Driving the speed limit... does anyone?

Greetings all...

Being a new member here I would like to relate something I recently saw and ask the 'whys and wherefores'.

I'm not posting this to get flamed or attacked... I'm trying to understand before I make the jump into the playing field.

I've been giving some thought to becoming a truck driver for the past couple of years but didn't have the opportunity to do so. There is a chance I might be able to within the next year, if I decide to.

I was recently on a trip to SE Ohio and back (to NE Kansas) and I drove my car to save money. Because it was an older car (1990) that I'd only had since January, I didn't pile on the speed... I drove between about 62 and 65 the whole trip. I didn't want to take the chance of blowing the engine.

Along the trip I saw many trucks, of all different setups.

The 1 thing that sticks in my mind is the fact that almost none of the trucks (at least the ones going the same direction I was going at the time) obeyed the posted speed limits.

(Mind you, not many of the regular cars & trucks did either so I'm not trying to sound like I'm singling out the truckers.)

Almost the whole trip, the posted speed limit for trucks was 55 or 60, below the 60 to 70 for cars, etc.

Is this because the trucks are scheduled so tight that they have to speed in order to get their loads delivered on time? Or is this a general lack of caring for the law?

Also, there were a few times that I had trucks on my bumper (within 10' or so) and I was doing faster than their posted speed limit. After a while they finally went around me, but they shouldn't have had to if they were obeying the limits.

Am I just a 'stick in the mud' for complaining about speed limits? I've been driving for about 30 years and have never received any type of moving violation (and I aim to keep it that way )... why don't others feel the same way?

(BTW... I have about as much tact as a herd of elephants so please don't think this is an attack... I'm trying hard to word it 'tame')

Any thoughts are most welcome... I'm trying to learn what I can from you all so that I can make a better choice than without help.

Have a great weekend

 

Hi Roadmedic...

Thanks for the reply... I couldn't remember which states had the lower speed limit. Yeah, IL, IN, and OH is where it happened, and it happened most between Indianapolis and Columbus. I didn't hardly have any problems in MO (as far as being tailgated).

I took Hwy 36 across MO, I-72 across IL, I-74 to Indianapolis, and I-70 to Columbus (OH).

As far as I remember, the speed limit along that route (for trucks) was either 55 or 60... I don't remember seeing a 65 limit (I'm not saying I'm 100% right... just that this is what I remember).

As far as passing trucks... I passed very few because I was going less than the speed limit. If the limit was 65 I was doing about 62, 60 - I was doing about 58, 70 - I was doing about 65.

Like I said... I'm trying to figure out if this is a common thing or am I just blowing smoke?

Thanks for the reply

 

Hi Moses and thanks for the reply...

By 'fuel bonus' do you mean the 'fuel saved' by driving slower?