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And the 20% of (total passenger vehicle fleet, link title manual owners/buyers disagree with that. Indeed a manual transmission is "STANDARD". Automatic transmission sell for premiums ranging from $500. to $1,500.
Pew Center on Global Climate Change studies indicate that the EU has the most stringent standards in the world. Upwards of 90% of the passenger vehicl fleet have manual transmissions. The US (among others) have the worst. Not surprisingly, the US (among others) have upwards of 80% automatic transmissions. link title
..."But I now believe that the economy and government takeover of GM will accelerate the move away from manuals faster than I thought"...
It is ironic how they are having such a HARD time moving all the current "automatics".
However that is NOT the chronology of what happens in reality.
Again if you look at the percentages of manual transmissions, indeed the percentage has gone DOWN (from 30% in 1980 to currently 20%) .
The current nearest estimates are @ 20% of 255.4 M vehicles or app 51.08 M passenger vehicles with manual transmissions.
So if you do the math, you will find that at WORST: ( while the percentage has gone down .00345 % per year) the actual number of manual transmissions has actually stayed (app) the SAME from 1980 !!!!! !!!! (app 51 m in 1980.) If you doubt this, all you need do is to find the total number of passenger vehicles in 1980 and * it by 30%.
Let's see 51 M units in 1980 and already 51.08 M units in the 2008/2009 time frame. I can see the units are rapidly going.... AWAY......................(during the last 29 years)
..."The vehicle was provided by Toyota in order to introduce a Wall Street Journal producer and videographer to hypermiling -- as documented in The Wall Street Journal takes a drive A hypermiling drive."
...EPA rated at 22 City, 30 Highway and 25 mpg Combined."...
link title
Coulda, woulda, shoulda had a SIX speed manual !?
Some would say they don't have a clue why an "automatic" was not tested side by side !? (same rating... by the way EPA Mileage Estimates - Automatic (City / Highway / Combined): 22 mpg / 30 mpg / 25 mpg;)
Its a cost/benefit analysis for the automaker. Subaru got our business because they made a high mpg midsize wagon with a AWD and a manual. That is why Honda didn't.
When researching large industrial engines I discovered that they get the best fuel mileage out of Diesel and Gas generators, the huge ones, by running them at a constant speed. Not by revving them up and down. That way they can predict how long one will run on a measured amount of fuel.
Right, when the load is totally constant. Generators don't have hills or valleys or crosswinds or trailers.
I do not disagree that there is a skill to driving a manual nor that some people prefer it. I simply believe that at some point there will not be enough people that prefer shifting themselves to warrant making a manual transmission unless it can be sold for enough to justify producing them.
Yup, I totally agree that its a cost benefit analysis for the manufacturer, I think I disagree that there aren't enough people that want one.
To me slushbox=automatic transmisison fluid, so no direct mechanical connection, like a CVT.
As much as manuals are vilified by some and not chosen as "standard" by many: the automatic being chosen as the option, it serves as the "standard or high bar".
In fact the new 2016 35.5 mpg standards far from numbering the days of the manual transmission PUTS the slush box on warning so to speak. It can no longer get away with MINUS -2,3, 4,5,6,7,8, mpg LESS than the manual transmissions.
Newer ones do seem to be going in that direction, i.e. offering advantages over slushboxes.
I have sampled some bad CVTs recently, though. I didn't like Mitsubishi's, for instance.
Nissan's is fine. I hope Subaru's is more like Nissan's since they share suppliers for other components.
Well we could be talking about the same thing I guess. At what point did Sony give up on Beta max? There were people that loved them but at some point it wasn’t enough to keep them in business. Using the figures the transmission people have been posting about the US Market and before Nippon points it out, I know the percentages aren’t consistent across the board; more than 90 percent of all vehicles sold in the US are equipped with automatics. That is, according to almost everyone that is pro manual lasting forever, anything without a third pedal is an automatic. That includes DSG, SMT, CVTs, Torque converters and racing paddle shifting F-1s or WRC cars. A manual as defined by this forum is only something with a third pedal period.
My guess is that hybrids will be making a big impact because of the new CAFÉ standards. You don’t have to rely on people wanting to learn how to drive a manual to get better fuel mileage and you have a machine that is on top of the green car list to boot.
