transmission regulates the driver. They have to be skilled and alert. Took a truck enthusiast to drive. You had to like what you do. Automatic trucks have made it a job that anyone can do... a last resort job. There's a lot of people at least here in the u.s. that shouldn't be driving a semi let alone a car.
lots of people everywhere that shouldn't be driving a truck or a car.. auto or manual.. what's change is the quality of people
You still have to be skilled and alert.
@@weirdfan88 @Gazzy I agree with both of you. Although it seems those that choose to drive manual transmission tend to be better drivers because they enjoy the action, experience, control, etc of driving. That's why I call them enthusiasts. I see too many drivers that come to my warehouse and never learned to back up their rig. ( I know that has nothing to do with transmission choice) but I'd think if you'd take time to learn multiple types of manual transmissions, you'd probably learn how to back it up. Maybe more pride in what you do...I dunno, I'm just saying.
@@petergisel4864 Automatics have dummed down the industry. Companies do not want to train drivers. The new ones are often off the street, and their driving skill shows.
From what I know about modern automatic trucks in Europe (a cousin of mine is a truck driver in the Netherlands) is that they have safety features amongst which driver monitoring. If the driver appears to be falling or has fallen asleep the truck gives off an alarm in the cabin and if it doesn''t detect any reaction from the driver soon it slows down and curbs the truck. Also these trucks can drive themselves in traffic jams below a certain speed. When traffic starts moving faster it allerts the driver that it's time to take over. I'm wondering if these features exist or are even possible with manual transmission trucks. I can't see such a smart automated system driving a manual transmission vehicle.
Superb content,simple and accurate 🚚🚛📀🎯
As a 5 yr experienced euro truck simulator 2 gamer this is the one question I hv asked my self
Finally 😅😊
Appreciate you mahn
The important is... don't forget for regular maintenance! 🤣🤣
18speed manual is my 1st choice
👍
Automated manual transmissions are also increasingly common in trucks around the world, as they provide the best of both worlds. You have a sequential manual shifter (without the need for a clutch pedal), but can also drive in full automatic mode.
Driving auto is easier but if im gonna drive a manual i want a clutch its more fun 😂
I'd say they're the worst of both worlds!
@@philipstokes2824 How so?
@@bronswims1176lmfao son a clutch is only used for starting and stopping. Learn to float those gears
@@aaronsanborn4291 i can do that too 😂 ill ask you the question do you know how to start and stop with no clutch
If your vehicle needs the clutch to start it actually doesn’t there’s a button behind the clutch pedal if you tape that down the motor will turn over without the clutch all you do is put her in first and use the starter motor to essentially roll start the car and then comming to a stop you need to put it in neutral but id essentially just stall it because if you want to take off again the engine can’t be running
Mostly automated manual transmissions in the US as well. The option for newer builds is the manual.
I have driven auto and manual semis in outback Australia. The distances are large like USA, the highways are great but a lot of very long dirt roads are not fun for manuals. My Roadranger 18 speed lever was hard to first find then get the right speed, half the time your bum was off the seat and head against the headlining. The reason was heavily corrugated roads shared with enormous mining dump trucks and ant hills that formed in a few days.After a while you stopped dodging the ant hills and just hit them. They were very hard and made a hell of a bang as the front axle mowed them down. Long nose trucks felt safer as if you hit a camel, bull kangaroo or a steer at speed in the dark, they were less likely to come thru the windscreen, every one had 'roo bars across the front. Thousands of kilometers with no fences. The 'roos were so dopey that sometimes they would run into a stationary truck.
My favorites are the Eaton Fuller 08 , 09, 10 , 13 and 18 speed they're the best of the best for the mountains and the highways
At first, yes, manual transmissions can take your focus off the road.
I drive a 5spd, and it took me a few months to get used to knowing what gear i was putting it in.
Now, i don't even have to look to see what gear i am putting it in.
I can float gears, too, though, for wanting to accelerate faster, you use the clutch.
A 5spd in a pickup is better suited for towing/hauling than a 6spd, which is better suited for efficiency but fragile when towing/hauling.
Towing and hauling i would pick manual any day, though getting older and just driving, i would prefer automatic.
Stop and go traffic, you start lurching every time you move once you're leg starts getting tired and putting unnecessary wear and tear on the clutch peddle.
I had one break on me as i was pulling into a parking spot.
