...BTW, It's just not the ...tradition of a manual or the "more of control" of the truck the and engine with a manual,..
I know what you mean, I generally don't (didn't?) like how an automatic truck handles and tows.
But have you driven anything with the new Allison yet, the one behind a Duramax and the larger versions too in medium duty stuff? They literally learn how you drive and adapt to your style and the load, almost act like a manual as far as control goes.
You may change your mind on the control of a manual. Yes it's still an automatic, but they have come a long way and really are quite nice considering.
In fact now that I think about it I drove a U-haul up to Boston and back with a difficult to tow trailer behind. The van had a V10 and a ford automatic, and I was surprised how well it shifted and held back when I wanted it to. The ford transmission was not as good as a manual in my mind, but respectable none the less.
Even though I really do prefer a manual, and if I can help it doubt I ever buy an automatic truck, but one must keep an open mind and the new automatics really aren't that bad.
Grigg