speed governed trucks

I beg to differ. I have driven governed trucks at 62 mph 65 mph 68 mph 75 mph and now 70 mph.

The fact is driving those slower trucks caused more frustration on my part and other motorists, especially when trying to pass another slow moving truck. Motorists and other truckers just want you to make the pass and clear the lane.

I was happiest in my 75 mph truck because I knew I had a big enough hammer to get the job done when needed.

You just have to know when to use that speed (such as passing other vehicles and running out west). I do not recommend using that speed in the midwest states such as oh, In, Il, or even Mi.

You will hear many drivers say "I see these billy bigriggers pass me 3, 4, or even 5 times a day." The story is the high tailing driver will be so fatigued and stressed worrying about where the bears are that they have to stop at every truck stop.

To this I say; BOGUS! It takes discipline to stay with the job and keep driving but the fact is that fast moving driver will actually have more time to take bathroom breaks and or lunch breaks and STILL make the delivery faster than a slower governed company truck with a driver that refuses to stop for bathroom breaks or even to eat. That faster moving truck will be in position for a reload faster than the slower governed trucks (provided the faster truck driver doesn't goof off that is).

That said the big companies have governed their trucks around 65 mph. Look around after you get a few years experience and you can find these outfits with faster equipment.

Job satisfaction is a big part of any job and believe me having a faster truck (used correctly) will be much more gratifying than getting "hung out to dry" on a regualr basis when attempting to pass someone.

 

The problem I have with trucks that are governed under 65 mph, is when a truck that is governed at 64 mph is trying to pass a truck that is governed at 62 mph, especially when the speed limit is 70. Ever been behind a Swift/JB Hunt drag race. The 4 wheelers get physcotic and start darting from lane to lane and trying to squeeze back in front of somebody. To me thats more dangerous than a truck being able to run the speed limit.

 

Valid points Brickman but I was answering from a company driver perspective rather than an o/o trying to save money (or a large company).

Unfortunately we live in a time where driver courtesy is the exception rather than the rule. Too many times drivers get "hung out to dry" when trying to pass a slower truck or car. Give me a truck that will run 75 and I will be able to pass most slower vehicles in a timely manner and clear the lane thus alleviating congestion, bottle necks, and rolling roadblocks.

I have found I actually am MORE fatigued when driving 55 mph (in states such as Ohio and Michigan) rather than driving 70 mph through Mo, Ok, Tx, Nm, Az, etc.

As for a list of companies that actually will run the speed limits here are a few off the top of my head; Cowan, Southern Cal, New Century, Eastern Freightways, Pjax, etc.

I have even seen Roadway, Yellow, and Ups trucks driving up the highways at 70 to 75 mph out west. There are many more just take note of the trucks that pass you every day and hail the driver on the CB. This is actually the best way to get inside info on a company anyway. Drivers have a tendency to be brutally honest rather than a recruiter trying to blow smoke up your butt.

 

the truck I have now is 63mph down from my last two 65 and 67 at 63 I find that I have no time for a lunch break or bathroom unless I fuel n go, and even then I will be an hour or 30 min away from delv/pickup going over on my log on a 500-600or more mile trip. by the same time. even at 65 I had time for a break and knocked that out in under 11hrs not to mention I get passed by...every one now. I can only pass down hill with a heavy load.lol

 

Some turbocharged cars these days (including a few diesel ones) have 'overboost' feature which increase engine power for short period of time. Maybe they ought to put this feature into trucks speed limiter, enable a short burst of above-limit speed for short period of time, you know, for just when you need them, still limits you to a certain speed most of the time. Maybe allow 75mph (or just no speed limit) for 1-2 minutes or something, which ought to allow speedier passing and such. Then the engine has to be turned off before it's available again. That way it's not likely to be abused, yet it still allows for some extra speed when needed. Should be a piece of cake to implement too!

 

^^^^^ I could really see something like that come in handy for a lot of us on the road.

Hey I'm new here and was drawn to this thread because the company I drive for has just informed us that our 70mph trucks will all be castrated to 65mph as soon as possible to save fuel. Needless to say, most of the other drivers I talk to are pretty miffed about it.


I am wondering what are the specifics on the average amount of mileage increase on say, a 200 gallon tank of fuel? I've been unable to find any available hard data to answer my question. I'm hearing others say it's about 1/10th of a gallon per mile. Does that sound right?

I'd like to come up with a realistic assessment of exactly how much productivity we will loose versus cpm savings. I already have my doubts personally because we have specific 1450 mile runs that I presume now will need a 2nd 10 hour break to complete. I realize that's not necessarily a net loss of ten hours but, I feel it adds merit to an honest question as to what the trade off really is.

Here's where I'm coming from and maybe someone can clarify further,

A full tank or 200 gallons of fuel at 6 miles per gallon will go 1200 miles right?

If we break it down in terms of units of time we could also look at a tank of fuel as so many hours of driving. Here's what I mean:

200gls x 6mpg = 1200miles / 67mph is 17.91 or about 18 hours. (67mph is the honest mileage I get from Laredo to Gulfport MS - 746 miles)

I agree that reducing our speed will save fuel but, what will it cost in time? If we use the same break down with .1 of a mpg increase, is this a realistic way of looking at it?

200gls x 6.1mpg = 1220miles / 63mph is 19.36 or about 19 hours. That's actually a little more than 1 hour per tank of fuel!

I'm guessing that a .1mpg increase is a saving of around .01cpm. So that 1 hour of productivity loss per tank is going to save my company an estimated $12.20 about every two days.

So, how do I determine the net loss in productivity? I guess I can't unless I knew the company's average daily profits divided by truck hours driven.

Of course, I'm sure they know what they are doing

 

1/10 of a gallon mileage sounds low to me in your figures. Other, more knowledgeable folks will have to chime in on that one.