Why do YOU speed....if this is all you save?

Let's try working backwards! How many miles per year do you want to run?

Let's say 120,000. In a 62 mile per hour truck that's 1935.5 hours.

If you can do the limits in the western states, but since not all states are 70-75, let's pick 68 as an average which would give you 1764.7.

A difference of 170.6 hours or a little over 4 weeks for the average citizen of 40 hours, or 2.44 at exactly 70 hours.

So what is a couple weeks a year of your time worth to you?

 

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5796132_stopping-distance-tractor-trailers_.html
good article on braking and speed

Stopping Distance / Rear-end Collisions
Trucks require a much greater stopping distance to stop than cars. The heavier the truck, the greater the distance needed to stop. When cars or truck drivers fail to realize the distance needed to stop, the risk of a rear-end collision increases. According to the National Safety Council's Defensive Driving Course for Professional Truck Drivers, the stopping distance for an 80,000 pound tractor trailer, traveling at 30 mph on a dry, level road, is 100 feet. If we double the speed to 60 mph, the stopping distance for that truck doesn't double, it increases over four-fold to 426 feet. If we increase that speed another 5 mph, to 65 mph, the distance needed to stop increases almost another 100 feet, to 525 feet (compared to 316 feet for a car - more than 200 extra feet). It is no wonder that trucks are involved in many rear-end collisions.

 

Well you have to factor in total distance to be traveled too. The difference between 75 mph and 65 mph over 50 miles is negligible. But over 500 miles it can add up to a decent chunk of time. But yeah, that half hour you save is pretty worthless when you've spent it pulled over getting a ticket.

 

What if driving say 10mph faster allows me to get one more load delivered per day? What if this load pays me over $600 each? One $110 ticket in a year is not going to deter me from making close to $3000 more per week. Don't preach safety to me either. The speed limit in the mountains of VA and WV is 70mph+ without any issues so why is it limited to 65 or below on the flat ground in say Ohio, Indiana, Michigan? It's not about safety its about revenue. Drive your goverened truck because your company doesn't feel you can handle the speed and leave the big trucks to the guys who can make their own decisions.

 

This is probably irrelevant to the folks who are getting paid by miles, but for those of us getting percentage and independent O/Os, there are times it is worth spending extra on fuel/wear/maintenance so you can grab a good paying load on the other end.

I had a load out of Sacramento to Holloman AFB on 18th this month. Then there was a load out of White Sands on 20th going to LA area, and it paid $2.50 a mile (this kind of rate is getting harder to come by lately if you are leased to a carrier).

The problem was Sacramento pickup was late in the afternoon, cut off time for White Sands was 1200 on the 20th, and I don't dare going faster than 60 in Commiefornia. I normally cruise at 68-ish through AZ and NM, but this was one of those times that justified me to do 75.

Going slower may make more sense on paper, but some of us have to look beyond the math on paper and look what's ahead.


And let me ask those in 62-mph trucks calling us Super truckers. If your company raised the governed speed to 65, are you saying you would never go above 62 because it doesn't make good business sense and there's very little to be gained? It is a big if, but those who've been driving over 2 years probably remember Swift's governed limit used to be 65.

If your answer is yes, well, you are more diciplined than I. Good for you, and I wouldn't call you any names just because you disagree with me.

If going slower makes sense to you, please do so by all means. Just don't try to impose what you perceive as "right" on people who want to drive faster within legal limits.

The OP's post contains valid points, and I don't dispute the saving in fuel by going slow, but the way he presented his arguments (and subsequent name calling) came across a lot like envious class warfare people screaming the wealthy should be taxed to death because the envious people don't know how to (and often don't aspire to, thus never learn to) earn more.

 

I think Sammy Hagar said it best.
When I drive that slow it's hard to steer I can't get out of 7th gear.
I CAN'T DRIVE. 55.

 

...As long as it's not math, in some cases!

 

I love it when someone who's in school preaches to those who's actually done the job on how they should do the job. Anyone who'd actually driven for more than a few years understands the benefits and drawbacks to speeding. Bottom line is none of our trucks has speed limiters and we have never had an issue with speeding tickets or accidents. The truck I've been driving will probably do 120mph (3:36 gears with 11r24.5 tires with no limiter) but has never received a speeding ticket Why? Because we only hire people with enough common sense to drive responsibly. We don't hire steering wheel holders out of truck driving school that can only handle 400hp, 10spd's and 62mph.

Oh and as far as respect goes, it's earned not given. Unlike you I don't piss on those who choose to do things differently than me as long as your not getting in my way. If you like driving slow go ahead just don't hold up others who choose not to. Don't try and pass a 61mph truck in your 62mph truck or preach to us using your government math.