Why do you sometimes see mega carrier trucks doing 70+ on flat grade?

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by HogazWild, May 19, 2022.

  1. HogazWild

    HogazWild Light Load Member

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    Every once and a while I'll see a Werner, Western Express, Swift, Crete, or Prime truck loaded and doing 70+ on flat grade like 77 North through SC or 16 West from Atlanta to Savannah and other places.. I was under the impression their entire fleets were governed to 62-66 for insurance deductions...

    They don't have "Leased To" anywhere on the tractor either; which is why I ask... On average they do 65 empty or even 62... Sometimes I'll see two of the same company one empty going 62 and one in the far left passing cars on near flat grade...
     
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  3. Dna Mach

    Dna Mach Road Train Member

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    Sometime the only way to tell a lease from a company truck is the truck number and even then you have to know that companies number scheme. Other times there are odd ball trucks that slip through the cracks with a higher set speed.

    Company drivers can’t pay someone on the side to turn a truck up. All the manufacturers utilize licensed proprietary software that stamp exactly who plugged into that truck and what they did. You would definitely open yourself up to serious trouble for doing that. Mega drivers are notorious for snitching out fellow drivers and a faster truck would be on top of the list of things that would be called in so hopefully it’s a legitimately fast truck that the company knows about.
     
  4. tscottme

    tscottme Road Train Member

    I don't know what speed Prime governs their trucks, but the reason you see them driving 60 MPH is the fuel bonus, their trucks can go 65 or more when the driver chooses. Several drivers told me most of the loads are not short on time and the MPG bonus is big enough many drivers choose to optimize MPG over maximizing the speed. Also, som of the tractors hauling the mega fleet trailers are contracted for that one trip, not full-time Owner-Op or Lease-Op drivers for that mega.
     
  5. HogazWild

    HogazWild Light Load Member

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    These were company branded Cascadia and LT tractors... I seen a Western Express blowing the doors off 68MPH traffic up in CT about a year ago.. No hiils in sight and no Leased To on tractor; was a ~2021 LT
     
  6. aussiejosh

    aussiejosh Road Train Member

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    Yes the governed speed has a duel purpose most are due to the stricter requirements to be insured where by the insurance company will insist on a governed speed, our company was required to govern the truck speed to 70 mph some are even less the more incidents the company has with insurance claims, the second purpose is it does indeed reduce the amount of diesel a truck will use per trip, don't have the figures but there is a significant saving of fuel by reducing the speed of a truck from say 75 mph to only 60 mph. The down side is its going to take the driver a bit longer to get for A to B.
     
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  7. tscottme

    tscottme Road Train Member

    Don't be surprised by ANYTHING a Western Express truck or driver do. I worked at a company with a company 65 speed. One driver paid someone or found a way to alter his truck on his own. He unknowingly passed an freight salesman for the the same company doing 75 mph going up the big hill near Cincinnati. Seeing an example of something doesn't necessarily mean the trucking company approves of it.
     
  8. Arctic_fox

    Arctic_fox Experienced mx13 execrator

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    Once upon a time at may trucking a driver figured out a peice of wire in a specific spot on a detroit with mays stupid little tracker kit would short out something in the truck which would then kick a check engine but disable the governer and speedo.
     
  9. Kyle G.

    Kyle G. Road Train Member

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    I have a buddy who claims when he used to drive for a mega he unplugged the speed sensor at the wheel and that made the truck run wide open. It rendered the speedometer useless obviously but I guess that didn’t matter to him. Supposedly the company caught on eventually because he was always able to get more loads in than everyone else in the dedicated account he was on.

    Of course this is all probably a load of bs LOL.
     
  10. MysticHZ

    MysticHZ Road Train Member

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    Ghost fleets ... Megas have trucks optimized for speed to support expedited high priority customers ... usually classified government contracts.
     
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  11. pumpkinishere

    pumpkinishere Heavy Load Member

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    For instance we’ve power only for swift. We will have a swift trailer but we have our truck governed at 75 so sometimes you can’t go by the trailer you have to actually wait until you see the tractor pulling the load.
     
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