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No Automatic Truck they are Junk.

iceroadtrucker

iceroadtrucker

Veteran Expediter
Driver
Automatic Truck Freightliner Cascadia is Junk. The Stick 10 speed or 13. Stick only is better for Expedite.. I say NO NO NO NO to Automatic Read My lips don't even think about Leasing or Buying them they are Crap. They are worthless in backing into tight docks. Maybe good for Drop and Hook jobs but Worthless for Expedite ... READ MY LIPS NO AUTOMATIC Stick only. Questions shouldn't be One. The Freightliner Cascaida Automatic Truck truly represent the Name Freight Shaker When you back into a tight place they shake like all get up not smooth like a stick. 2001 FLD 10 speed or the T600 13 speed or the 387 Pete 13 speed or the 770 13 speed Volvo or the 2007 Classic 13 speed or the 2007 Freightliner Coronado 13 speed. Drive any one of those and they don't shake when you back in. Course they are all sticks. Smooth.
Take the Automatic crap and give it to a SWIFT DRIVER . Enough said. have a nice day
 
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Dynamite 1

Dynamite 1

Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
The problem with those is that they are not automatic transmissions. They are a manual transmission that is automatically shifted and the newer 2 pedal automated one use a clutch that is more or less a centrifugal clutch like what was used on go karts back in the day. Allison makes the only commercial heavy duty true automatic used in big trucks. Allison also is just coming out with a 10 speed version.
 
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truckblue

truckblue

Expert Expediter
Driver
iceroadtrucker said:
Automatic Truck Freightliner Cascadia is Junk. The Stick 10 speed or 13. Stick only is better for Expedite.. I say NO NO NO NO to Automatic Read My lips don't even think about Leasing or Buying them they are Crap. They are worthless in backing into tight docks. Maybe good for Drop and Hook jobs but Worthless for Expedite ... READ MY LIPS NO AUTOMATIC Stick only. Questions shouldn't be One. The Freightliner Cascadia Automatic Truck truly represent the Name Freight Shaker When you back into a tight place they shake like all get up not smooth like a stick. 2001 FLD 10 speed or the T600 13 speed or the 387 Pete 13 speed or the 770 13 speed Volvo or the 2007 Classic 13 speed or the 2007 Freightliner Coronado 13 speed. Drive any one of those and they don't shake when you back in. Course they are all sticks. Smooth.
Take the Automatic crap and give it to a SWIFT DRIVER . Enough said. have a nice day
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I'm wondering if you have a truck with a transmission problem. I have been driving an '08 Cascadia with Smartshift transmission for 4 1/2yrs with no problems.
I'm not understanding what you mean by backing into tight docks. Do you mean having to back up while turning steering wheel hard? Just trying to help.
 
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jelliott

jelliott

Veteran Expediter
Motor Carrier Executive
US Army
We have had GREAT success with the new DT12 automatic from Detroit Diesel in our Cascadias.
 
TruckingSurv

TruckingSurv

Seasoned Expediter
I think some brands of the early ATM's might of been a bit tough to creep or so I have heard. The Volvo iShift and FL DT12 by all reports are awesome, the Volvo truck I was driving had a ZF 12 speed AMT, it was pretty good, but it was kind of on/off, not really a creep mode. It also took a bit of finesse starting on a hill, rolled immediately when you came off the brake, it required immediate and deliberate application of throttle to keep from rolling back on a hill, could scare you a bit on a take off. The other bad thing about it is if you were in manual mode and slowed down to make a turn, etc., it would just go to dead pedal rather than lug. Actually would have to come to a complete stop and then restart, didn't happen often, but when it did it usually left you stopped for what seemed forever in an intersection usually and of course heavy traffic, LOL. Overall it was pretty good, just a few quirks in an early generation ATM from about eight years ago. Wouldn't hesitate buying a current generation of any of the brands, so much more relaxing for all the times you aren't in the top hole, after that every transmission on the road is pretty much just as easy to drive!
 
iceroadtrucker

iceroadtrucker

Veteran Expediter
Driver
Simple is Better give me a 13 speed or a 10 speed stick and have a nice day. I hate wasting my weekends in a shop and that's what it has been with that Auto shift ..
 
vandriver2

vandriver2

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I wonder....a comparison....of that left knee, right shoulder after say, 35 years of Driving Stick compared to someone driving an Auto. Then in retirement wanting to do things you've always wanted to but can't bcuz your body is jacked up.
Just pondering...
 
