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[Lee Douglas]

There's nothing like getting passed by a kite going the speed of smell!  

[Christian Tepfer]

Adam Whetham wrote on Wed, 18 August 2010 22:43

Jamin Lynch wrote on Wed, 18 August 2010 13:05 Do you really need to go that fast with a loaded 26ft truck? Let me know when you leave so I can stay off the roads that day.   65 would be killer for me also... I'd want to be going at least 70. Then again this is what the local interstates look like... Its normally never packed like I was in on the east coast (I don't miss that)

Speed limits for trucks seem to be very high in some states. There are longer distances to go there obviously.

In Germany for trucks (3.5 tonnes and more) we have a 80 km/h speed limit on the Autobahn and a 60km/h limit on other roads that are not going through towns or are otherwise limited.

So much for the "unlimited" German streets. We have some Autobahns that are unlimited for passenger cars and it scares me that small trucks can go 180 km/h and faster with over 4 tonnes (3.49 tonnes plus overload). There are some movements to limit small cars to 120 km/h (rental companies try that first to reduce insurance costs)

Once again, our speed limits for trucks
60 km/h = 37 mph
80 km/h = 50 mph (Autobahn)
89 km/h = 55 mph (real speed via speed limiters in the trucks)
I have seen some bigger trucks going a little faster but most of the limiters bite at 87/88/89 km/h. Depends on the tires and tire pressure when these limiters are adjusted

[James Feenstra]

89k/h is ridiculously slow!

i rarely see a truck going under 95-105 on a 400 series highway here

[Christian Tepfer]

I think safe speed depends on traffic density and our streets are packed mostly.

[David Buehler]

Our leased Freightliner M2 from Penske is goverened at 73mph but certainly can get faster on downhill runs. Since we are such a heavy user of the local penske office, we keep a running log of which trucks suck, are awesome and have high governers on them. I agree, if your a good enough business acocunt, the mainetence and rental guys will tell y ou all you want to know about the trucks at the local depot.

[Art Welter]

Joe Sawaya wrote on Wed, 18 August 2010 09:48

I'm helping a friend move across the continent in a few weeks and it looks like we're going to need a 26' rental truck. For the last ten years or so I've annually rented a commercial Ryder that will go about 64 mph top speed. That's fine for local travel. But driving 64 cross country seems like a looooooong time on the road. Does anyone have any experience with any of the major rental places offering top speeds higher than 64 mph? Seems like I've been passed by some rental trucks going 70 mph or better. Thanks, Joe

As Eric Hendricks said:
“If we assume 3000 miles at 64mph, that's 46.875 hours. 3000 miles at 70mph is 42.857 hours, a difference of 4 hours.”

Of course, if you could do 85 mph like the GMC Top Kicks could do in the 1980s, you could cut that to 35.29 hours as my brother and I proved in one trip when we only stopped for fuel .

That said, the extra top speed makes for a pretty substantial gas mileage hit- saving 4 hours time could cost around 10 % in MPG.

If you got 10 MPG, 3000 miles uses 300 gallons. Take 30 gallons x $2.75 = $82.50.
So you spend about $20 more per hour saved.

Art Welter

[John Roberts {JR}]

Christian Tepfer wrote on Wed, 18 August 2010 18:17

I think safe speed depends on traffic density and our streets are packed mostly.

With trucks it depends on a few more things (think mass time velocity squared).

There is an open discussion right now about allowing trucks (in US) to carry heavier loads (and more double trailers) to improve the driver cost vs load economics, but that will have an impact on braking distance and safety.

In general the big rig drivers I've seen are much better drivers than the cars around them, but there's always a few, out on the road so tired (or whatever) they give the rest a bad name.

JR

[dave tesch]

Adam Whetham wrote on Wed, 18 August 2010 15:43

Jamin Lynch wrote on Wed, 18 August 2010 13:05 Do you really need to go that fast with a loaded 26ft truck? Let me know when you leave so I can stay off the roads that day.   65 would be killer for me also... I'd want to be going at least 70. Then again this is what the local interstates look like... Its normally never packed like I was in on the east coast (I don't miss that)

that looks eerily familiar, almost like 76 miles south of there

[Jay Barracato]

I was driving what looks like that same stretch last year towing a rather large travel trailer. I was probably sitting fairly comfortably at 65-70. I was passed several times by a white passenger van (like a band or a small school athletic team would be in), that must have kept stopping. After the third or fourth time of being passed by the van going about 90, I came up on a traffic slowdown.

Once I worked my way through the traffic, sure enough, there was the same van upside down after rolling at least 6-7 times. You have to pray no one was seriously hurt, but it would be hard to imagine how.

Poor decisions on the road can lead to tragedy in a heartbeat, regardless of what is around you.

[Christian Tepfer]

John Roberts  {JR} wrote on Thu, 19 August 2010 01:44

Christian Tepfer wrote on Wed, 18 August 2010 18:17 I think safe speed depends on traffic density and our streets are packed mostly. With trucks it depends on a few more things (think mass time velocity squared). There is an open discussion right now about allowing trucks (in US) to carry heavier loads (and more double trailers) to improve the driver cost vs load economics, but that will have an impact on braking distance and safety. In general the big rig drivers I've seen are much better drivers than the cars around them, but there's always a few, out on the road so tired (or whatever) they give the rest a bad name. JR

I agree, the small truck's drivers are the biggest risk around. And the non frequent passenger car drivers. And the overworked "just-in-time" drivers that have to cheat when it comes to driving (working) time regulations. The system is quite strict but not so easily enforced. In theory a truck driver can not be tired. Well, the regulation can not force a driver to actually sleep or relax when he is having his breaks.
However, in dense traffic it is some risk having the trucks go 89km/h on the right lane and passenger cars going 150km/h or more on the left lane. When a truck overtakes another (elephant race) this is a recipe for trouble. Because of that we have some routes where trucks are not allowed to overtake other trucks. So stay on the right lane, drive in convoi and when the first truck only goes 86km/h every truck goes 86km/h until they are allowed to use the left (or middle) lane.
For time and cost efficiency it is important to keep the speed and use the breaks you must take for gas stops, relaxing and being concentrated for the next leg. No need to go faster. Well it would be expensive, too.