Do modern day trucks have auto transmissions because they wont wear as

[TOMMYR]

fast as a manual transmission? like i know automatic transmissions use fluid in the torque converter and i believe the centrifugal force produced by the motor pushes the fluid within the torque converter to turn the tranny, well somthing like that, anyways from what i understand because of the force of the fluid their is no actual contact between metal components, atleast between the motor and transmission, and since trucks do a alot of towing and pulling i figured the fluid would act and a type of shock absorber as opposed to a manual tranny sending the pressure throughout the entire system thus causeing more wear and tear on the powertrain, is this true?

 

[jesteele1948]

The effects of fluid replacing metal-to-metal contact might prolong the power-train life, but that's not the reason automatics are common. Automatics are so much more complicated that failure is MORE likely.

Automatics are common because, except for the driver who's very experienced in shifting truck engines under load, an automatic will make the gear shift changes more efficiently than most people with a manual. It will, so long as it's working properly, never leave you in between gears with no traction. Automatics also require much less training for the driver. A manual needs to be driven by someone familiar with the number of gears and the gear shift arrangement. They should also be driven by someone who knows how the vehicle behaves at the gear shift points with the load actually onboard and the engine sounds at those speeds.