When did Governed Trucks begin?

Oh so true.

 

I was going to say, it all started with the fuel crunch in the 70's. Then when ECM's come out around 85? they had better control. You use to be able to unplug the speed sensor and bypass all that. You can't do that today as the fuel injection depends on the speed sensor.

I started in 95 and some of them were governed. Mine were governed like 72 and 74. As time went on, it got lower and lower. We always passed Swift and JB Hunt.

 

In the late 70's I worked for a few companies that had "large cars", we had a few that were set up and would do 120 or so, several guys from the meat patch could pass us, of course fuel economy wasn't as big a deal because fuel was quite cheap and rates were pretty good. I myself at one time had 5 licenses in various states, I would choose states that had different reciprocity acts with states that I traveled regularly so if I got caught in NJ I gave them Arizona license since the two wouldn't share info and so on.... was a totally different way of life!! Running triple digits, 3-5 log books and paying CASH for everything that you couldn't make llok right!!! Ahhhh yes.... "THOSE WERE THE DAYS!!!"

 

My first experience with slow governed trucks was in 1978. The company I had went to work for had jsut bought a new Mack with a Formula 350 Cummins, 24.5 tires, and a 10 speed. I knew all of this companies trucks would run up in the big numbers. Imagine my suprise when it turned out this truck would only run 62 mph because of the rears and the 1800 rpm that a forumla engine turned from the factory.

My complaints were met with him stating, "This is the wave of the future. The days of fast company trucks is coming to an end because of insurance and fuel cost. I'm going to be one of the first in this area to do this, and you have the first truck".

 

My complaints were met with him stating, "This is the wave of the future. The days of fast company trucks is coming to an end because of insurance and fuel cost. I'm going to be one of the first in this area to do this, and you have the first truck".


Must have sucked to be the guinea pig for that experiment!!!

 

I was less than thrilled to be passed by every Roadway, ABF, ect on the road.

 

Most electronically controlled engines if you disconnect the speed sensor to the ECM the engine would use the RPM it was running in high gear as the MAX RPM in every gear.

 

Longer ago than that since I was in a truck governed at 63 in the late 90's. It sucked then too!

 

It probably saved him $100's of dollars in speeding tickets

Hell it makes no sense to me, when the speed limit was 55 mph nationwide. We could run 75-80 mph without issue.

Now the speed limit is 70 mph plus in some states.

And I have to run the shoulder to keep from getting run over by people who are ONLY doing the speed limit.