is it the industry standard?

[BigDuke]

does every company set their trucks at 62? does anyone's company truck go faster then 62?

[dobry4u]

does every company set their trucks at 62? does anyone's company truck go faster then 62?

Oh yeah, FED EX, UPS, and Conway blow my doors off every day

[jonp]

No its not industry standard. Some companies are at 65, some at 70. Mine is at 62. I think that as the fuel prices continue to stay high you will see more and more companies limiting the trucks as a way to hold the fuel costs down.

[dobry4u]

I am thinking JB Hunt and Schneider are at 60 now. I have passed them. It is an exciting thing for me and I get all happy about it!

.... but then.. after a couple of minutes of open road and only going 62, I am back to putzing mode

[mike3fan]

I am thinking JB Hunt and Schneider are at 60 now. I have passed them. It is an exciting thing for me and I get all happy about it!

.... but then.. after a couple of minutes of open road and only going 62, I am back to putzing mode

I set my cruise no faster than 62 everyday and my truck will do.......alot faster than that.

[dobry4u]

I set my cruise no faster than 62 everyday and my truck will do.......alot faster than that.

I hear you, Mike. I am not paying for the fuel and getting YEEEEUCK for CPM, so I get impatient. When a driver flies by me, I do need some cheese for my w(h)ine...

[mike3fan]

I hear you, Mike. I am not paying for the fuel and getting YEEEEUCK for CPM, so I get impatient. When a driver flies by me, I do need some cheese for my w(h)ine...

Yeah I would understand the frustration if getting paid by the mile and not being able to do the speed limit.

[jd112488]

if i ever got passed by a conway truck i would drive off the next bridge..how embarrassing.

[catalinaflyer]

My company truck is set at 64.6 and yeah there are a few times every week that I wish I had a little more such as trying to pass on a busy road. I regularly kick my cruise off to let someone get by who is also set at 65 because I don't need the extra 2 seconds at the end of the day nor is it safe to run side by side for extended periods of time. That being said I can count on one hand the number of drivers who have done the same for me.

I set my cruise at 64 - .6 under the limiter and it actually helps with the hills a little bit, the truck isn't cut off as soon as it starts to pull. I watch the "big trucks" blow by me all day long and often the same trucks will pass me half a dozen times. I will see the same "big trucks" day after day and even though they are running 70+ they aren't getting any further than I am when it's all said and done.

Now if I were only running out west with the higher limits and had day after day of 1000+ mile runs I might have a different opinion because it could actually make a difference at the end of the week but in truth I don't need the exra hour at the end of the day to blow my money in the game room at the truck stop or set at the counter and lie to all the other drivers about how much money I'm making or how much I got charged for a log violation or what rules are changing that I'm the only one who knows about. You get the picture. I walk through the truck stop every evening and every morning and see the same drivers setting at the poker machines, playing video games, setting at the counter in the restaurant and most of the time they look like they have been there all night. (And if you get next to them in line trying to pay for your fuel, they smell like it too)

I pull in, start my supper in the sleep, hop back into the seat and catch up on paperwork, take a long walk around the trailer and a good look at everything, head inside for a nature call and shower then back to the sleeper, eat supper, see if I can find anything on the TV, set the sleep timer for an hour and the alarm for 1 hour before I can start driving again then drift off to get my sleep. I wake an hour before I can start driving again, start a pot of coffee, hop out, brush my teeth, take another long walk around my trailer and check everything over once more before hitting the road, make a big cup of coffee, drink half of it then head inside for the usual nature call, head back out, get my log ready for the day while finishing the first cup of coffee and eating a bowl of raisin bran then make a second cup of coffee and pull out when my log says its time to go. Yes I will admit I'm a creature of habit but I love my sleep and if I get caught up in the socializing inside then all the sudden I've lost 2 to 3 hours of sleep. Those "big trucks" that passed me all day long the day before are usually still sitting there when I pull out and sometime in the first couple hours of driving they start blowing by me again and again and again.