Had to get towed, yeah i can float gears but i still need the clutch to get it in first gear.
I would dispute that a 5 speed is better for towing than a 6 speed. More gears gives more options. I prefer a 7 speed manual. Ford offers this in their new Sport Truck.
@SternDrive with Doug Stern Suppose that would depend on the gear ratio and type of transmission.
Yes, more gears are beneficial depending on what they are intended for.
If you took a 6spd intended for fuel efficiency but not intended for towing/hauling heavy loads, chances are you are shortening the lifespan of that transmission.
My pickup is a 1500 with a 5spd, and i have pulled a heavy load a time or two that i could feel the transmission move, which tells me that's too heavy which all accounts were very short distance move just to get whatever it is out of the way.
If the transmission i have hadn't had towing in mind, it probably would have ripped itself out, which is why i try to avoid moving things that heavy.
That and mine runs on gas so i don't have the torque for pulling like a diesel.
There are autoshift transmissions being multiclutch servo shifters and automatic hydrollic drive transmissions usually with torque converters, two different animals. The shift to, pun intended, autoshift transmissions has become popular for over the road and urban class 7 and 8 fleet trucks particularly in North America. Even though they're more expensive than manual transmissions they're cheaper than true automatic transmissions which are still used in many occupational trucks and equipment, with Alison being the main manufacturer of true automatic transmissions.
Awesome channel, learned something after just few videos. My favourite transmission is automatic and also sequential which is just shift pedals without a clutch pedal so you can actually have more control while also not having to press the clutch pedal.
Happy to know 👍
I've driven both and as a company driver I prefer auto because it's easier, but if I ever became a O/O I would get a manual.
Automatic 100%. I have driven 15 speed 9 speed 18 speed by the Allison auto was the best. What a treat to drive without shifting. Plus the retardation going downhill was just the same as manual gearbox trucks. Either transmission requires the driver to know rev range of the motor and how to operate the transmission to prevent lugging or over revving the engine. The new auto transmissions out perform the manual by making perfect shifts every time 😂
I drove a gravel truck for 35 years in city traffic
My favorite transmission is from my Yugo. It has a1987 4 speed. It has 18, miles on before it broke. Yugos are quality and affordable.
Manual 100%
We're in 2023 mate...
An automated gear system is way more effective and kind to the drivetrain than a driver ever can be
@@stigandrmyrardalur5208nope
@@stigandrmyrardalur5208 Auto trans is ok, but I hate to think that in the future we will have an autonomous trucks, and instead of drivers, we will call them wheel attendant.
Gearbox
I'm a manual transmission fan, in my personal vehicles I've Never had an automatic, at 65 I'm still driving a stick shift.
I hate to break it to whomever produced this video, first off even the 'Automatics' in the states have clutches in Semi's, they are all computer controlled, I've driven both, the ones that have come out recently are Leaps and Bounds better than they were in the early 2000's.
On a heavy vehicle, I would go for manual. Less wearn on the brakes and you can use the engines braking during downhill driving. In South Africa we have many runaway trucks, because automatic transmissions don't downshift non a downhill, and when it is too late, the driver cannot slow down. Brakes wear down faster nwith auto transmission and also causes runaways.
modern ones do downshift, the computer considers a lot of the trucks telemetry when picking gears. that and they also can be fitted with hill decent modes
@@Gazzxy I drove an automatic Kenworth, and going down hills it dropped to idle , I presume to save fuel. So much for automatics engine braking capabilities on down hill descent.
@@SternDrive ahh i duno with us trucks
@@SternDrive I don't know what was wrong with that truck or transmission, but automatics of any design can and do downshift for grade descent... in the smallest car or the heaviest truck.
There is a company in Canada that is making trucks with an electric drive train. It makes them effectively have an infinite number of gears. It seems that they drive like an automatic transmission but with a huge amount more "tractive effort" at low speeds. They get better fuel economy out of them because the engine runs exactly at its ideal RPM.
In Jamaica We Rather Manual Transmission 👊🏽🤘🏾🔥
New trucks in Japan are now also making automated manual transmissions a standard than the manual ones. The manual transmission become so much optional.
But they still dont have fully automatic gearbox because it is too expensive to maintain among truck operators.
Thank you 👍👍
No problem
I have a gearless 21 speed. It works a dream, no maintenance!