I just don’t know what impact all of this will have on entry level cars and Sports cars. But like I pointed out several vehicles that were offered as manuals are no longer offered that way in the US. So people were willing to pay more for convenience that they were for tradition. I don’t think the buying public will change in my lifetime.
I am sure most consumers do not care how their automatics shift so if it is a torque converter of a CVT nothing has changed. A great example of that may be the Civic. It comes standard with a manual. Yet most Civic customers will pay more to get the car with a Automatic.
So you may be right as long as the percentages stay close to 10 percent and as long as the government doesn't mandate any stricter green legislation. But it doesn't seem like the government cares much about what the consumer "wants" to drive.
20% of the passenger vehicle fleet (255.4 M ) or 51.08 M manual transmissions will agree with your quote.
And if DSG is your thing, well, I just hope you never find you have the need to shift down two gears at once, because you will be waiting a while.....
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Nippon my friend, you forgot one of my origional post about wanting a real paddle shifter. Or at least a Sequencial shifter. I rode Motorcycles for more than 8 years 7 days a week. Only drove the car to take my wife to the store or the family to visit someone or on vacation. You can not now nor will you ever be able to shift faster with a dog leg then I can on a sequencial shifter on a bike. I don't think you can shift faster than a DSG either if the time between posted shifts are true. No one seems to be able to shift faster with a dog leg on a F-1 or a WRC car either and they often have to go from 6th to 2nd.
I have never understood why we stuck with the H pattern so long when the straight shifting manual seemed so much more practical. Up is up and down is down. Back in the 60 we would even pay extra money to try to get a shifter that worked by pulling the stick or pushing it with as small a gate as you could buy.
This in my mind is the difference between an enthusiast and a purest. An enthusiast wants what will give them and advantage over the next guy no matter what it takes. The purest only wants tradition.
I ran into that mindset in boating with sail boats. They have rules governing the size of sails you can yes and how long the battens can be. They even have it in bicycle racing with frame geometry. TT bikes can't race against road bikes on a road course or Criterium. Carbon fiber bikes have to weigh more than 14.5 pounds, or something close to that to be legal. We limit ourselves from using the technology available to us because it isn't traditional . But sooner or later technology wins out. I know people that loved the ability to adjust their own carbarator but I don't think it mattered to the manufacturers.
I don't know if the CVT will be the answer to future vehicles but green vehicles seem to be where we are headed. Computer control seems to be the direction we are headed, Skid control will be mandatory by what 2012?
But we should see where this is all going in the next three and a half years. A trend should show itself as the government gives direction to GM.
My main complaint has always been that the human leg and head simply can't be made to compete with the computer when it come to disconnecting and re connecting the power from the engine to the transmission. F-1 and WRC have proven that assumption. Yes I know it cost more and at this point I will never see one because I don't believe the government and the EPA are going to allow cars that can use or would need to use the capabilities the computer generated shifting manual would allow. And for economy cars CVT look like the have a bright future.
And seat of the pants feeling about control doesn't stack up to preformance on the WRC and F-1 front. The traditional manual died in those races years ago.
In my experience with a mincooper, the CVT introduces pure annoyance and misery to the driving experience, no matter whether it is programmed with pseudo-shift-points to placate American drivers.
It takes a lot to ruin the minicooper driving experience, but the CVT sure does so!
I've tried every sort of automanual vehicle including DSG and none are better than a good old slushbox 4L60E/THM350/whatever, as far as automatics go.
new vehicles with manual transmissions will remain available long after everyone reading this message in 2009 is "unavailable"... (at least until skynet takes over.)
I really don't know where you got that idea, DSG is based on racing technology and shifts are as you would want them to be in a race car, INSTANTANEOUS, accurate and with no interruption of power. You can shift up or down thru two or three gearsin the time it takes to do one with a three pedal setup, hell I can do two gears at once with the non-DSG Steptronic in my 9 y/o Bimmer.
There are some good arguments against DSG but that's not one, perhaps it would help if Nippononly and some others ACTUALLY TRIED a twin-clutch gearshift.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Here is why I love my manual tranny:
1) Increased control. I live in the Midwest and it can be a pain driving in the snow sometimes. I feel the added control over the engine/wheels allows me to handle my vehicle for efficiently and safely in the snow....or any other weather condition for that matter.
