Bill if you go back and read all the posts from our F350 friend you'll discover he is a teen who may not even be old enough to have a license yet. Calling him on his statements is not inappropriate.
Since most new trucks have been automatic equipped for the last twenty or thirty years, that the majority of those with transmissions that have been replaced or repaired would simply be consistent with production proportions.
My own driving experience (40+ years now) does include some manual transmission failures which I mentioned earlier in this thread. They do fail and I have experienced it. I've personally never lost an automatic while driving, but I do have one in a pickup that I know if going to die.
That pickup has more than 190,000 miles on the odometer and while I'd rather not be replacing a transmission anytime soon, I recognize that mechanical devices have wear parts and a service life and I may see the end of that transmission if I don't replace it first. But I've known for a year that it was showing the signs of age and if it strands me it will be my fault not the automatic transmission.
This thread was about what you have in your 1-ton and why. It was not intended to be a debate over which is best, though the why question was sure to draw out preferences.
We've learned that some of us have strongly held preferences and may never be swayed.
