Cost of getting in front

You have a good thought process for getting better MPG's. The best way for you to kind of figure it out would be to run some test of your own if you have a dedicated run.

Your total average speed is gonna be the key to the time saved and money spent for passing. Lots of people do not understand this concept.

I like to drive whatever speed it takes to make it to delivery and also what all is lined up for the week. I tend to drive 57-67 normally. 67 is my sweet spot to stay at if I can. I get good MPG's and stay away from most traffic bunches.

Now if I run into some I will tend to run faster to get ahead of them and slow back to 67. If I am running 57 I normally do not have that problem but have to stay in the right lane and tend to have more issues on slowing down for oncoming traffic if in the city areas. Slower is better MPG's and less maintenance cost.

Faster keeps me engaged and enjoy the drive more but less MPG's and more maintenance cost over time. If someone is a decent driver they will see that cluster of traffic and gradually get up to speed and not mash the peddle to the floor at last second to get around them.

 

Over the years I have heard every reason in the books why drivers drive agressively, fact is at the end of the day most cover fewer miles, and make less at the end of the year.
I worked piece work mileage for Valley Bulk for a large number of years and at the end of the year (a driver we'll call Barbara) never drove over the speed limits, was always on time with her loads, adn averaged just as much if not more than most of the HotShot Hammer Down Drivers, if you add in the time she didn't spend getting tickets, it made it a ll a plus.

 

Why would they speed up to pass a slower line of trucks to slow back down and get in line? I’m passing everyone running 45 in a 65 and getting on down the road. Enjoy your Sunday drive.

 

You can say what you want about politics and religion, but leave the roller grill out of it! It's not the roller grills fault people can't tell food on it is bad. "Oh look that hot dog has more wrinkles then the Golden Girls, and is one step off from being ash...lets buy it!".

Roller Grills Matter!

#RGM!



Sirscrapntruckalot -

 

Problem is most times there is nothing holding up the slow driver. They are just going slow and they are being g shadowed by the driver in the other lane for miles not allowing a smooth predictable pass.

 

How many states must I be patient for?

Since your post was started I watched people hog lanes as described for some very prolonged periods and watched people get as you describe aggressive with thier passes, not just truck drivers but car drivers as well.
Now like you I take issue with the driver that comes up on someone while not paying attention and forces thier way over. Yes they should have been paying attention and made the pass without causing disruption.
At the same time however that driver that won’t even drive close to a steady speed, brakes way before closing on anything, runs just off the other vehicle leaving no room to pass and the other driver that knows they are there and make no effort on either part to open that gap basically force those others to try and come up on you in an attempt to let you know your holding up others.
Do some not look ahead? Yes but I see way more of this crap and even more of the stupid prick that won’t leave off the pedal to let them finish the pass. You say be patient and that is sometimes true but Sometimes it’s the one being passed that needs to exorcise patients and drop off the pedal to let them finish the pass. After all it’s you by description that isn’t being pressed for a delivery or had some bad luck and is now pushing the clock.

This week I saw one driver as you described pushing it only to find the guy in front was braking for a real reason. The sad thing is I lost count of how many I witnessed just trying to get bye twiddle D and twiddle dumb.

Someone posted about standing and observing the pack from the roadside and how they described that the congested traffic isn’t always constant but rather clusters of. This is a good observation and something that I did with new drivers from the top of the mountain looking down on the highway many times.
It’s amazing how what some drivers call safe can cause such congestion but those in that clear area are running smooth and clear with no congestion around them.