2) Better fuel economy. I like being able to throw the car into and out of Neutral to keep the engine in line. It also makes me more aware of the dreaded "lead foot" problem that most auto trannies can hide.
3) More fun! As other posters have said, it feels like driving a sports car. Taking corners and downshifting for more torque feels great. I drive a Toyota Corolla and it is a lot more fun to drive because of the manual tranny. Any car is more fun to drive with a manual tranny.
4) More chicks!!! Ok, so maybe this doesn't work for me because I'm married....and drive a Corolla....but some women think it is cool....I think.
But by boaz's definition I'm not an enthusiast anyway, because I don't race. I'm a purist, one who knows that not shifting the gears and modulating the clutch engagement for yourself removes a portion of the drive from the driver's control, which in turn disengages the driver from the drive, which is the big failing of all automatics, so-called automated manuals (a contradiction in terms, BTW) included.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Remember, though, some newer CVTs are taking the cake when it comes to fuel economy, at least from the EPA's point of view.
Haven't driven a Cooper, but like I said earlier, not all CVTs are built the same. Nissan's is fine, Mitsubishi's is annoying. The Cooper's must resemble the latter.
Just because I know how to do things the old way doesn’t give me any since of pride. If I could learn how to do it so could anyone else. When I was sailing I took classes to learn to navigate with a Sextant and a Compass. I would buy the newest charts and plot the courses just about every time we went out. But when I could afford a Loran and then a GPS I sold the Sextant because I thought it would become worthless as GPS got less expensive. I wouldn’t even consider taking refresher courses with a Sextant because the GPS works so much faster. I don’t even use street maps anymore because I have a GPS that I can put in any car or on my bicycle if I wanted. (But I know that is just me)
I am one of those that place absolutely no anthropomorphic qualities to any of my tools. To me a car or truck is simply a tool like a drill or a toaster. The things we do physically away from those tools are what is important be it fishing, hiking, running, swimming or reading by the pool. Anything we do with the tools is labor or a job. The object of a tool is to make the work we do as trouble free as it can be. (In my opinion only) We get no exercise by shifting ourselves so that isn’t a real issue. When it comes down to it a car is designed to get us from point A to point B so we can enjoy point A or point B.
I understand people preferring manuals and the pride some may get in knowing how to shift themselves. I only believe that it is an unusual trait that most people don’t share. Like it or not our manufacturing is market driven unless it is controlled by government forces. What most people buy is what the manufacturers tend to make because it sells easier. From that perspective it seems as if manuals with a third pedal are trying to fly in the face of traditional manufacturing models. At what point does the manual become an endangered transmission? When it falls below what percent will it be non sustainable?
If we say 10 percent of the people in the US consumer market are willing to take the time and effort to learn to drive manuals don’t you need 100 percent of their children to continue at the same percentage? Do any of us believe the next generation of drivers will be more likely to want to learn to drive a manual than the last generation was? Remember the last generation grew up with manuals and have rejected them as the transmission of choice by a monster percentage. This generation has even less exposure to manuals than we did. Without some technical advancement like a computer clutch how will manuals win over the Ipod or Iphone generation? And the next generation will more than likely be greener than the last generation. I also just think that green technology will continue to grow and when you look on the green auto sites you simply see a new generation of vehicle that isn’t manual friendly.
But that is the great thing about opinions. We can have them and until they are proven wrong we can hold on to them.
If we say 10 percent of the people in the US consumer market are willing to take the time and effort to learn to drive manuals don’t you need 100 percent of their children to continue at the same percentage?..."
Well obviously not at 20% population, (255.4 M ) aka 51.08 M passenger vehicles (@ with manual transmissions and not at a 10% MY replenishment rate. I have been illustrating this using "real" numbers and the estimated 10% MY new car sales and not my... opinion.
..."Remember the last generation grew up with manuals and have rejected them as the transmission of choice by a monster percentage."...
I have been driving 43 years and grew up with automatics, as did the overwhelming number and volume of my contemporaries. Most of us learned on our parents' cars and not our own. So most of us did not REJECT manual transmissions, the overwhelming majority NEVER LEFT... AUTOMATIC transmissions.
