62 MPH rule? What is the reasoning behind it?

You are very welcome . I'm glad I was able to help . Have a great day !

Thank you ,

 

It boils down to a lot of drivers have a lead foot, and won't take the sutble hint to slow down. Go slower use less fuel. Like OOWife wrote, the idea is to have something left at the end of the month... governing a truck at 62 is one way of getting that "hint" across with a sledgehammer. Most of the larger fleets went to some variation of this last year when diesel was over $4/gal. Another couple of reasons are that insurance companies provide lower rates to trucks that are governed (not necessarily at 62,) and to pull in some of the provinces up in Canada your truck must be governed to 65 by law.

Most of the time a driver can run slower if he plans ahead, and keeps the left door shut. Its a fact that the slower you run, the better your fuel mileage will be. If you are getting poorer fuel mileage at say 55 than 65, its a good bet your charge air cooler is leaking. There's a lot of other things that figure into this as well, like trailer ballance, tire pressure, how much throttle you use - the driver alone can make as much as 30% difference. And yeah, a running start at a stiff grade helps get you over the top with less fuel used... definitely let gravity help you out every chance you get.

Best advice I ever got at getting better fuel mileage was to keep a log of what you're getting in fuel mileage - not just per tank, but between stops on each load. Change how you drive one technique at a time - keep what works, throw the rest away.

 

This is exactly how our company does it. You can have your truck set at 60 and be guaranteed the "speed bonus". The other option is have your truck set to 70 and control it yourself, they allow up to 7% of your miles each month over 60 if you go over 7% of total miles then no bonus if you keep less than 7% then you get the bonus. Most drivers are not able to keep under the 7% on their own so they just have the truck governed to be guaranteed the bonus, ( their words not mine ). The extra time I can save and be home more during the month is worth it to me to give up the speed bonus so I don't play their game. It is worth it to some and that works good for them. It is nice to have the choice to decide for myself though.

 

wow i think most of you have really missed the point on this one...mpg's saftey is all BS its a real simple answer....its the insurance companies requiring it...

 

I think the MPG is BS when I personally know an O/O running 70-73 pulling the same loads I am who is getting almost 8, while my company truck, governed at 65 is doing good to get 6.4. I will grant that they are different brand truck, engine, etc, but the company trucks that are the same brand are getting 7 on good days while he's getting almost 8 running harder.

The insurance companies are requiring the lower speeds. The fuel stuff may be true on some trucks, but it's largely a red herring.

 

I disagree. The faster you are turning the more you are burning. I have been at both ends of that situation. The last co I was with OTR I had a triple digit 18 speed. I did not get fuel bonuses, so my quest was rolling. When I was with maverick for 2 years I got fuel bonuses and ran loaded at 65 and empty at 60. My truck was governed at 70. When I would run at 62 loaded. It was even a better savings.

Lots of things to factor in fuel mileage. OOR, idle, how you accelerate, etc.

 

Speed is only one factor, he may truck smarter since you have been doing this a year, speed is not the only factor in fuel mileage.

 

Well, he "trucks smarter" than all but one or two people in a company with 600 or so drivers.

 

You don't understand. Many factors. If your trucks are governed at 62 and I would say that most of you are standing on the governor you will not get good fuel mileage. Agian that is only one factor.