Surprise paycheck hit: goverened at 62 MPH

I didn't always pull flat beds...I did try the dry van stuff for a while. The truck I drove then wasn't governed but I worked out my schedule based on the miles I had to cover in a week (5 day week)...I had to do 800 miles a day, my speed had to average at least 73 mph...that meant I needed a steady and pretty much constant 75 mph (Thank the Lord for 70-75 mph speed limits)...

The point was about the average speeds for the day, not about the load checks.

 

The shop is the ones that changed all the settings on all the trucks. The same guys that haven't done anything but change the oil on a truck with now over 540,000 miles on it. And they have no idea the automatics would do that.

Mid to upper 7's is what I'd expect. The fact that not one single truck in the entire fleet can break 7, much less 7.5, tells me something is wrong with all of them. I mean, I can't even break 7 running bobtail on the highway with the cruise at 63. I'm doing nothing but holding the wheel, what do they expect me to do, put up a sail?

 

Load correctly and Secure correctly
Then roll . . . . . I can see my load,my binders or straps
Rarely do I ever have an issue where it would take me 15 min to correct
Rolling 12-14hrs is pretty common,I prefer to knock the top of a run off
and then roll easy the last day or so (15-1900)

I run my own truck,I'm not a company inmate on a leash

 

That's a problem. My carrier went through that crap a couple of years ago - seems like they've got it figured out finally. At one point, Peterbilt locked them out of the ECM. I "heard" they kept trying to set the max RPM parameter so low it was becoming impossible to downshift on a grade.

"Someone" should run their truck through an engine shop, and have them download the parameters for comment...

 

What were the company trucks averaging before they were cut back?

 

What engine's are you running. Cummings will send out a guy to check engine parameters and discuss with however owns them for free what the optimized operation parameters are. Trust me they want their product to produce the results your looking for so you keep spec'ing their product. They will come out and map the engine to perform with the auto transmission's and whatever gear ratio you want. Now they may recommend some changes for any new trucks in spec'ing gear, tire, etc. But they will do the best they can for anyone willing to run their engines.

I'm sure Detroit would do the same.


If the Boss just refuses might be time for a new job.

 

No idea. They bought them and cut them back before sending them out to see what they got. At least I'm about 95% sure that's what they did. I'll ask.

I was thinking about doing that today. I was wondering what I'd have to pay for it though.

I asked and he told me a couple times but with all the new stuff I've been cramming into my brain with the new job, it seems to have leaked right out. The engines are red, I remember that. The ones in the prostars, I mean. This one is an 09 t600 with a 475 cat acert. It feels weaker than the 07 t600 with a 425 cat acert that I drove for Arrow and it's way weaker than the 4 other trucks I've driven with 475 cats in them.

The KW's are the only ones with autos and we only have like 6 or 7 of them. The whole rest of the fleet are 2010 Prostars with 10 speed manuals.

I'm probably going to go back to flatbedding anyway. Hauling boxes doesn't feel like my thing. Meanwhile, convincing them to retune their fleet is an interesting way to pass the time while I roll up some money in the bank.

That trick on the transmission worked, by the way. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

It's not truly nonstop. Least not the way I ran it. You secure everything, go down the road to fuel or grab a snack, do the first load check. That first short distance pull settles everything so you have to stop and retighten. After that, you just hit the rest area when you need to use the bathroom. In and out, walk round the truck, put a hand on every chain or strap, back in and on the road in 7 minutes. Log don't say you stopped, so you ran "nonstop."

 

No problem. I'll tell you another trick.

If your in a panic stop hit your low button and it will downshift all the way down as fast as you can stop.

Don't do it on anything slick (rain, ice, snow) or it will out down shift you and send you into a drive axle jack knife. I did it on a skid pad we got to work on.


As far as taking it to a shop, if the owner is interested in making his trucks work to the level he wants he'll make the call. It will involve the drivers and the mechanics learning how to set up and use equipment designed to help a fleet optimize it's fuel consumption. Without his effort your just spinning your wheels. It's gonna take a whole lot more than a bunch of numbers pinned everywhere. He has to give his guy's the tools and the training to get results.

 

As I understand the definition, there seem to be a lot of supertruckers in this thread.........

As someone who is just getting ready to settle on a company and get to work. I have a choice I guess. Do it the way the company wants it done or go find a different job.