Indeed a manual was an "old car" and certainly not the majority of newer (1950;s, 1960's) ones.So that really only leaves the WW2 folks and most of them are easily in their mid to late 80's, statistically or sadly, passed away.
My opinion?...IS more in keeping with the realities. Manual transmissions are an acquired taste, unless you had to learn at 15 years old on one of the 20% of the population of vehicles that happens to sport manual transmissions. So truly no where NEAR the folks "reject" manual transmissions, as you have consistently asserted/alleged. I had an early interest in in manuals and had to learn on Porsches, BMW's, VW's, as almost everything else were mostly automatics. So you see the norm has been automatics for more than the "generation" to which ghosts you keep referring to.
This is a key fundamental difference between you and some others in the forum. I wouldn't say you are wrong for feeling this way, but at the same time, that is your opinion and personal feelings. Mine opinion differs; I see a vehicle as a more than a tool. It provides entertainment value, fun, a sense/source of pride (perhaps not the current ride, but in general), and an engaging experience.
As far as a tool being a tool, I would say the socket set from Harbor Freight isn't as "nice to use" as the tools from Sears which aren't as nice to use the Snap On stuff. Just because I need a 3/8" drive ratchet and a 15mm socket doesn't mean I need ANY ratchet and socket.
http://www.gopenske.com/pdfs/2009_6_fleet_maintenance_transmission_trends.pdf
It is a long article but it has some interesting statistics. The comment about Penske’s fleet down time being reduced is the same as my experience.
Also there are several articles posted here and in other forums that indicate that manual sales are closer to 10 percent or less. This being one: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/economy/story/66604.html
And it was dated 2009. But it is a mixture of industry study and opinion. Still research group’s studies tend to be pretty accurate.
But I will have to say that I was wrong when I predicted Nissan would be the first to drop manuals altogether. Nippon predicted Toyota or MB I believe. It seems as if despite the assertion that there are too many manual drivers for any major manufacturer to drop manuals altogether Ford has announced it plans to do just that.
http://www.automotive-fleet.com/News/Story/2009/01/Ford-to-Introduce-Fuel-Effici- ent-Dual-Clutch-Powershift-Transmission-for-Small-Car-Segment.aspx
I know the topic has been going on for quite a few years and I know I am not the only one that has my doubts as to the number of manuals sold in the US. Of all the survey sites I have visited the number is between a low of 7 percent to a high of 13 percent total car and light trucks sales. I think even Nippon agreed with those numbers and he is a manual fan if there ever was one.
While I respect your right to disagree with my conclusions I just wanted you to see how I developed them.
Ford (and VW) has the right idea the twin-clutch is the transmission of tomorrow..
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
And neither do I know where you get the idea it is 20% sales. There was a cited reference to the population of manual transmissions being 20% (54.08 M ) of the passenger vehicle fleet which is currently @ 255.4 M. It was also discussed or mentioned that 10% is the model year (MY) sales.
Comparing big rig truck managed fleets to passenger cars is not even in the same fruit section to even call it apples to oranges.
Large trucks driven by people who have to pay for the maintenance (owner-operators) still use manual transmissions, I'm thinking. Happy to see the numbers that say otherwise, if such is the case.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
1. is you truck stick or auto
2. do you personally drive an auto trans?
The second interesting piece of information is how what Ford has announced affects the statement that as long as there are people that want a manual the manufacturers will not discontinue them. Ford is a manufacturer and that very announcement has indicated CAFE trumps customer preferences, a contention I agree with. 100 percent indicates there will be no third pedal offering in their small cars which was hotly debated not that long ago.
The manual drivers will have the option for some time I am sure. But their choices seem to be that they have to change car companies to keep that choice alive.
Unlike when this debate started we now are looking at factors we couldn't predict in the early days. The increased use of Hybrids. The increased use of CVTs by some companies. The increased use of other companies to develop DSGs and other transmissions to help them meet CAFE. We have seen Nissan cut back on manuals. We know Toyota sells more automatics then manuals and we know VW is pushing their new DSG as the salvation of the sporty car. We now know Ford intends to make 100 percent of their small cars DSGs in less than 3 years. If nothing else the Manual simply isn't getting much press or credit in the are of green machines and CAFE.
I didn't even go into the position of women drivers who represent 50 percent of the drivers in the US.
