Whats up with 62 mph?

And it doesn't piss me off ...

Your concept of running a business is off kilter ...
In another thread we spoke about this ... I'm not wasting anymore time

I'll stick to my business plan that actually paid a truck off in less than 2 yrs
You stuck to yours that hasn't even bought a truck ...

Good day sir

 

As a driver and not an O/O. I loose money running a slower truck. Simple as that. I used to beable to log 700 ish miles a day when the truck would run 70+ mph. Now the most I can ever log is about 650 mpd. I lost more then 50 available driving miles a day due to the truck being cut back.

Now take 50 miles and multiply that by 7 days and I have lost about 350 miles of available driving time a week. This also means I lost a load a week at least.

That also means the boss lost the load which also means lost money. What he saved in fuel, he lost, and then some, by loosing that load that could not be done because of the lost miles.

 

What are you guys pulling? Dry van, reefer, flatbeds? I guess real world scenarios would include waiting to load, tarping, accidents and constructions would eat at the times available.

 

When I was a company driver I drove as fast as the governed ruck would go which was 65 mph. As a owner operator I run 55 mph. I don't care what anybody thinks about it. I do more miles than most of the guys here leased at the same company running the much higher speeds. I get real close to 8 mpg doing it. If I was running 70 I get about 6 mpg. I get passed by the same trucks over and over again all day. Want some math?

2500 miles at 7.8 mpg is 320 gallons at $4.12 a gallon is real close to $1320 a week for fuel.

2500 miles at 6.0 mpg is 416 gallons at $4.12 a gallon is real close to $1716 a week for fuel.

Yes maybe you will get a load if you run faster but I don't want to waste $396 a week on a hope I will get one. Then it is also less wear and tear on the truck. I am over the road and don't go home every night so I could care less about getting to the truck stop sooner.

 

The guys that have the better fuel mileage at my company are also the same guys who have the highest weekly settlements. I am pretty sure that isn't just a coincidence.

 

My trk is governed at 60 which sucks because my route is very hilly and I need that extra power just to get going because I haul 78k swinging meat.By the end of my shift i'm so wore out and sore.Crete and Prime pass me like im sitting still.I have got spoiled by 75 mph trks.I'm a local driver and no way could I drive for a company OTR with 60 mph trks.I'd rather pick up cans or wash dishes for a living.These trks use to go faster but because of too many speeding tickets the owner said no more and had the shop govern the trks.That was befoe I started there.

 

With our fleet we have several good paying dedicated runs that are just over 600 miles in each direction and a few runs about 900 miles in each direction. These are 2 and 3 day runs we wouldn't get a contract for running under 65 mph.

 

I use to think 65 mph was too slow because like I said I got spoiled by 75 mph trks but now I would kill for a 65 mph trk even 62.If some point I go back over the road,65 mph trk won't bother me one bit.

 

Why Not? I can run 55 mph and do those runs.

 

I think there is such a thing as too slow which is a safety hazard on certain hwys and interstates.