Smoother operator..
Page 17
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Eaton's AutoShift gearbox is now available as an option in MAN trucks, and CM has been the first magazine to drive it in the UK.
• After a number of false starts and a pretty sceptical reception from operators, automated gearboxes are starting to look like a realistic proposition for mainstream hauliers. Rather than promoting them as merely labour-saving devices, manufacturers are starting to claim that they save money MAN and Eaton are confident enough to claim that an AutoShift-equipped truck can give a below-par driver similar fuel consumption figures to the best driver in a fleet.
Safety should be improved also—the driver can keep his attention on the road ahead—and clutch life should be significantly longer.
We drove one of MAN's latest F2000 Evolution tractive units, a 19.364 FLT ted with the 16-speed AutoShift box. This is a pretty mainstream tractor specification, so we tested it laden to 40 tonnes around a variety of motorways, A-roads and in urban conditions—the most severe test of an automatic box.
The first impression of the AutoShift System is how unobtrusive it is: there is no gear lever, nor any unusual-looking controls, just a stalk on the right-hand side of the steering column and a discreet numerical display beside the tachograph. Up and down movements of the stalk control most functions, while a push-button on the end switches the transmission from fully automatic to semi-automatic mode.
The truck retains its clutch pedal, which is used for pulling away, coming to a halt and in slow-speed manoeuvring.
Fortunately, the system is as easy to learn as it looks: in its default automatic mode you just dip the clutch, push the stalk up (to select a starting gear) and then pull away as normal, lifting the clutch to engage the gear. Once you are on the move, however, things start to change, as the box automatically selects and changes into a higher gear, then another, then another; shifts are smooth and surprisingly quick, and the truck is soon up to speed.
Slowing down is equally straightforward: AutoShift selects a lower gear, then shifts into it, blipping the throttle to give a smooth change. Retter still, it senses if you are using the exhaust brake and shifts down two or more speeds to ensure that the engine is in the most efficient part of the rev range.
The system operates well, even at low speeds, and our MAN negotiated the tight backstreets and "magic roundabouts" of Swindon without any difficulty. But you have to remember that the clutch pedal is still there, and you need to use it when coming to a stop or you will stall.
Hill starts require a little more thought: set up normally, the MAN's AutoShift selects 2H as its starting gear. To start in a lower gear you simply push the stalk down, once for each half-gear.
Like every other automatic gearbox so far, AutoShift cannot sense the road ahead: if you see a hill approaching, flick the stalk down and it will shift down. Or if you want complete control, just press the button on the end of the stalk to put the box into semi-automatic mode. Each flick of the stalk selects a half-gear up or down, and the box shifts as soon as it can without any clutch input. But on the roads we drove over it was hardly worth it. The box was able to select gears as well as a competent driver, and could shift more quickly This is one of the most impressive installations of an automated box that we have seen. It works reliably, it reduces noise levels, it makes the driver's job easier and it has the potential to make a fleet's fuel consumption more consistent from truck to truck.
The most notable feature, however, is how easy it is to learn. Some other systems have unfamiliar controls or unusual displays, but this has neither, and it could be understood within a few minutes.