Passing at slow speeds etiquette?

How about when you are passing on hills and the slower truck wants to go 80 down the hill?

 

Today's truck are not "governed". There is no harm or foul running up to the max set speed (as long as we're talking about something like 65 or 70). Trucks today aren't governed "mechanically" like they used to be. Older trucks were "governed" to prevent engine damage with excessive rpms, then they started using this same process to manage fleet speed. These speeds are in the 1400-1500 rpm range which is where they are designed to run most optimally to balance fuel consumption and productivity.

Running 60 in a 70 mph truck is certainly a great way to operate, (keeping speed in reserve)

 

It’s obvious that when someone has caught up to you they are faster (governed or cruise control). I would rather slow down a few and let them go, not just to be nice but because when traffic backs up it affects me too.

If the roads wide open and there is no traffic I am less likely to slow.

 

'Dem are dragginflys...

Draggin up one side of the hill and flyin down the other!

 

When I come up behind someone, and I am loaded and going uphill, I can observe what is going to happen. The uphills here sort out the slower trucks, so the trucks I pass are going 45 mph, and have their flashers on, and I am going 50 - 55.

If I catch someone going a mile or two less than me, I will follow him up the hill, and see what he does going downhill... I am governed at 65, but can hit 68 going downhill, so I may not be able to pass going downhill.

Everybody is passing the slower trucks going uphill, so I cant really pass the truck going up hill a bit slower than me, as it will take me too long and I will be holding up traffic. I like to wait for the right time to pass....I can wait and do it right.

I just wait for a few miles to find better terrain to do the pass...if someone tries to pass me and cant do it quickly, I will get off the throttle, as I do not want him sitting beside me....I want him gone. I dont need some idiot that cant figure out how to pass me, sitting beside me. I will not be in a three mile drag race with an idiot driver that cant pass me in a reasonable time, but tries to anyway....if he cant pass correctly, how do I know he can stay in his own lane for three minutes? I don’t!

Once the drag racer reaches my cab, I look over and shake my head and get off the throttle....maybe he is a newer driver, maybe he is older bad driver, maybe he is an idiot.....but I dont want him anywhere near me!

 

You bring up a very good point. There is a large fraction of "professional" drivers that a real difficult time maintaining their lane. The longer that Mr. Yankee Doodle Steering is next to me, the greater the chances for something to go wrong: sideswiping me, panic over correction from almost sideswiping me or wandering towards the median, etc.

My own truck is ungoverned, however I drive plenty of customer trucks that are governed. You have to pick your spots to pass AND you also need to back out of it to facilitate passes.

There's nothing good that can happen with two trucks running side by side. Nothing.

 

Good then maybe they should think twice before passing. I'm in the right lane minding my own business. It's the guy in the left lane holding up traffic, not the right. Fuss at him.

 

It can be done. Ive had her at gravity on some mountain downgrades but only on certain specific ones because you are at 140 or so at the bottom.

 

Mmmm let’s see! Slow down for 3-5 seconds to let someone pass,or spend 10 minutes with another truck next to me trying to pass?
I pick “A”

 

+ 1 I’m in a speed limited truck & I bet some days I slow down 30-50 maybe more times to let the restricter plate racers go.