So you are not saying Fed Ex and UPS do NOT have industry managers that have to crunch the numbers and justify expenses????? Or is that what you are really saying!!??? I think those Fed Ex and UPS industry managers would take umbrage with your assertions.
What about deep denial don't you understand?
Those that have tried or grew up on manual transmissions and want to get automatic transmissions are a minority within a minority at best. Most grew up on... automatics. The majority have never... left.
http://www.automotive-fleet.com/News/Story/2009/01/Ford-to-Introduce-Fuel-Effici- - ent-Dual-Clutch-Powershift-Transmission-for-Small-Car-Segment.aspx
The "powershift" is replacing the "premium automatic" not the manual. The "traditional automatic" cannot meet the fuel economy goals for that vehicle.
Indeed even if fleets went TOTALLY to automatics (of the superior kind) , that will have no DIRECT impact on the passenger vehicle fleet. However in 10-15 to 20 years there might be INdirect impacts. I do not think there are any past correlation studies as to the current impacts. If there are please post.
They started with Econolines... and, even after they moved up to step-vans, they still were autos... The semis, and some of the straight trucks are sticks, but all the rest are autos...
UPS, on the other hand, started with bigger trucks... and, traditionally have been sticks... though, I haven't seen inside very many of them lately...
I agree... that none of that has an effect on the passenger fleet..
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I was merely responding to a specific post, which did not involve passenger vehicles.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
DETROIT – Ford Motor Company plans to introduce an advanced dual-clutch PowerShift six-speed transmission in North America in 2010 for the small-car segment. PowerShift will deliver the fuel efficiency of a manual gearbox with the convenience and ease of a premium automatic transmission, according to the manufacturer.
Ford has committed that almost 100 percent of its transmissions will be advanced six-speed gearboxes by 2013. Six-speed transmissions have already helped vehicles such as the 2010 Ford Fusion achieve best in class fuel economy, while at the same time allowing the Ford Flex and Ford Escape to achieve unsurpassed fuel economy in their respective segments.
The contention was no manufacturer would even think of doing such a thing. Looks like they thought of it. The truck study was simply to point out the truth that a very large percentage of drivers simply can’t or won’t learn to drive a manual and it effects the choices fleet managers have to take into consideration. Once more than one company starts moving in that direction it becomes a fact, or at the least a trend, not a contention.
Like I said I understand there will always be manual devotees. But what I am pointing out is when you are in such a minority, when 90 percent of the buying public spends their money on a different transmission than you prefer you are by definition a minority, how long before the money men decide you aren’t worth designing for? Like Nippon pointed out in many cases manuals are only offered in car models at the bottom of the line rather than the better appointed ones. We all know it is true and we all know there are ways around it. Changing car brands or manufacturers seems to be the most popular. I believe you made that decision in one of your earlier posts. You got a different brand of car because the one you wanted didn’t come with a manual. The point is the minority gets the fewer choices. In the US if you want a MB and you aren’t interested in a C class you pretty much are stuck with an automatic or a different model car.
I will admit to taking liberty with the comment on women drivers. I got that idea from this very forum early on when we took a poll and discovered than most people in here even if they preferred manuals had a automatic in the fleet if they had more than two cars. And the number one reason that was listed was, the wife doesn’t like to drive stick. When researching this same subject on the net and print media that seems to be the number one reason for everyone else.
We will be able to see what direction this will go in the next few years I am sure. We will see just how committed Ford is to its 100 percent prediction. (If your link was the same as mine it was broken on my page. That is why I posted the quote.)
Ford Fusion comes stock with a MANUAL 6 speed transmission. The Fiesta is expected to have a 6 speed MANUAL stock, as is the Focus.
We will be able to see what direction this will go in the next few years I am sure. We will see just how committed Ford is to its 100 percent prediction. (If your link was the same as mine it was broken on my page. That is why I posted the quote.)
I think you are mis-reading that, or they are leaving it open, since the base transmission in most models is an "advanced 6 speed" MANUAL transmission.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Ford said all their transmissions are going to be 6 speeds. I don't understand the confusion. The current transmission in the Fusion - 6 speeds, both auto and manual, Focus is going that way, as is the Fiesta.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
250 7-Speed Porsche Doppelkupplung info $3,420 $2,907 link title
aka PDK ("Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe" for those who enjoy long German words).
