Surprise paycheck hit: goverened at 62 MPH

My current truck isn't governed, but I still keep it around 62-63mph. Ain't me buying the fuel, but if I save I might be worthy of a raise one day...

 

Being castrated hurts ones pride. But you will get use to it. Lick your wounds!

Instead of using the interrupt switch, you'll use the headlight switch more.

 

I never had a issue with the so called castrated trucks. As far as speed goes. I have my own truck and I don't feel like the big issue is the speed, its the rpm governer. When I bought my truck it was governed at 65 and the rpm was governed at 1300. I couldn't pull a hill and I couldn't downshift either.

I took it to freightliner and they took both of the governers off. I still keep it under 65 for the most part. I just set the cruise and sit back. I'm really not too worried about the fuel mileage. My truck is paid for.

What I would worry more about if I was some of you lease purchase drivers is what your paying per week and the total amount your paying for your trucks. I paid 19K cash for my truck. It's an 04 and had less than 700K miles when I purchased it. I read on here where there's some of you drivers that are paying $500 to $1000 a week or more for a lease purchase deal. With totals being over $100,000 GEEEZZZZ how do you guys find money for fuel????????? Sorry I'm not wanting to start a pissing match but MY GOD take a break and run the numbers. If you saved $200 a week for 100 weeks you can have enough to purchase a truck like i did. 100 weeks is less than 2 years. Then you can save up a few more months and have a good cash supply to do repairs and become an O/O with a paid for truck and at the same time have a good bank roll for a cushion for repairs. Subtract your lease payment and your crazy high insurance and you will see how much more you can actually bank roll. As long as you guys are willing to sign the crazy lease deals and run for a buck a mile, not one of us that are running smart will have a chance.

Please stop the madness.

 

In my mind....all the more reason to understand, at least, where a company is coming from. the driver that works for that company needs to get it or I guess buy his own unadulterated rig!

 

The whole speed thing is more of a thing that reverts back to caveman days of survival and being the strongest. The need to win, be a little faster, I passed you, you didn't pass me thing. Just like most can't drive the speed limit. They push it to the limit and drive a few miles over. Stick an engine under someones arse and their personality changes.

Times have changed to where a truck owner has to streamline to the max in order to survive. Anyone can deliver on time in a 60 mph truck. You just have to manage your time better and get over the wooohoooo, I passed you thing.

 

Either have the discipline to slow down and get your company's fuel bill under control, or they will slow you down. Three years ago it happened across the board, and as the summer wears on - more of you will find yourself speed limited.

 

I would say if it bothers you that much find yourself another company. Just remember if you leave there are probably four or five joes waiting to hop into your chair, and put up with what you wouldn't.

I agree with everyone that is is not your name on the side of the truck, but that does not mean that you need to stick around and put up with it.

I find it so odd that companies believe slower road speed always equals better MPG.

The last guy I drove OTR for had pre emission C15 Cats, 525-550 HP, 13 speeds with tall gears. If it kept the truck under 70 I was almost always into the mid to high 6's with MPG. Low 7's were doable with light loads, favorable weather, sometimes even with heavy loads in the midwest.. As a matter of fact, the only time I was ever down below 6.0 MPG was running west over 70 MPG in the wind, or pulling the mountains.

All of the company trucks i drove with smaller motors, lower HP, and lower governed speed were no better on fuel consumption.

With a few exceptions, I think fuel economy is 25% truck specs and 75% driving style.

 

Precisely. Therein lies the problem. How do you get the fuel consumption down when your drivers are all a bunch of lard-headed, lead-foot, speed demons?

Answer... limit how much damage they can do at the fuel pump via speed limiting.

Post emissions, the engines behave differently. Yeah... I can get reasonable fuel economy in the 6.8 to 7.5 mpg range... even when running heavy and fast - well as fast as the ECM will let me. But... if I take that same heavy load and run it at 54, I can bump the fuel economy up over 8 mpg.

 

You can make more, using more fuel. You cannot do this however being a company driver.

 

that's exactly what i DID.