E&MU: Hands-Free Shifting Catches on in Class 8

he trucking industry is increasingly turning to hands-free shifting, and the momentum has the potential to make smooth-flowing automatics and self-shifting automated-mechanical versions the preferred transmissions for heavy-duty as well as medium-duty trucks, according to a market survey by Havill Consultants.

The transition from the manual multi-speed transmission of long tradition, which requires a stiff clutch pedal to be depressed before shifting gears, is being led by fleets seeking both to jettison the expense of replacing clutches and to attract new drivers with easier-to-drive vehicles, the survey found.

Nick Havill, president of Havill Consultants, a Toledo, Ohio, firm with trucking expertise, told Equipment & Maintenance Update his most recent study does not distinguish between automatic and automated-mechanical when examining the transmission market. It includes both types under “automatics.”