What is the highest speed you've got your rig up to?

[Scout]

One has to have SOME (even a little) understanding of physics here to understand what I’m about to explain.

Ever seen a dragster being launched off of the starting line…?
What happens… ? The front of the car lifts up off of the ground… he pulls a “wheelie”. Right ! What’s actually happening here though ?
We’re talking about torque. As the engine produces power or force… this force is transferred through the driveline to the axle. As the force to the axle is increased the weight (or downward pressure) on the steer tires is decreased. This happens with every vehicle… EVERY VEHICLE.
In a truck traveling down the highway, the amount of downward pressure on the steer axle is less while the vehicle is in an “ACCELERATION” mode than if it were sitting still. That same pressure would be “MORE” while in the “DECELERATION” mode which explains why your nose dips down when you hit the brakes. The faster the truck is accelerating, the lighter the pressure on the steer axle. At high speeds the steer axle is actually floating on the road… this effect is what causes “HYDROPLANING” on wet pavement.
If a driver is aware of this concept… while a steer tire blows… he need only apply the trailer brakes gently (PROVIDED HE/SHE HAS A TROLLY BAR) to keep the front end of his/her tractor “UP” while decreasing the vehicles speed.
Now you can say what you want too but, when I’m doing something that I think might be a bit risky… I want to know how to reduce the risk as much as possible

I have to disagree with this.

In automobiles, weight transfer (often confused with load transfer) refers to the redistribution of weight supported by each tire during acceleration (both longitudinal and lateral). This includes braking, or deceleration (which can be viewed as acceleration at a negative rate). Weight transfer is a crucial concept in understanding vehicle dynamics.

Weight transfer occurs as the vehicle's center of gravity (CoG) shifts during automotive maneuvers. Acceleration causes the sprung mass to rotate about a geometric axis resulting in relocation of the CoG. Front-back weight transfer is proportional to the ratio of the center of gravity height to the vehicle's wheelbase, and side-to-side weight transfer (summed over front and rear) is proportional to the ratio of the center of gravity height to the vehicle's track.

There's no way you can slow a vehicle while keeping "the front end of his/her tractor “UP”. Google "weight transfer" and there are several good articles.

[mozzi]

Hey Scout...
Your wrong.... Just plain wrong.

For starters, a tractor trailer is not an automobile. When will you rookies realize this ?

Secondly, GOOGLE doesn't know S&*t about weight transfer in a tractor trailer.

I have personally seen (with my own eyes) my own steer tire fly past my mirror and window on the drivers side. There was nothing whatsoever to indicate that the tire was flat or even completely seperated from the rim until I let off the foot feet (Gas pedal for you rookies) at which point the nose settled down and the left side dipped down. At this point, the left steer rim hit the pavement and I was absolutely positive that the tire that I had wittnessed flying by my window was mine.

So you can't tell me that I'm wrong.... you just depend on your GOOGLE to tell you about life and I'll go on living it and learning by EXPERIENCE.

[Rev.Vassago]

Rev.vassago:
Sir, aren’t you a bit arrogant…. maybe a bit hipicritical even ?

hypocritical

And no, I'm not. If you disagree, prove me wrong.

Arrogant? Sure. Who cares? What's your point?

Runaway ramps are for ANYONE who has trouble on the grade… whether it be an idiot who thinks that he’s indestructible or a driver who’s equipment has failed him (or her). Equipment failures are unfortunate (and many avoidable) but they do happen.

Your point? What does the above drivel have to do with a thread about how fast people have gotten their trucks up to?

The more I read of your posts… the more I doubt that you can even drive a truck.

Luckily, I could care less what you think. Your 25 million miles is irrelevant.

[jiptwoo]

Mozzi, you have a great memory and my hat is off to you; ---jiptwoo.

[Phantom433a]

Also I did not get my CDL from a driver mill I got mine the old fashion way MY FATHER sitting in the jump seat training me when I screwed up he let me know.

Yea.... I bet he did the same to you that mine did to me when I did something wrong.....slapped the S**T out of me and exclaimed "this is MY truck....you break it and YOU can make the payments." Swift is great at taking a driver with 6 months wheel time and making them trainers.

The fastest I've gotten my truck up to....its governed.....75....thats the top speed here in Az, where I run the northern part.

[GI_James]

I was doing 100 in my camaro yesterday and it got me thinking - what would it be like to have an 80,000 lbs rig going that fast?? :shock:

Post your stories and locations of where you hit the speed.

I had a military Armored 5 ton almost to 60 mph...

[ladykatrina]

what a fun read this whole thread was, guys,thank you for all the free amusement!

[Scout]

Hey Scout...
Your wrong.... Just plain wrong.

For starters, a tractor trailer is not an automobile. When will you rookies realize this ?

Secondly, GOOGLE doesn't know S&*t about weight transfer in a tractor trailer.

I have personally seen (with my own eyes) my own steer tire fly past my mirror and window on the drivers side. There was nothing whatsoever to indicate that the tire was flat or even completely seperated from the rim until I let off the foot feet (Gas pedal for you rookies) at which point the nose settled down and the left side dipped down. At this point, the left steer rim hit the pavement and I was absolutely positive that the tire that I had wittnessed flying by my window was mine.

So you can't tell me that I'm wrong.... you just depend on your GOOGLE to tell you about life and I'll go on living it and learning by EXPERIENCE.

OK then, what was holding the wheel up in the air while the tire was passing you? Even bobtail you've got a good 10,000 on the steer axle, and you're telling me that 5k was just floating above the road waitng for you to brake? I don't believe it.

[Fredog]

I was doing 100 in my camaro yesterday and it got me thinking - what would it be like to have an 80,000 lbs rig going that fast?? :shock:

Post your stories and locations of where you hit the speed.