I agree with you 90%... the only place where I see you're wrong without a doubt is economy. Everyone who's driving a manual VS a automatic knows you will always get better economy out of a manual
Everyone who "knows" that is mistaken. That was true decades ago, when automatics had torque converters without lockup clutches, only three ratios, and crude hydraulic control; however, in modern cars automatics typically get better fuel economy than manuals.
Ishift - DCT game changer
True 👍
I Prefer Manual Over Automatic Anytime Anyday 👍👍 To Truck Topia Channel
In my 45 years of trucking i had the chance to try all the different combinations of tranys both manual and automatic .the most common is the 13 speed good for most work anywhere but i still like the old 2 stick 5x4
Thanks for sharing, 45 years 😁 impressive 👍
Can't say which is my favorite. My double over 18 speed or my 6x4. Love em both
The one thing I hate about the automatic is when you are used to driving a manual transmission with a clutch. When you jump up into your seat and you're ready to start the engine you slam your left leg to the floor for the clutch that's not there.
As a truck driver in North America myself. I would still recommend manual transmison truck like I used these days over rin the oilfields. Back when I was in long haul Automatic is more convenient only in the city..when in the mountains cruising I would prefer still manual so as on winter. Well I guess manual transmission wins for me lol. Nice video tough great info which I agreed
In manual driving gear shifting and focus is easy to do simultaneously if you're experienced
my 71 & 85 mack had a six speed trans 5 speed for road and the sixth gear for off road the 71 mack went 880`000 miles with no trans repair the 85 mack went 940`000 miles (still working ) but rebuilt with factory kit sold at 1,750`000 . you didn't have to shift all the time with the maxidine motor oh and when they were new they didn't smoke . macks 20 speed trans was nice just like a variable trans you never stopped shifting
In the last few years in the US, automatics are the norm for new trucks and there is a $10k+ surcharge for spec ing a new truck in the US with a manual transmission. Automatics are commonly found in larger box carriers, mainly because the carriers don't have to spend time and money training a new driver how to use a manual, and most of the big box carriers have an annual 130% to 250% driver turnover (lower with smaller carriers) rate as it is, so they don't want to waist the time and money in training on a driver that wont stick around long anyway.
In the Heavy Haul side of things, our turnover rate is basically 10% or less, because once you find a good carrier to work for, drivers generally stick around till retirement.
In my outfit, we run 18 speed Manual Transmissions with 4 speed auxiliary gear boxes, and pull loads as high as 250,000 lbs. There are other carriers (Not many) that will go much higher, but that is a bigger can of worms, to get into later.
Definitely manual I'm not steering holder and I want 13 speed transmission
In the UK, the car driving test is in a manual-geared car, so 99% of drivers in the UK can use a manual gearbox, also a lot of truck driving schools tend to use trucks with manual gearboxes for training purposes, the company I worked for had its own driving school and we had an old Volvo FH that the drivers learnt in with a manual box.
After 35 years of shifting gears your right arm won’t be thanking you for loving a manual transmission
@@belaoxmyx298 Been driving them for 48 years. Give me an 18 speed manual any time. I even refuse to drive an automatic car. I have a video on how to do it properly.
Back in the 70s, when I drove cross country and later Califonia truck and trailer gasoline tankers, we had a lot of 13 speed roadranger gearboxes. Our engines were rated at 2100 RPMs, and we kept them between 1900 and 2150 RPMs for pulling grades and at 1800 for cruising or running empty. You need many gears for this small RPM range to avoid lugging the engine. Newer diesels turn slower, like between 100 and 1600 rpms, pulling at 1600 and cruising at only 1200, a far cry from when I was driving semis 40 to 50 years ago. It is possible for these engines to do well with the 9 speed trannys. And back in the day, cars were only 3 speeds and some were 2 speeds (powerglide) and a few were 1 speed (Dynaflow)
I drove a Mack with a manual transmission for years. That thing wore a blister on my right hand from so much shifting. My new truck had an automatic transmission. I liked it so much better.
👍
I drive an automatic international lt 2020 for 3 years now and I like it specially in rush hours but i still more like manual transmission because of the full control of it even if I can take a little control of my automatic transmission
I drive big trucks. I'm a trucker. I know everything there is know about trucks.
It’s actually for Eaton’s fuller transmission 10/13/18 speeds. Look it up. At least for USA/Canada trucks. Europe use 12 speed.
