Pre Planning avg MPH??

50mph is the average that CFI used to dispatch trips. Sometimes even that seemed too fast.

 

Fifty-five mph works for me, but I only run western states and Alberta (even though the truck speed limit in CA is 55, no one drives that slow )

 

Just plan your trips for 50 MPH so this way your not entitled to rush driving wise...and plus some places you'll have go lower then 50...and some places you'll be going higher then 50...you want to drive and enjoy driving...not rush and drive hard for a few months...get tired of all the hard work because you didn't relax and pace yourself...then choose to quit...or make accidents and mistakes because you planned for 60 MPH and your going 45 because of traffic and your going to be late...

Also...disbatchers can be rude...but you have to understand...they get loads to assign...they get paid bonuses basded on deliveries being there on time...and alot of loads delivered...so of course they gone try to push you...and make you go harder and harder to get they pockets fat...but understand one thing...just like my instructor said..."Yea they might offer you something knowing you don't got the hours...or try to make you go hard and hard...rushing you...but if you get into a accident or stopped by DOT...they gone act as if they didn't know...say they had other drivers to watch...and won't pay your fines...plus you'll lose your job more then likely...then have something on your driving record...you control yourself and license...don't let disbatch"...

 

I use 50 mph for an average speed when trip planning. The listed trip miles is the minimum miles. Take the listed trip miles and multiply by 1.2 to get the maximum miles. Anything over the maximum miles is out of route miles.
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Driving time is maximum miles [listed trip miles times 1.2] / 50 mph. If driving time is NOT a whole number, round up to the next whole number.

 

my truck goes 76 but i always use 50 mph that way i can make it early or if i run into some problems better to be early than late

 

I found this in another post and it makes good sense.
No one avg.s 50mph so use this formula and it should work for you and account for your HOS, (giving you the required breaks).
A simple formula for figuring ETA.

Total Miles divided by 50, then add 10 to the sum, for every multiple of 12.
IE Trip is 900 miles:

Divide by 50 = 18 plus 10 equal 28

If you are scheduled to pick up at 9am, you can plan on being there by 1:00 pm the next day.

If you is delayed at the shipper...everything should shift according to the number of hours delayed. IE Leave at 11am, in by 3:00pm the next day.

I hope that this helps you, I know that I have noted it into my book of things to know.

 

cool... simple and effective.

 

Don't forget time zones.

 

I would change mine depending on what time of day and how many cites I was planning on going threw. Back when I was in a 65 Mph truck I could pretty much have it down to 15 minutes...

Now, it also has a lot to do with your driving style as well.. I am the type of person who starts and pretty much don't stop till I get there.. If your the type that stops a lot then of coarse yo need to drop the average speed.
65Mph truck if I really wanted to get there and done this many times I used 61 Mph.. yup I made it every time but I knew knew the roads I was going to use and how they was far as traffic went.. 65Mph truck you can use 50-55 and have time to take a quick stop usually..

 

I take the miles and multiply by 1.1 then divide by 50mph to get the hours. That works well for covering fuel stops, pre-trips and time and the shipper.

I am one of those drivers who drives 5+ hours in a single sitting, takes 30 minutes for lunch then finishes the day up, usually totaling 9.5-11 hours of drive time. Doing this I get there early and still get nice 12 hours breaks at "night." I like to start my day around midnight whenever possible so the roads are clear for the first half of my day.