Swift Speeding The Trucks Up!!

I'm assuming the other Swift drivers here just got that message as well? I have to say this is a policy change that I'm pretty pumped on and was not expecting at all lol. 65 mph here we come!

Chris, I'm just curious, and not being snarky, but how quickly will it be until you are thinking that you still need more speed? I mean you're only getting bumped up a fraction.

I have never had a problem with the speed that I am limited at. I have a recruiter that is always trying to sell me on the idea that I could drive up to 75 miles per hour at their company. It baffles them when they realize that it has absolutely no appeal to me.

I would love to hear a discussion of how you Swiftys might think that bump is actually going to help you make more money, or be more safe, or whatever it is that you think about it that makes it advantageous

Considering the type of driving I do, doubtful it will significantly help me. I do however want to emphasize with even a 3 mph bump in top speed, space management must always be the highest safety priority and becomes that much more critical. Also keep in mind, the 68 mph over-speed I believe is still in effect, very easy to go past that ceiling when cruising at 65 under a load descending a grade. In seconds 70+ is likely. It's also possible the over-speed penalty will be more severe...

Do I believe there is a positive? Perhaps but I defer to the element of time to provide tangible proof.

Safety first.

Well this was actually supposed to be more of a light-hearted/informational post but I can take that aspect out and talk specifics.

This is not the same as leaving one company with 62 mph trucks, and going to a company with 65 mph trucks.

When all things are kept the same, as it appears in this instance, this does give an OTR driver a higher earning potential. When you have a limited speed you can go, with a limited amount of time to run the maximum miles possible, if you increase either of those limits, you now have an increase in earning potential. That's just straight mathematics.

So, as a driver who in my own opinion, uses the tools provided to maximize my income in a safe manner, I do feel excited that I now have the ability to increase my income by approximately 5%, based on my performance. That is what my excitement boils down to.

I do however want to emphasize with even a 3 mph bump in top speed, space management must always be the highest safety priority and becomes that much more critical

That really is a big deal right there. You're going to notice that you're catching a lot more cars and trucks than you used to which means you're going to be changing lanes more often, managing following distance more closely, and spending more time in the hammer lane drag racing other trucks.

It's actually going to be far less relaxing than going 62 mph was and unfortunately it's not going to help you make better time. You're not going to average 3 mph more all day long than you were before. You're going to have to get on the brakes while you're waiting for a chance to get in the hammer lane, you're still going to be going the same speeds in heavier traffic, and you're not going to be going any faster up the hills than you were before.

So all it really amounts to is a little more stress, closer managing of following distance, and more changing lanes.

I don't know if they give fuel bonuses or not, but if so you'll be watching that more closely also.

I wish the news was better. I really do.

this does give an OTR driver a higher earning potential.

Can you think of one time so far in your career where you lost money because of a difference of 10 minutes that you couldn't have made up some other way with better time management? No.

So, as a driver who in my own opinion, uses the tools provided to maximize my income in a safe manner, I do feel excited that I now have the ability to increase my income by approximately 5%, based on my performance. That is what my excitement boils down to.

That's just straight mathematics.

As someone who was doing college calculus at 15 years old I can tell you that the words "negligible difference" immediately come to mind.

Remember, you're not getting paid by the miles per hour, you're getting paid by the mile. You're still going to turn the same number of miles in a day. That 3 mph difference is absolutely not going to make you more money than you were making before.

Negligible Difference.

I will say this. The Winter Olympics is coming up. If you could make a 3 mph improvement on skis or in a bobsled you'd go from a complete unknown to a world champion! So all hope is not lost. I recommend taking up skiing or bobsledding.

Note: I live just a short drive from Lake Placid. I can ask some of the bobsledders and skiers if they're having tryouts. Maybe I can grab you a pamphlet???

That's just straight mathematics.

I'm sorry Chris, but that is not very convincing. There's no way that bump is going to increase your income by 5%.

I could list a multitude of ways that a professional driver could increase their income, but none of them would have anything to do with a 3 mph bump in their truck's governor.

OK let me try this another way. As an OTR driver for Swift, I have a high percentage of drop and hook loads. That means loads that have delivery and pickup "windows" of time. If I have an 800 mile load, I have a load that cannot be completed in a single driving shift. But, what I do have is the potential for driving an extra 30 miles on the first day of that load. This gives me the potential of making that delivery 30 minutes sooner, then in turn, the next pickup 30 minutes sooner than I would have, and then do it again on the next load. Again, potential. There are zero people on this forum that would argue against their employer opening up their regulations to give them the potential room to earn more miles per day. That is literally all I'm saying.

While this may not drastically increase a swift driver's earning potential I'm still happy about it for a different reason. While I was out there training I got the impression that the other drivers from different companies were hell bent on not getting stuck behind a slow swift truck. So a few extra mph might mean a little peace of mind. If I don't have to spend all day with every vehicle on the road aggressively trying to pass me I'll take it.