History Lesson:
Real trucks have manuals?
What about GMC trucks - they have had Hydra-Matic transmissions since 1953? And, military trucks had GM Hydra-Matic transmission before that?
Some Hydra-Matic transmissions had a low-gear selection (range 1-2).
Several types of interesting Hydra-Matics were available on large mid-1950s GMC trucks - one being a 21 forward-gear Hydra-Matic that was basically two-four-speed Hydra-Matics over/under an output shaft that could also be connected to a 2-speed or 3-speed converter/reducer. I bet this BIG truck found it easy to either go up or go down pretty good-sized and steep hills (in pre-Interstate Highway years)?
When I think about manual transmissions, I think about most of the cars and trucks I have owned since the 1960s. But, I find it hard to understand why real trucks should not have automatic transmission.
