what is the safest thing to do?

Speed limit! W@hats behind you as put in the "Cannon Ball movie is NOT important! #1 they darn sure can't push your 23,000+ pounds of truck down the road with their bumper, #2and really are you that worried of a Pris hurting your ICC Bumper? I'm not because ANYONE who hits you from behind is at fault! It's their problem. #3 If some moron trucker starts to bad mouth you on the CB either turn the volume down or key up, ask him what he thinks the speed limit is, tell him he should have left earlier, or get his bank account information from him in case you get a ticket because he can't manage his time correctly! #4 As for the cars behind you, you're keeping them from getting a speeding ticket and remember construction zones have the 45 limit for a reason, not to piss off people! That's why the fines are so high! It's to teach a lesson so you don't screw the pooch in one and lets see#5 crash and stop traffic for hours on end which will also result being a little late on the load and the same applies the moron behind you, he'll either be later or involved in your accident. #6 Killing anyone like some guy or gal trying to put food on the family table or killing another driver #7 killing yourself

Those are a few of the things that can happen. I know I've sat in those fun 8 hour trucker screwups stuck behind the wreck in between those jersey walls.
I've seen the workers killed and I've seen 4 wheelers killed by that same truck and yep truckers too!
If you're that late a few minutes of going slower won't matter when you're in a 65 MPH truck anyway! Leave earlier, keep that left door shut, screw dispatch if they can't reschedule the load due to a shipper that can't load a truck worth a darn in 28 minutes and goes into your high dollar driving time.
And the last tip is once out of the zone speed up to maybe 55 and let all the bozo's who were stuck to the ICC pass you don't look at them as they're already pissed and watch for the stupid move of getting in front of you and "punishing you" with a hit the brakes move! Once they are in front of you then get back up to speed and see how many you pass in a few minutes! Ol Billy Big Rigger will get so upset! Then lead him into the next zone and listen to him go insane!
Entertainment on the road is where you can find it and you'll never be bored!

As I said: Whats behind me doesn't matter! Even Billy not so Big Rigger!

 

no construction workers in sight?,cause they have to set up 3 miles of cones hoping not to get killed by speeding drivers not paying attention

 

Like every other website forum, I'm amazed by those that don't give an honest answer. In over ten years of driving, I have only seen a handful of drivers that actually slow down to 45mph when the rest of the traffic was doing 65 regardless of what the zone was. I find it hard to believe that the handful of drivers that I've seen, just happen to be on this website at this particuliar time. What's safest, I don't know, but for god's sake be honest about how you drive thru a contruction zone when everybody else is going 65mph. Is just a plain honest answer that hard to give?

 

Yeah me to ! The speed limit is the speed limit period. If someone is going faster then you & runs into the back of you "TOO Bad Too Sad"
It doesn't mater if your in a construction zone or not, that could and does happen quite often on any highway at any speed. But, next time you go thru that area reread the signs. Sometimes it's posted "Maximum XX WHILE workers are present".

 

I like to keep my hard earned money. So no, I don't take those gambles. I pick & choose where & when I Bend or break the rules. And for me it's paying off, 19 years highway driving and only ONE speeding ticket in the truck. But I did NOT say I never speed. Just being Honest !

 

I appreciate it, and maybe everybody on here is being honest, I don't know, but based on my basic calculations, there is a slim chance of that.

 

I was in this kind of mess as a trainee in New Mexico on I 40 My mentor said run the limit and I was had several rigs behind me and a bunch of 4 wheelers too finally got through and bear on the other side pulls me over. looks at everything then asked why was I so slow! I told him speed was 45 he laughs says ok have a nice night and leaves! says nothing else! just turns and walks away. being fairly new I was freaked out mentor says to me you confused him! you read the speed limit sign!

 

Are your basic calculations taking into account the millions of truckers that dont read this forum? I dont take into account people behind me if I am "holding them up or not". I do, have and probably will speed through construction zones in the future but within reason. If the limit is 45 and I happen do be doing 50 I dont see the big deal if conditions allow. If I'm going 40 in a 45 it's also no big deal

 

I guess that's my point, I often times see guys slow down, but I have only seen a handful of times where a guy actual slows down to the speed limit when everybody else is going 20 over. The OP stated that he slows down, but not to what the speed limit is when everybody else is going much faster. What he said is what I have observed and experienced to the overwhelming majority of the the time. Look, I can't stand the OP's signature and would like to bring that up in a whole other topic, but as far as what he says in regard to this topic, he is correct in what he does, or at least that is what the majority of the people do, regardless if in truck or not.

 

Get behind me on I-85 south of Atlanta and you'll be doing 50mph while seemingly everyone else around us will be doing 70-75. It took me a loooong time to learn my lesson, but finally I figured out that speeding don't pay.

I especially like the big riggers that whine about 55mph on the Basin bridge in LA. It will take about 6 minutes longer to go the 18 miles at 55mph but yet I see them every time I cross--risking hundreds of dollars in fines--speeding and running the left lane to save that 6 minutes.