Has anyone ever used or have any experience with standard automatics?
I'm not talking the new automatics where you can paddle shift through gears, I mean standard transmissions that shift on their own.

I found a few tidbits of information, but nothing enough to know anything about them.

Apparently you get rolling with the clutch, and after that, the unit shifts on it's own?

Are these special transmissions, or are they regular manuals with a special controller shifting them mechanically?

 

In heavy trucks? From what era? Years ago, drag racers used automatics with a clutch:

727 Clutchflite

Eaton talks about "automated" transmissions, in addition to "automatic":

UltraShift® PLUS Series

 

This is exactly what I think I meant:
UltraShift® HV


Interesting also that other page with the auto trans with the clutch!

 

Seen them never driven one though.
I imagine what made these more easy to adapt to newer trucks is the computerized Fuel injection of the new diesels.
all it would have to do is to upshift is shut off fuel for a sec and shift the trans with air or electric solinoid then turn the fuel back on.
sounds like a lot that could go wrong to me.

 

This sounds like it....

Almost like an automatic transmission, but at least all the stuff that could break isn't inside and impossible to fix without a tranny shop...