As a former driver, I’d prefer manual over automatic any day of the week. I used the gears to slow the truck. I dunno how an auto tranny is going to work on a downgrade. Not to mention, shifting does NOT interfere with driving. You can actually do it without looking at the shifter. Imagine that? I like control over my vehicles. From cars, motorcycles and tractor/trailers, I’d rather shift gears than rely on an automatic to do it. What’s nice is that if you’re deadheading, you can start out in 4th or 5th gear cuz it’s a light load. Need to start in 1st if heavy to engage the torque. I’ve driven Freightliners and Peterbilts. The Peterbilt had half gears. Didn’t think that I’d like that but I did eventually appreciate them. Automatic transmissions were designed for those that struggle with the double clutch dilemma of an auto tractor. I’m not THAT old school either. It’s obviously a personal preferential thing. As a driver working for a company, you’ll drive whatever truck they give ya. So be ready for that. In the United States the commercial drivers license will have a restriction if you test in an automatic transmission truck. You’ll be prohibited from driving a manual one. So, learn both but test with a manual to get a full CDL endorsement.
Just subscribed to your channel 👍🇯🇲
Welcome 👍🚚
The automatic gearboxes referred to in Europe are automated manuals with load sensors and integrated clutches engaged by air actuators. Most common in Europe, OE brands like scania opticruise, volvo i-shit, Mercedes-Benz Powershift, and more generic ZF AS-TRONIC OR TRAXON, This could be an idea 💡 for next set of videos which could focus on transmission. In North America and Europe👍
That's the same in North America. Allison builds torque converter and planetary transmissions (like a traditional light vehicle automatic) for both medium-duty and heavy trucks, but Eaton Cummins and PACCAR automatic transmissions for heavy trucks are parallel-shaft gearboxes with dog clutch shifting. PACCAR actually has both: a torque converter and planetary TX-8 for medium-duty and parallel shaft and dog clutch TX-12 and TX-18 for heavy trucks.
It depends on the company and what they do with the computer once they get their grubby hands on the truck. 1 company I worked for set their Prostars so that once you reached 10th gear the engine would degrade to 55 MPH and I'd have to switch it back automatic. Which made climbing hills so much fun, no downshift to 9th hitting the hill in high RPM. But another company with Freightliners left it alone, so it was literally a paddle shift manual at that point. Which made Arkansas overdrive nice because the truck would put itself back in gear if you told it too, even if a couple MPH beyond governed speed which any other truck I've ever driven wouldn't. I mean hypothetically speaking of course, I'd NEVER actually do that 😉😉😉
That's easy; so people like you can make videos 🙂
Most refined transmission right now is probably Volvo's crawler+i shift option
I like the manuals (not synchronised), like a true Chad
Need those extra low gears to pull heavy loads,( to effectively engine brake too) need the high gears for higher speeds (like interstate speeds) and fuel economy.
More gears due to heavy body weight, long chassis, and so forth.
The most common high gears like in Japan is 12 & 16-speed. 12-speed is mostly for Automated Manual Transmission (not fully automatic), and 16-speed is for heavy haulage and steep roads. And they're all cabovers.
I work in a yard with a tricky up ramp at the entry way.
The auto drivers are usually the ones who have the most difficulty as the gear management shifts up a gear at the wrong time.
Do new auto's still allow manual low gear control (some call it a crawler gear)?
I would have preferred a deeper dive into why you would pick one gear over another and what the high/low thing is amd what the difference is.
Consider that you are in 2nd gear and second gear at this road speed the engine makes 500HP at full blast. If you shift to 3rd gear at this road speed what would the horse power be? If it is 501 then you up shift.
Consider that you are not needing full blast power now. You are in 4th gear. How many miles per gallon do you get. Lets say it is 5MPG. At this same speed if you shifted to 5th gear, how many miles per gallon would you get? If it is 5.1MPG then you up shift.
High and low range are just ways to have more gears. Imagine you have a transmission with two gears (to make it simple).
At 25MPH the engine will be spinning at 1000RPM in 1st gear of the low range.
At 25MPH in 2nd gear of low range the engine will be at 707RPM
If you switch to high range, your RPM numbers will change to 500RPM and 352.5RPM.
Notice of the range shifter doubled the number of gears you have.
