2021 Cummins 1075 lbft peak torque at 1356 rpm

rhagfo wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
^ Totally agree. And therein lies the best age old argument for a manual trans that ever existed!
I'm smarter than a computer! FWIW, I still believe some of us are when it comes to shifting, as good as the autos have gotten.
One thing to consider is, one can still play big trucker with the little +/- button on the shifter.
Of course we're splitting hairs now. 4speeds, not enough to use a diesel engine most effectively. 5speeds like the torqshift and Alli was a huge improvement. 6 speeds adds the top empty haul @ss across the prairie bobtail gear. 8 to 10 speeds is having your cake and eating it too and 10 is getting a little busy for even a relatively high revving diesel like a pickup truck. I personally think its a couple too many cogs in a gasser truck or car. 8 is the sweet spot for V8 gassers IMO.

If I was strictly using a pickup for towing (not in the city) and hauling, I would still prefer a manual for the exact reason you just mentioned. BUT, based on years of ownership of the last light truck manual trans made (G56 in a Dodge), it is short at least 1 gear maybe 2, to be ideal for heavy work.

Well Grit Dog the biggest issues is that nowadays automatics are stronger than manual transmissions. I will say there are days I miss rowing the gears in our 2001 Ram 2500, but will add towing with the HO/Aisin combination sure is sweet.
The biggest issue with offering a pickup with a manual today is warranty cost! You would have bad drivers tearing up clutches and drive-trains.
To be able to have a clutch able to handle power it would need to be a dual or triple disk clutch.

While I don’t disagree that newer automatics are markedly better than in the past and do really great towing and are very strong, almost intuitive, your perceived “issue” with manual transmissions is about 100% wrong, IMO.
Warranty issues? Clutches aren’t warrantied anyway. And you make it sound like I’m suggesting that manuals be the only option. Pretty sure, no, confident, that most all people getting a manual trans in a truck actually know how to drive one. If for no other reason than if they don’t, it would be miserable for them, so they wouldn’t buy one.
Tearing up the trans? That’s funny. How many times do you think the same person who has the desire to work harder driving their vehicle will repeatedly screw up shifting enough to actually make that happen.
And manuals being too weak? That’s the silliest reason of all. First of all, it’s pretty easy to pair an adequate manual to the power in front of it. Second, let’s use the last and only pickup manual offered since Bush was president as the example.
I had one for 180k miles, just sold it. Running behind an engine putting out as much or more torque than any current model diesel pickup. Single disk clutch, zero transmission issues. With zero regard as to how far I planted the throttle in any gear. More bomb proof than all but the best current model autos on the market. And likely more bombproof than those too.
Because your preference is now autos for towing doesn’t mean manuals are suddenly junk. But there’s also not the option any longer. So, you win!