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Averitt | New Detroit powered Freightliner daycabs in Knoxville.

Iceman

Iceman

Company Man
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I winced when I saw we were getting back into Freightliner's in the day cab department until I popped the hood and saw the big Detroit paired with a 12 speed Detroit automatic tranny ! I am looking forward to driving one of these soon and will give an full drive review as soon as that happens.
 
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For what it's worth, they can do away with the auto-shifts. IMHO the three biggest mistakes truck manufactures have done;
1. done away with the larger steering wheel
2. no longer produce cab-overs
3. develop auto-shifts
 
I absolutely love my Volvo auto tranny, it has lightning fast shifting and knows when the engine needs more aggressive shifting. If I would have had an automatic 23 years ago when I was a greenhorn running downtown Knoxville, I could have concentrated more on turning than shifting and or stalling. These tranny's make the newbies life so much easier, and I'm all for the younger generation getting all the help they can get.
 
Iceman said:
These tranny's make the newbies life so much easier, and I'm all for the younger generation getting all the help they can get.
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Heaven knows they surely need it.

Been in my Freightliner now for well over a year. If I could change 1 thing it would be: "Let it run flat out on the pedal". I won't run cruise in the rain so I slow down to 62 on wet roads. Costs them precious time...I don't care.

Never thought I would say it but I love the auto shift but it has made me lazy. After decades of driving standard, I get in one today and I am lost. LOL
 
Lazer said:
For what it's worth, they can do away with the auto-shifts. IMHO the three biggest mistakes truck manufactures have done;
1. done away with the larger steering wheel
2. no longer produce cab-overs
3. develop auto-shifts
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Your kidding....RIGHT?
What the heck do you need that BIG OLE steering wheel on these modern trucks?
Never drove a CABOVER that rode or drove good....not to mention...hot during the summer/cold in winter....or all of your things ending up in the windshield every time you raise the cab. no matter how well you strapped it in.
New auto shifts...really...never been in rush hr traffic or driving in the city....never will go back to a manual....EVER!
BTW...all those drivers who talk about "OLD SCHOOL" or "BACK IN THE DAY" are usually full of ****, there was never anything good about that time!
 
1. Smaller steering wheels have allowed these obese drivers another 5 years of driving, when they are physical wrecks. You know the type; wearing flip-flops, sweat pants, tee-shirt has a dirt mark on the front if not worn thru from the streeing wheel rubbing on his (or her ) belly. It's bad enough now with these tiny wheels.
2. Cabovers generally gave the oppurtunity to get started in the trucking business at lower investment risk. COE's by and large were better priced for the dollar to horsepower ratio.
3. Do you really want your employer hiring drivers that don't know how to shift a truck ? I mean c'mon, really! Compared to other occupations I have had in my working carreer,(milking cows, shoveling gravel and hot asphalt) shifting in city traffic is a breeze (don't be a weenie). If this job is made too easy, everybody's gonna want to to it, that's the last thing this industry needs.
 
This job is hard enough the way it is...why not make it easier for the driver.....as far as being a WEENIE....don't make me laugh! 3.5 million accident free miles, snow , ice, mountains, and Canada. Been through all that OLD SCHOOL BS, I wouldn't trade my COMFY 65mph 13 ProStar Autoshift, for ANY PETE or KENWORTH "LARGE CAR" Land Barge. The reason we have all these DOT reg's is because of the Neanderthals that drive them!
 
I have to smile a bit when a truckload driver will come in the office and ask for a daycab to go grab something to eat. Usually it's in the evening so they are almost always welcome to have one but asked to take a single axle in case they take longer than expected, the shuttle guys need the tandems when they come in. More than once I've watched them walk back in and say they couldn't drive the standard the single axles have.

Hmmm, given a choice would I prefer to be in stop and go traffic on a daily basis with a stiff clutch or automatic, would I prefer to be blind side backing up a hill off of a 4 lane road leaving little space for error with a stiff clutch or an automatic? Give me the automatic volvo any day, you can keep the standard, you can keep the freightliner, good for the road but not in tight spots in town
 
rnsgn said:
I have to smile a bit when a truckload driver will come in the office and ask for a daycab to go grab something to eat. Usually it's in the evening so they are almost always welcome to have one but asked to take a single axle in case they take longer than expected, the shuttle guys need the tandems when they come in. More than once I've watched them walk back in and say they couldn't drive the standard the single axles have.

Hmmm, given a choice would I prefer to be in stop and go traffic on a daily basis with a stiff clutch or automatic, would I prefer to be blind side backing up a hill off of a 4 lane road leaving little space for error with a stiff clutch or an automatic? Give me the automatic volvo any day, you can keep the standard, you can keep the freightliner, good for the road but not in tight spots in town
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Hell.... we have new city drivers that can't drive a manual...I had one ask me!
 
jeepman said:
Hell.... we have new city drivers that can't drive a manual...I had one ask me!
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I'm sure we do as well, they can get away with it as our single axles are all assigned trucks. Soon it won't be an issue. Though if you ask the tow trucks that come in and out of the yard what the majority of the tows are over- they will tell you 90% plus are because of the automatic transmissions.
 
Forget the big wheels
Forget the Cabovers
Forget the Standards (never thought I would say that). I don't work city so it doesn't matter to me.
 
They are 2015 models.
Run top speed on the foot feed, and cruise will hold it there.
Trip odometers.
No CD player but aux input.
Seat not as comfortable as 2013 model.
Overall like it better than the 2013.
 
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