If the transmission was an 8 speed and not at 2 speed, you would get 8*2=16 gears
Honestly I don't really have a preference for whether it's automatic or manual. As long as I can get those wheels turning, I'm happy with that.
Really excellent vide. For best of Two Worlds manual and automatic the automated manual transmission comes in handy when you are using it for a license test you are still going to get an automatic transmission restriction for using automated manual transmission. That's why manual transmission still exists and the United States and Canada they are common because of the long distances between cities
Thanks
In Germany, many cars have manual transmissions and trucks often have automatic transmissions.
In the US it's the other way around.
I was learning driving Semi's in the beginning of the 90's with a 3 speed twin splitter Eaton Fuller Gearbox with high and low range....the best gearbox in the world.....😁👌
You need the clutch only to drive off.....but today I have to drive with an automatic shifter....because I live in Europe and we don't have the choice....😳
The terms "taller" and "shorter" are used incorrectly (completely backwards) in the statement starting @1:40. A lower-numbered gear for lower road speed with the same engine speed is not "taller", it is "shorter". "Taller" means a lower reduction ratio, like having taller wheels (or "longer legs"). This taller/shorter terminology is typically used when discussing final drive ratios, but applies the same way to transmission ratios.
Thank you for that
I'd imagine the best compromise would be an automated manual with "paddle shifters" (like, actual paddle shifters or some lever in the center console etc.) So that if the auto can handle it, then let it do it's job (cruising, traffic etc.) But if for some reason the driver needs to manually take over what gear they want to use, they can use the paddle shifters.
Technically they are built this way,... The thing is the fleet owners normally disable manual controls in the quest of fuel economy. You would be amazed what can all be changed in a semi's programming.
All truck automatics include some form of manual selection mode, just as in cars.
@@brianb-p6586 most cars don't let you select which gear it is in exactly. Many cars these days only have D or L... everything in between is up to the computer. Just because a truck has a manual mode doesn't mean it will work that way. Many fleets disable manual mode in hopes of better fuel economy.
@Jason St Clair very few cars have only D and L, if any; can you give a specific example? The old scheme had P-R-N-D-3-2-L (for a 4-speed), but with up to 10 ratios that's impractical so they have a manual/sport ("M" or whatever) position and either momentary-contact shifter positions, or steering wheel buttons, or paddles... usually labeled "+" and "-". None allow the driver to select a ratio which would make the engine exceed redline, and they may not provide full control even within the allowed rev range, but even the most basic rental car that I've driven does allow a reasonable amount of manual control over individual ratios.
I do understand fleet managers disabling manual control because they don't trust the drivers, just as they choose a low power rating because they don't trust the same drivers to not abuse the higher power ratings of the same engine. They probably base this on expensive experience.
@@brianb-p6586 I'll admit you have a point, but there are vehicles where the most you can do is D,2, and L. If there is more than three speeds (which had been common for many years now) then there are gears you can't select. My 2004 Scion is that way. My 1998 Explorer with a 5 speed automatic was that way.. My 2004 GMC Sierra is also that way. I am more than positive there are many more like this on the road. My point is for many gars it's just not the same.
My A5 has 7 and my fathers C200d has 9
Automatic transmion fuel economy is much much more. Many manuel car drivers believes that lie too. You change gear late or early, mostly using wrong gear
The function of multi-ratio transmissions (keep the engine in an effective and efficient speed range) is stated clearly enough, but entirely misses the point of why heavy trucks have more ratios than cars. It is not because they are heavy (the motorcycles would have fewer gears than cars, and they do not); it is because they have relatively low engine power _compared to the load_ so the engine must be used more effectively.
The fact I'm not a real car nor truck driver pisses me off. But as a gamer, I have always choose manual over automatic transmission. Just like you said, it helps me reduce the speed, and for more balancing and comfortable. For me manual transmission is better.
Most semi/ BDouble/ Road trains in Australia come Auto as standard, manual boxes don't warranty 90 000kg plus gross mass. But I like the eaton 18 speed in the T610 Kenworth coming down steep hills just lock it in manual mode to hold it and ride the exhaust brake. Do have plenty of control just need to know how to drive with what you have.
Auto shift transmissions are the primary type that you'll find today, they average 2 mpg more than a manual transmission. Most likely because of the higher number of gears.
I like the manual gearbox because I am the one who chooses the appropriate gear. Greetings to everyone