I always wanted to ask this and finally remembered - are speed limits always correct?

Swingin will make a man out of you in a hurry!
Loved making them Monfort guys move over for me to pass
Never let the trailer push the truck.
Allowing your truck to exceed governed speed leaves you no throttle to apply when you need it.
Braking when already leaning tosses more weight onto the leaning corner and could send you exactly opposite of where you want to go.
Save some throttle to use when you need to load the chassis.
Look where you want to wind up in the turn, not where you are at.
Suspensions now don't allow for as much feel as they once did. Cabs lean now way more than trailers leading to a tipping sensation.
Bottom line is do what feels good to you. None of those other guys will come to your aid when you lay one over.

 

Posted speeds for curves are only for small vehicles. Occasionally, you will see an icon of a trailer tipping above the posted speed limit for the curve... I like those signs, because some four wheelers that actually DO read signs will understand why trucks are forced to go so slow.

I carry a lot of things like kegs of beer and other things not packed tightly and liquids in containers.. so I have to mind tipping and shifting of the load. That, and I don't like the sensation of taking a curve even slightly too fast.

I tend to go about 10mph slower than the posted sign on a curve when loaded heavily, but that's about the speed that naturally feels correct, anyway

 

Almost all corner road speed signs are for passenger vehicles.

Mikeeee

 

Where are the school instructors????

The posted speed limit sign is ONE of the tools you'll use to determine what speed you will be traveling at any given place. The first tool you'll use is the pretrip inspection to see if the truck is safe and evaluate what tind of truck you're going to travel at highway speeds. Second you'll want to make sure the load is secured and you know the center of gravity. Then after you know everthing is where it is required to be and the truck is good to go then when you're rolling you look at the highway speed limit. I was told by many old drivers that those speed limit sighs are there for truck. Especially around turns.

Of course we all should know that this analysts is for beginners because will do learn as we go.

 

your most dangerous point in a turn on a highway at speed is at the beginning and the end.

It's these transition areas that the super-elevation is started and ended by flattening the road out so there is no crown into it.
http://techalive.mtu.edu/modules/module0003/Superelevation.htm

Depending on the direction, they can do that by lifting the outside lane until it starts to give the slope it needs.

If you really pay attention to your driving, you will notice on some of these turns you actually have to turn against the curve during this super-elevation change.

The interstate system was designed with a 75 mph road speed in mind. Given that, there are places that are posted less, some posted more.

But the typical design speed is 75 MPH for the interstate roads.

 

Speed limits are also a suggested max in ideal daylight conditions.

 

posted speeds for curves are for a 4,000 lb vehicle, with a low center of gravity. If you feel the truck leaning, you are going to fast for the curve. I always slow at least 5 mph below the suggest curve speed. Even more if the curve is banked wrong, which many are.
Always break BEFORE the corner, not in the corner, and power through the corner.

 

That landmark is called a MILE MARKER!

 

Mile markers are easily missed...I was thinking something along the lines of a church building, an overhead exit sign...something large and something the individual naturally "sees" each time approaching or passing.

One "landmark" I always use....going West on the 210 approaching the 138 (or 134) intersection where you need to be one of the two right lanes to "exit" and stay on the 210, is the only 7 story building on the 210, on the South side and just before the "exit". This "landmark" can be seen about 1-1.5 miles before the "crush"....that one reminds me to get over for the transition.