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jjoerger

jjoerger

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Army
Maybe you just need to take the time to learn to drive it properly. The automated manual is a different transmission then a manual and requires different techniques.
 
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vandriver2

vandriver2

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
jjoerger said:
Maybe you just need to take the time to learn to drive it properly. The automated manual is a different transmission then a manual and requires different techniques.
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I've operated all of them.
If I were young (say, 25) and just getting into trucking, looking to retire from it between 65 and 70 years old and cared about the repercussions of days, weeks, months, years of wear n tear on my body, I'd today, choose to drive an AutoShift. That's 40 plus years of repetitive wear on left knee/hip, right rotator/elbow. Just my thoughts on it. You only get one body.
 
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TeamCaffee

TeamCaffee

Administrator
Staff member
Owner/Operator
It would help a LOT if iceroadtrucker would at least say what kind of transmission he is talking about. The Ultra Shift was a pain in the behind and even after you learned the transmission it still had a lot of quirks, then it was upgraded to an Ultra Shift Plus and that made a world of difference.

Now we have the DT12 and that transmission is top of the line. Just driving the truck with this transmission is relatively easy. Once we start learning how to fine tune our driving to work with the transmission instead of against it the truck becomes a dream to drive. Going down a hill with our cruise set at 3 under the posted speed or what speed we feel safe at lets the truck do all of the work while we supervise.

We also have OnGuard and when we have cruise set the OnGuard with adaptive cruise and collision mitigation works well when we are in traffic.

Between the OnGuard and the DT12 this truck is a joy to drive and personally I never want to manually shift a truck again. Now in a personal car I prefer a stick shift and I enjoy manual transmissions for fun but not for a everyday work.
 
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vandriver2

vandriver2

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I will never sell my lil 5 speed '96 Nissan 300ZX.
(Unless I can no longer get in or out of it - lol)
 
iceroadtrucker

iceroadtrucker

Veteran Expediter
Driver
TeamCaffee said:
It would help a LOT if iceroadtrucker would at least say what kind of transmission he is talking about. The Ultra Shift was a pain in the behind and even after you learned the transmission it still had a lot of quirks, then it was upgraded to an Ultra Shift Plus and that made a world of difference.

Now we have the DT12 and that transmission is top of the line. Just driving the truck with this transmission is relatively easy. Once we start learning how to fine tune our driving to work with the transmission instead of against it the truck becomes a dream to drive. Going down a hill with our cruise set at 3 under the posted speed or what speed we feel safe at lets the truck do all of the work while we supervise.

We also have OnGuard and when we have cruise set the OnGuard with adaptive cruise and collision mitigation works well when we are in traffic.

Between the OnGuard and the DT12 this truck is a joy to drive and personally I never want to manually shift a truck again. Now in a personal car I prefer a stick shift and I enjoy manual transmissions for fun but not for a everyday work.
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Wake up 2011 Team Run Smart Cascadia ultra Shift Auto shift 10 speed and I have put up with it since Jan . When I started driving this Truck I was promised the Next Truck would be a Stick. Order an Ultra Auto shift or the Claimed DT12 vice a manual see what happens. I hate Liars!! I am a Manual Man and that's the way it is. BTW TeamCaffee the DT12 hooked to the DD15 Detroit I talked to my Cousin who is a Mechanic and works on The things. Really best thing that has come along for Job Security in a long time. Can you read between the lines. Common sense tell me John Dowdy my cousin who has devoted his whole life to Diesel Mechanics knows something as they go to school every 90 day for retraining. You don't know everything and Being Political Correct just don't work this time. Remember this I drive a tractor Trailer I AM NOT A Straight Truck Driver. BIG DIFFERENCE and I don't do Drop and hook Everything I do live load and Unload no drop and Hooky and a lot of it the Docks are made for the little Straight Trucks Like you Drive. So that being the case I Love My Sick, Course then there are those that can not Drive a Stick. Now for the rest of it As John said " That it being Job Security for the Mechanics" Read between the lines common sense will prevail! Garbage is taken out have a nice time over at Land Star. GOD SPEED Fare winds and Falling seas to ya..
 
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