Manual Or Automatic?

Simply holding the service brake will not bleed enough air to cause an issue. It fact it shouldn't bleed any air whatsoever. If it bleeds enough to affect your transmission, you have a major leak that should have been caught during pre trip.

Fanning the brakes on/off, however, will certainly bleed more air than the compressor can replace.

Thanks, Turtle, fanning is the word I should have used. It took me a while to learn how to manage the air on my Automatic.

Also, I guess the starting sequence is not uniform. Another thing I've noticed is in comparing 3 Cascadias that friends drive, mine is the only one where cruise works while the wipers are on. The others can't use cruise with their wipers. And they are all 2016 models. I find that odd.

My 2019 Cascadia does not require the brake to be pressed to start, but does require it pressed to be put into gear from neutral. I can also switch between forward and reverse at a near stop without pressing the brake. For example of I'm slowly trying to "shimmy" forward and back into a tight spot, or trying to rock the truck back and forth I do not need to touch the brake. The 2018 Cascadia I trained on did require you to hold the brake when switching between forward and reverse, so it made those maneuvers a bit tedious.

The other day it came to a complete stop to figure out which gear it needed to be in for my given steering, fuel, turn attack angle, incline, and it just left me exposed to oncoming traffic. Quite unsettling.

This is my only major complaint with my auto. On several occasions my truck has done this and left me in very precarious positions. For example I'm at a slow roll approaching a left turn while observing a approaching gap in oncoming traffic I intend to turn across. The truck is probably slow rolling at 5-10mph in about 6th or 7th gear. As the gap arrives I turn left and depress the accelerator. Usually the truck would recognize the throttel input and quickly downshift to 3rd or 4th and accelerate. But if the truck decided to downshift a split second before I depressed the accelerator, the moment I hit the accelerator the truck is now "second guessing" the downshift with the new addition of throttle, so the truck remains in neutral. Now I've slow rolled into my left turn and am in the oncoming lanes, but the truck hasn't decided what gear is appropriate and is remaining in neutral. I dont have enough momentum to coast through the turn so now I'm blocking the oncoming lanes as I'm yelling at my truck "get the **** back in gear!"

In this situation it usually takes several seconds for the truck to "recalculate" what the appropriate gear is and execute the shift. Those are a very long several seconds when your in an oncoming lane with an unresponsive throttel!

Another thing I've noticed is in comparing 3 Cascadias that friends drive, mine is the only one where cruise works while the wipers are on. The others can't use cruise with their wipers. And they are all 2016 models. I find that odd.

My cruise will work with the wipers in "intermittent" speeds. But if I bump the wiper speed up to "regular" or "fast" the cruise will deactivate.

Bruce wrote:

Another thing I've noticed is in comparing 3 Cascadias that friends drive, mine is the only one where cruise works while the wipers are on. The others can't use cruise with their wipers. And they are all 2016 models. I find that odd.

It’s not advisable to use Cruise Control in wet or winter weather conditions. Many companies will disable CC when the wipers are on to enforce policy.

Bruce wrote:

Another thing I've noticed is in comparing 3 Cascadias that friends drive, mine is the only one where cruise works while the wipers are on. The others can't use cruise with their wipers. And they are all 2016 models. I find that odd.

It’s not advisable to use Cruise Control in wet or winter weather conditions. Many companies will disable CC when the wipers are on to enforce policy.

I never knew that, or had ever thought about that point with CC disable with the wipers on. Good safety features.

After being in the 13 speed with my first mentor and gone through 2 others with autoshift, and of course my 2018 that I now drive, I can say the 2016 13 got better mileage than any of the 3 autoshifts. The only benefit I see in the autoshift is in traffic and lots of city driving. I don't like the way it backs. I don't like the way in tight turns it tells me the clutch is overheating. I can't keep my my downhill speed from going crazy unless I have it in cruise and using the Jake. I got 7.5 average with the 13 speed and 6.2 with the autoshifts. So what is the benefit? You say well you're not paying for the fuel Swift is. Well, I have to stop more often for fuel. Plus I could control my backing speed and downhill speed better. I asked if they had any manuals anywhere in these UNITED STATES, where there was a manual but was told bluntly NO.

YOU will never convince me that the autoshift is better. As Rainy said, Sniff, sniff.

Raptor

Many of these various features can be set by the mechanics at your company. It's not a one and done situation from the factory.

I don't like the way it backs.

This 2020 is tapping the docks gently and impressively compared to my 2017. Totally happy with the backing now...not as much as if i had a manual, but much better than last one.

I don't like the way in tight turns it tells me the clutch is overheating. I can't keep my my downhill speed from going crazy unless I have it in cruise and using the Jake.

Did you try really downshifting it so the rpms are at 18? in both my autos, if i downshifted and the rpms were 15ish, it would upshift. But if i down shift enough for 18 with the jakes cruise off m, it simply rides the jake down. the 2017 handled soooo well down cabbage i didnt want to give it up. even thougb it was not hsppy with me.

I'll try it down the grapevine tomorrow or tonight which ever I get my next load. I have training in about an hour at the terminal for close quarters maneuvers. Then a trip to Sacramento and home to put things in motion to vacate my apartment. That's for another thread.

Raptor

Just so Bruce doesn't appear crazy using "AMT", and cause I like researching things, I went hunting for facts.

"Automated Manual Transmission" is the official name from the Freightliner site. It is in the driver's manual for 3 of the FL i just research on my fleet. They are 12 speeds with the wand as the shifter.

As it turns out, "Automated Manual Transmissions" and "AutoShift" are different. Eaton uses "Autoshift" and "Ultrashift" as registered trademarks, as well as "Automated Manual Transmission" for its 10 options.

Apparently, my last truck was an Allison TC 10, whose site calls it an "Automated Manual Transmission". It was 10 speeds with push buttons on the dash, and the backing sucked. Mine had issues with the clutch actuary and it needed constant software updates and wiring issues. The international site states they imrpoved the wiring and went with the Eaton to reduce issues.

My current truck has an Eaton AMT 12 speed, and is great with backing!

From the Eaton site:

Fron the Allison site: