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No offense, but the picture is of a Kenworth. Western Stars have a big W as the hood ornament. That picture shows the letters Kenworth on the side of the hood and KW as the hood badge.
That being said, I still work part-time driving and made a run down to NC and picked up construction equipment that had to be chained down. Basically you have to check the chains a couple of times to see if anything loosened up. This run, I had to tighten them 3 times in the first couple hundred miles, then the next couple of times they were OK. I was wondering how that autonomous truck would have handled that?
Sure for a sealed container from point A to B an autonomous truck might work, but for irregular shaped loads, a conscientious person would still be needed. Or all these sensors to detect a loose chain or blowout, etc.
Load securement needs to be checked within the first 50 miles, and every three hours or 150 miles, whichever comes first. One of those lesser know federal regulations.
The self driving trucks will still need someone at the controls. Someone also needs to monitor tires, load securement, wheels and bearings, etc.
What do you think? Personally, because of the size of the load the trucks may carry, they should use a manual transmission so the driver can have as much control as possible though truck companies now offer an option of semi automatic transmissions or fully automatic transmissions. For those who prefer a truck with an automatic transmission, so be it. But again, most semis will have a manual transmission so drivers can control the vehicle, especially when they are going up and down hills.
Generally speaking the automated or automatic transmissions are best these days. Which of those two you pick would depend on the application and the performance requirement of the driver/owner.
Some of you guys sounds like you haven't been in the game in a while as there is a lot of mis-information in this thread such as:
- Almost all automated/automatic transmissions have manual modes to them now so the ability of the driver to manually control it is there.
- Automated transmissions are the best for fuel economy. The more miles you drive each year the bigger of a deal this becomes. Only the very best drivers, all things being equal, can get as good of fuel mileage as an automated transmission. The issue is, not all is equal....with many trucks now you get features in automated transmissions that you just can't get in a manual such as E-Coast, predictive cruise control, and lower (numeric) axle ratios that make the automated transmissions more fuel efficient than any human with a manual.
- To the person who said 80% of truck sales are manuals - that is not true. There may be a couple segments that are still primarily manual (like heavy haul) but overall automated/automatic transmissions are now in 7 of every 10 trucks sold. (33,001 GVWR and up. In medium duty, 33,000 GVWR and below, nearly 100% of trucks sold are now automated/automatic.)
- Semi-automatic (or automated as we call them) DO have a clutch, they just don't have a clutch pedal. There is a difference. True automatics do not have a clutch, though.
- Most automated transmissions now are just fine when backing up to a trailer, etc. A couple of you guys referencing these "auto shifts" seem like you haven't been in any of the newer trucks. The "auto shifts" were crap and those are 3 generations ago. The newer automated manuals are much, much better.
- There are several automated/automatic transmission options out there for high-torque applications so that is becoming less of an issue. (For example, Eaton's UltraShift Plus has an 18-speed option with up to 2,250 torque.)
Given all of that, for most applications these days the automated/automatic is the way to go and that's why trucking companies are buying them - not because they are forced to. It's about having the lowest cost of ownership and the automated/automatic transmissions give you that even though they do cost more up-front.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Electrician4you
The industry moved to automatics because they can get more drivers. They can teach a guy to maneuver a tractor trailer. Harder to teach them to maneuver AND shift in the needed gear for the speed and terrain
I always thought if you could drive a manual car, Fuller RoadRangers in semis were very easy to adapt to.
If you’re not a truck driver why should anyone care, if you’re a owner operator you can have what you want it’s your truck. If you drive for a company you drive what they have,who cares if they are manual, or automatic, it’s not like anyone on here is going to hop in a big rig and start driving them. Just say thanks to a trucker because they move America they move the food we eat everyday.
What do you think? Personally, because of the size of the load the trucks may carry, they should use a manual transmission so the driver can have as much control as possible though truck companies now offer an option of semi automatic transmissions or fully automatic transmissions. For those who prefer a truck with an automatic transmission, so be it. But again, most semis will have a manual transmission so drivers can control the vehicle, especially when they are going up and down hills.
unless anyone is or has been a semi driver, their viewpoint is mute. wth would a laymen know about driving a semi??
unless anyone is or has been a semi driver, their viewpoint is mute. wth would a laymen know about driving a semi??
They would know nothing, people just have to stir the pot on a subject they know nothing about. Why was this poll started anyway this is not a trucker forum, most on here no squat about driving a big rig. Hell most on here can't even drive a stick shift on a car let alone a 18 speed.
Load securement needs to be checked within the first 50 miles, and every three hours or 150 miles, whichever comes first. One of those lesser know federal regulations.
The self driving trucks will still need someone at the controls. Someone also needs to monitor tires, load securement, wheels and bearings, etc.
No. In the not so far future, all trucks will be fully autonomous. Fleets of such trucks are already launched in Denmark and Holland. Truck driver is on the dying side of the employment list.
Even service stations will be autonomous, with only few technicians to maintain electronics, not to repair trucks. Anything that needs to be done will be relayed to central hub computer by onboard diagnostic center and truck will be routed to a specialty service station.
This will be done, voiced against or not.
Hence, OP is moot question. Maybe for a short while, but not for long.
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They would know nothing, people just have to stir the pot on a subject they know nothing about. Why was this poll started anyway this is not a trucker forum, most on here no squat about driving a big rig. Hell most on here can't even drive a stick shift on a car let alone a 18 speed.
