[Warpath]

Companies are installing auto's to increase the pool of drivers they can pull from, increase the life of the equipment and save fuel. The thinking is that a auto is in the right gear at all times and a driver can't screw up.

Not sure many truckers would agree with all of that. Drivers of auto's are just throttle jockeys in the eye's of most truckers

If you have any idea whats so ever that you would possibly want to sell your conversion in the future, don't even think about using a manual. You will loose resale value big time! Go to racing junk and look at the price the manuals are fetching.

Now having had a manual and a full automatic, I can say that the manual was much more fun to drive. With a manual, time in the seat seemed to pass much quicker. I think that is because you need to really be aware of what is going on around you at all times. The auto is awesome in traffic & back roads where shifting manually tends to get tedious.

Getting back into the selling game again, I have to wonder why you would want to build your own. The pool of used rigs is growing like crazy and the prices are insanely low.

I truly think the conversion market is in trouble. Even though conversions are built incredibly well and should last for a very long time; dealers, manufacturers and selling owners have driven all of the resale value out of the used market. There is no way that customers can continue to take huge hits in value and that will drive customers out of the market.

For now it is a buyers market and now is the time to take advantage of the great values to be had.