Yes there are times when I wish I had a faster truck but hell I'm driving a brand new 389 extended hood Pete with a big sleeper so I guess driving slow means all the people blowing by me all day long get to admire my ride. As for making more money, I'll keep my $.44 per mile job and run 64 as opposed to one driver of ours who just quit to go somewhere where they had thier trucks set at 73 and paid .06 per mile less. He had it all figured out that he would make more money. I think his calculator needed new batteries.

[AC120]

Up until 1995 or 1996 (?), Swift's company trucks were set at . . . 57. Then they raised it to, I think, 62. Then 65. Now you're back down to 62. Ugh, but it's really all about money and fuel costs. I don't know how these speeds correlate with accident rates and overall safety. But . . . 57. Think of it.

[Orangetxguy]

does every company set their trucks at 62? does anyone's company truck go faster then 62?

My truck will knock the miles down at 85. I set the cruise at 64, because that gets me the best fuel mileage at 1400 rpms.

[Copperhead]

I set my cruise no faster than 62 everyday and my truck will do.......alot faster than that.

Ditto!!! I like the increased life on my tires, decreased maintenance costs, and not shoving so much $$ out the stack! But then, I am paying the bills. I can understand how company drivers are so desparate to boogy on down the road. But my net income goes up by running moderately. Company drivers are on a "fixed" rate and the only way they can improve their lot in life is to turn the truck faster.

Now.... if the companies could come up with a real incentive program for their drivers that would make them want to drive more moderate and still make a decent living, then everyone would win. I know... I am not living in reality!

[bandits44x]

my truck does 72....but i set the cruise at the speed limit. It not only saves the company money on fuel but i don't have to worry about tarnishing my record with speeding tickets. and with the way jobs are now you better keep your license clean. but i like having the extra speed if i need it

[wanderingson]

My truck will knock the miles down at 85.

So you've driven your truck at 85?

[Hawkjr]

Any Minute now Mike Hunt (if that's his real name) Will come in and say how much of a Scam it is...

But for My POV.. of course i drive the slowest of the slowest, if i could do 65 i wouldn't say much of anything.. Most of the LTL guys i talk to at night pulling pups tell me they only run 65.. so i wouldn't mind being able to keep up with them guys.. but its sucks going down interstates in NC and the Speed limit is 70 and u can only run 63/65 if u put your foot to the floor, but u get in trouble for Overspeed.. It's sucks but it is what it is..

[zipy46]

My ride will go 64 .....

[married to the road]

Now.... if the companies could come up with a real incentive program for their drivers that would make them want to drive more moderate and still make a decent living, then everyone would win. I know... I am not living in reality![/QUOTE]

My dad drove for Quality Carriers for a while and they used to let the drivers chose between having their truck set at 65 or 72, and the people who set it at 65 got a safety bonus of like a couple cpm. this is one of the best ideas i've heard. btw, most choose to forgo the bonus to do 72mph.

[jonp]

I drive for JB and mine is at 62 mph. I drove for Swift when it was 57. Took a long time to get anywhere. Its all about fuel economy. Some say they dont care because they dont pay for fuel, the company does. Hate to break it to you but if your companies fuel costs are high they will cut down on bonuses, benefits and pay increases to offset the cost.

[dobry4u]

I drive for JB and mine is at 62 mph. I drove for Swift when it was 57. Took a long time to get anywhere. Its all about fuel economy. Some say they dont care because they dont pay for fuel, the company does. Hate to break it to you but if your companies fuel costs are high they will cut down on bonuses, benefits and pay increases to offset the cost.

Bonuses????
Benefits????
my current cpm can't get any smaller


besides, faster mph would give me longer to sit at the T/S waiting for the next load assignment...... that is coming.... some day (sigh)

[Fredog]

I get passed by jb and swift everyday, I set my cruise on 67 and as soon as the speed limit drops to 45, or even 30, I slow down and heeeeeeeeere they come at 62 mph, then when it goes back to 70 I pass them again..