"PowerShift represents a true competitive advantage for Ford and is one of the many technologies that will help our global small-car platforms set a new world standard for efficiency and drive quality," said Barb Samardzich, vice president, Global Powertrain Engineering, who announced PowerShift's production timing at the 2009 Automotive News World Congress. "This advanced six-speed is an improvement over today's automatic transmissions in terms of fuel economy, while providing customers an even more fun-to-drive experience."
Overall, Ford has committed that almost 100 percent of its transmissions will be advanced six-speed gearboxes by 2013. Six-speed transmissions already have helped vehicles such as the 2010 Ford Fusion achieve best-in-class fuel economy, while at the same time allowing the Ford Flex and Ford Escape to achieve unsurpassed fuel economy in their respective segments.
Ford is leveraging six-speed transmissions, advanced internal combustion engines such as EcoBoost, hybrids, full electric vehicles, vehicle weight reduction and electric power-assisted steering to improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions fleet-wide by 30 percent by 2020.
There is a reference to the six speeds already used to help improve fuel economy and a separate reference to the advanced six speed. They are not the same and the statement was 100 percent advanced six speed. The underlined six speed already used is not a advanced six speed if the article is to be taken at face value. But as I said we don't have long to wait to see. I am sure the EVs and Hybrids will not have a manual so all I have to do is wait and see if the rest get an advanced six speed or not. (Advanced six speed equals Powershift.) The subject of the article. I only noticed because of the absolute 100 percent. I could care less what happens to the old automatic but I am sure it isn't 100 percent now and notice they didn't say replace 100 percent of their Automatic transmissions they said 100 percent of their transmissions "for the small-car segment".
We can wait and see if what was written was correct or what we guess is correct.
I can post another site if you need it. And I didn't write the article. But here are some of the selling points.
•Neutral coast down – The clutches will disengage when the brakes are applied, improving coasting downshifts and clutch robustness as well as reducing parasitic losses for increased fuel economy.
•Precise clutch control in the form of a clutch slip to provide torsional damping of the engine vibration – This function improves noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) at low engine speeds and enables lower lugging limits for improved fuel economy.
•Low-speed driving or creep mode with integrated brake pressure – This function simulates the low-speed control drivers are accustomed to from an automatic transmission. The amount of rolling torque in Drive and Reverse is precisely controlled, gradually building as brake pressure is released.
•Hill mode or launch assist – Prevents a vehicle from rolling back on a grade by maintaining brake pressure until the engine delivers enough torque to move the vehicle up the hill, providing improved driver confidence, comfort, safety and clutch robustness.
Tell me new drivers won't love the last one.
By Matt Davis,
link title
Funny thing, every single truck that I could see into was sporting a goose-neck shifter sprouting from the floor, and due to the traffic, I witnessed several of the drivers "rowing" said shifter as they moved along with the flow.
Best regards,
Shipo
FedEx Ground is the old RPS (formerly Roadway Package Service), which FedEx acquired when they bought Caliber Systems...
All FedEx Express delivery trucks are automatics... And, their drivers are required to keep their driver's door shut, while moving...
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It does illustrate the point that one of the major reasons why (for lack of a better word) industrial truck managers/owners etc are going to "automatics." The overwhelming majority of people who gravitate to professional driving learned on and used... automatic transmissions. Cited studies contradict the assertion the majority of drivers drove "manual" transmissions in the passenger vehicle fleet.
Even in this category, it illustrates manual transmissions are an "acquired" taste for almost all but big rigs; where they are considered more "standard".
Even 35 years ago when I got certified on tractors with 45 ft trailers (with 8 ft yoke)(currently known as divisions 1.1 thru 1.6), I needed to learn both automatic and manual transmissions.
(I have always known that FedEx contracts out. To NOT count those trucks are part of the defacto real delivery fleet, would not be accurately describing the operational realities. Indeed the USPO for literally decades (that I know of) contracts out hosts of services.)
So therefore passenger vehicle fleet manual transmissions being an "acquired" taste, aka (buying public), OEM's will continue to make them, as they forecast and fulfill the MY demands. The app 10% (some say less- but there seems a decided lack of (multiple) reliable figures) MY sales and 20% of the passenger vehicle fleet (50.08 M) are the objective (outward) manifestations of this.