70 mph vs 65 mph

My company truck allows me 70 mph after fuel efficiency is established by the computer. This can be after just a few miles running empty,or a couple of hundred with a full load,or sometimes not at all in places with a lot of long uphill grades. I've noticed a great difference in power when the 70mph range is allowed,letting you stay in a higher gear to go uphill,therefore letting you get there a little sooner. with the ability to acess that power when needed,and a little restraint on your speed (dropping to 65) on the average the truck overall gets better milage than when governed at 65 only. Most drivers cant seem to back off that throttle,and run their trucks for all their worth,so a 65 limit forces the fuel economy.

 

Do not quit unless you have a job lined up. Keep this till you get one then bail. With this recession, you never know whats going on.

King

 

Browns Gas: HHO; Yull Brown: ; diesel engines run on water but the oil companies don't want us to know about it.

 

Breeze, unless you're running a 700+ mile trip every day, how are you losing money? Your company is still going to take the same loads, and I'm pretty certain that you don't drive all 11 hours allowed every day.

I was an owner-op with a single truck. I can tell you that cutting speed from 70 to 65 is a huge difference in the fuel economy. Your 1 mpg by the trip computer is a huge gain for a few minutes more per trip. At today's fuel prices, that's probably about $10k in savings in fuel alone. For anyone with a "fleet," it makes perfect sense.

When I stopped driving 70, it barely cost me any time at all. When you consider all the headaches of running into cars that are driving under 70 and trying to pass them... traffic jams... stop lights... It didn't even phase me.

When guys that ran out of my terminal went blowing by me at 70+, only to have me pull up on them at the exit ramp a few minutes later, it was funny to me. Especially when they would try to poke fun at my "slow" driving. I'd be like, "you're standing here just like me, aren't you?"

On paper, it looks like you'd be losing money. In reality, it shouldn't change. The average driver out there is getting 3000-3500 miles a week. A 5 mph decrease in speed won't have an effect on that. You'd have to consistently run 3600+ miles a week, and even then the difference would be negligible after FICA and SS taxes.

I've been a company driver, an owner operator, and I'm currently a fleet transportation manager. I've ran plenty of spreadsheets and reports as both a business owner and manager. If fuel continues to spiral upward, you can bet that companies will be cutting back in every way possible. I know of some that won't even allow idle time for a driver at a backhaul.

 

did you get rid of your truck bear? when did I miss that?

 

I heard on the news today here in Alabama, that the politicians are getting ready to vote on reducing the speed limits here on Interstates and US highways by 5 mph..If it happens maybe they wont split speed it for trucks like Ohio etc.

 

I like truckin' though Alabama. Hammer down, even through some of the cities.