Trucking news: Drive at 55 Meets Stiff Headwinds

8/18/08

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65 MPH is fast enough to get the job done.

GOING to slow will NOT get the job done! I agree 65 mph is a good speed.

Taking Trucks back to 55 mph is just dumb.

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You can't force people to drive that slow everywhere. They must WANT to do it and can have a choice to speed up during emergency situations. I plan on cruising at 60 when I become an o/o.

65 is plenty fast, and should be the norm across the country. Getting the 4 wheelers to stay near that speed is an entirely different matter. I usually roll at or just a little over 65 in my car, and tend to stay in the right lane unless I need to pass. I've lost count of the jerks out there that think 80 is an acceptable speed here in WI. Then again, they are the ones referred to as 'Ditch Bait', cause they will be the first ones you see in the ditch in winter on crappy roads.

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Sorry but I am a 70 Mph type of guy.. That's the speed I feel most comfortable driving.. Don't ask me why that's just how it is with me.. I can be driving down the road in a big truck or 4 wheeler and not be looking down at the speedometer and when I do take a look its 70 Mph (or 73)..
Personally I think speed limits are a joke.. If more time was spent enforcing the rules of the road and not speeding itself (that's all law enforcement really enforces) we would have much more safer roads... It's easy to sit with a radar gun and find speeders but they actually have to work at finding people not following the rules of the road ( well let me rephrase that) It would be as easy as catching speeders because people are not following the rules all the time..... Those are the laws they need to enforce.. when it comes to speed and fuel they simply need to make vehicles that can go higher speeds and not burn as much fuel.. (biggest issue is wind and drag but they have not really done much research here because they have not had to...)

I agree, it would be good if they would start enforcing the other laws. The idiots making the multiple lane changes all in one shot, well, that list could go on forever. They do need to nail the ones out there rolling along at 80 or higher in the 65 zones though. That, IMO contributes to the other stupid behavior, which can occur all on its own as well.

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I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was going to blame you.

Dynamite comes in small packages, Nitro comes in smaller ones, take your pick!

Back in the 70's we had the double nickle forced on us in the name of saving fuel due to the oil embargo. After the embargo was lifted we still had the double nickle for ten years or more. Nobody drove 55 and the states loved it. The state troopers became revenue agents for the state with all the speeding citations they issued. The powers that be in Washington don't care what truck drivers think or want or need. They will do whatever they have to to get reelected .

With a 13 or 18 speed, or even an OD9 or 10, I can keep the engine running close to the sweet spot in more gears and therefore at more different speeds. I had a truck with tall gearing and a 10 sped that would do good with a heavy load at 52 in 9th but I couldn't get much more than 5 driving every advantage in mostly high. That 10 speed direct I drove was more sane at 55(1300)than the other was at less than 1200 at 55, that was just plain lugging too much. The sweet spot for Detroits is 1400 and even a bit higher depending on the load.

I don't think 55 will save fuel except in a properly geared vehicle on more level roads, these high powered 4 wheelers will not take to being driven that slow. The trucks may or may not, wind resistance and rolling resistance from heavy loads changes things some for trucks. Splitting speed limits causes more passing.

Revenue might dictate what's going on with the double nickels but I don't think you will hear about that while they are trying to sell the fuel economy and safety aspects of 55 as a national speed limit. Both of those considerations are dubious, people falling asleep while crawling along and lugging up every hill while downshifting are going against those aims.

Yeah, and the powers that be in Washington know darn well they won't get reelected if they drop the speed limits to the double nickels again. Just think how many snobs with sports cars and SUV's would vote them out of office if they were forced to slow down!

__________________
I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was going to blame you.

Dynamite comes in small packages, Nitro comes in smaller ones, take your pick!