240 mph
but it was on a computer game

[Fredog]

[quote="Rev.Vassago"]

39 months total time OTR driving I was not a 6 month wonder. Also I did not get my CDL from a driver mill I got mine the old fashion way MY FATHER sitting in the jump seat training me when I screwed up he let me know.

Something stinks here, and it ain't me.

Forced off OTR driver with 1 million miles accident free name the commidity I pulled it. Dead bodies?

/quote]


1,000,000 miles / 39 months = 25,641 miles per month. Care to explain how you managed that?

I smell B.S.

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

I rember headin up 81 in PA heading to scranton there is nice big hill just a short bit before you reach scranton ...I'm told you could peg a truck out pretty good on this steep grade with a straight shot down.

[line_transporter]

Highest speed in a semi was probably 75 MPH. In a small car, I once did around 80 MPH. These were both done in daytime, with very little traffic on the highway. I've never driven a governed rig.

[LightsChromeHorsepower]

Back in the old days- 1970's- there was a truckers 'zine called Mother Truckers News. Guys would Western Union ( No internet, cell phones or fax machines in those days) when they left, and again when they reached their destination. 48 hours for coast-to-coast was pretty routine for teams.
It seemed to me that the produce haulers would all be coming into the west coast or leaving in waves. Many times I would be grinding away on 80 somewhere between Reno & SLC, maxed out at 75-78 MPH in the middle of the night, and a string of produce guys would flash by like I was chained to a tree. It would have taken a real long chain to reach the nearest tree.
I think it was Miller, out of SLC, had a long nose KW with way too much power and plenty of gears. They used to put 2 - 45 ft. reefers behind it with a 2 axle dolly and run it betwee SLC & Reno. They would have 2 trucks come over the hill to Reno & meet it, break down & make up the set, then head back to SLC. I swear that thing went at least 100MPH. It passed me once when I was half asleep, he didn't have any clearance or marker lights on, and I thought I was under attack by space aliens. I saw a pair of headlights way behind me, a few seconds later there's a big rumble and my cab is rocking side-to side as I watch tail lights disappear into the night.
The fastest I've ever driven a truck was 80+, in my Dad's '65 KW with a 5X4 and a small cam 350 Cummins. I have seen 145 indicated on my bike. My buddy who races at Bonneville says the fastest big rig out there is a 1937 GMC with a quadruple turbocharged 16V92 Detroit. It was built & driven by a log hauler from Grants Pass OR named Carl Heap. All I can say is, only a West Coast log hauler could handle a 1937 GMC at 240 MPH while it was on fire!

[Fredog]

You can talk the sh*t without actually doing it.

you mean all these guys who are going to whoop everyones ass are just talking??

[Rev.Vassago]

Wow, someone is bored.

[Windwalker]

It was39 months before I made trainer not before I hit the million mile mark Rev. Also the reason I was forced off the road was due to Epilepsy a medical condition so unless you can walk a mile in my shoes do not go there. Try having a condition where you do not know when where or if you will lose all control of your body tear your shoulder to pieces maybe put your arm threw a plate glass window and for fun bite your tounge off. You also have to remember I was running as a trainer and I recieved credit for those miles in my calculations since I got paid solo rate on those miles made my life nice on the paycheck.

Well, I DO know what Epilepsy is. I know several people that are aflicted with it, including a sister-in-law. So, now, you've got me wondering. While I'm sorry you've got it, I also know a major cause of it. I also know that it takes 6 to 8 years to get a million miles behind you. Not only, how did you manage to hold on to your CDL that long, but how did you manage to get it in the first place? And, what turned up that they found out about you and you lost it?

Also, how about your regular driver's license to be able to drive down the highway at all, much less at that speed, considering you must go three years without having an episode in order to maintain any driver's license.

Wind walker I was 18 when I got my CDL hauling grain for a LARGE Farming family near were I live combined they have 25000 acres and 15 trucks in their fleet hauling grain fertilzer and seed for their family farm. For 3 years I ran for them running about 420K miles plus worked in the shop when we were slow and YES REV I DID STAY IN ILLINOIS. Then as soon as I turned 21 I turned 21 and over the next 4 years ran 580K miles all of them accident free. Labor day in 2000 I was rear ended in my personal car and 3 weeks later had my first seizure while coming down a mountain in NV was airlifted from Winemucca to Reno and spent a week there and then returned home to IL.

I lost MY CDL that second I had my first seizure I had NEVER Had one prior to then at all. When you have a life changing event like that you never forget what you loose. Now I stay at home and raise my kids but I wish I could get back out there. It took me 2 years to get my class D license back.

[LightsChromeHorsepower]

Hey Ironeagle

My situation is amazingly similar to yours. I have been seizure free for 15 years, off meds for a couple. I was curious about DOT rules for seizure disorders a while ago & went looking online. Here is a link to what I found;

http://www.mrb.fmcsa.dot.gov/

Basically, you can now apply for a waiver and get a medical card, and tomorrow the Medical Review Board will meet in SLC to disuss the matter further. It is my understanding that they will recommend new standards similar to those for diabetics.

I have a wonderful nuerologist who I believe will support me if I try for a waiver, but we decided to wait to see what the MRB says on Monday.

Here is another excellent resource;

http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/epilepsylegal/

Reply to me here if you want to talk about this more. I will be happy to share any information I have.

Wayne

Trpouble is I can not get mine under control no more than 6 months at a time. I have one med left to try Lyrica if it works like they say I will do great however I will not go on it till at least September for personal reasons. It causes birth defects from men and I want to make sure my last kid is healthy first then and only then will I go on it.

[LightsChromeHorsepower]

Ironeagle-

Good luck- my thoughts are with you.

I know I've been lucky- I had a great primary physician that referred me to a world-class nuerologist.

All I can say is, be strong, be patient.