Trucks MPH And Money.

Lots of companies have speed governs on there trucks, some as low as 60MPH and some companies have none. There are a few post about this but they mainly say it is for safety and fuel economy. What about how this factors into my pay check and sleep hours? What I mean is.... say I am driving night shift on a big, open, stright highway with almost zero traffic. Speed limit is 70 MPH, some guy is a rebel and feels it is safe to do 75. Lets be conservative and call it 10MPH faster than a truck governed at 60. Very plausible that truck "A" could drive 80-100 miles further in a day than truck "B" give or take. Or he could arrive at the truck stop an hour earlier, eatten, showered, and been asleep while the slower guy is just pulling in and they drove the same amount of miles made the same paycheck but one guy got an extra hour of self time.

Yes I know parts of the country and during the day this does not matter. But there are parts of the country at night where this could be a huge factor. I was driving in the North East in my personal car at 1am and was do 75 and getting passed by trucks. Yes not safe but they at going to be getting a fatter paycheck and more sleep that the guy stuck in the 60MPH truck.

The reason I am asking is that I am looking at companies to apply to and wondering where this is on you list of make it or break list on who to work for? I like APU's and not 60mph, eveyone has there prefecances what are your thoughts?

P.S. I do not advocate speeding or unsafe driving, I am speaking about highways that are legally marked 70mph +

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

APU's:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Stop over thinking everything. There is so much for you to learn just to drive the truck.

and to answer your question... No. Im governed at 62mph and usually lock in at 60. I make plenty of money and spoil myself rotten with hotel rooms, good dining and tourist attractions. Plus i get fuel bonuses... my highest fuel bonus in ONE week was $250. so figure just by driving 60mph, im 500 miles ahead pay wise.

So you think it is safer for a new guy to drive 75mph cause one idiot on the road isnt bad enough?

sorry.. couldnt help it.

What about how this factors into my pay check and sleep hours?

Productivity in a driver is critical to their success. But, the speed of the truck has little or nothing to do with that. I am regularly the top producer in my fleet, sometimes 2,500 - 3,000 miles per month ahead of the others. My truck is governed at 62 miles per hour and I'm consistently busting the 3,000 mile range on a weekly basis.

There's no reason to concern yourself with this. I understand it seems counterproductive to you, and it seems that way to most newbies. Take a look at these articles and try to wrap your mind around the concepts in them. I'm hoping you'll understand the secrets for success after reading them.

What It Takes To Be A Top Tier Driver

Show Me The Money!

Stop over thinking everything. There is so much for you to learn just to drive the truck.

and to answer your question... No. Im governed at 62mph and usually lock in at 60. I make plenty of money and spoil myself rotten with hotel rooms, good dining and tourist attractions. Plus i get fuel bonuses... my highest fuel bonus in ONE week was $250. so figure just by driving 60mph, im 500 miles ahead pay wise.

So you think it is safer for a new guy to drive 75mph cause one idiot on the road isnt bad enough?

sorry.. couldnt help it.

$250 fuel bonus now you have my attention! I will have to read up on fuel bonuses and how those work. Yes I do tend to over think things, but I do think there are things between companys that can make or break it for some people. Some people its transmitions and APU's others it is pet, rider policys and areas . Thanks guys!

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

APU's:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

I agree completely with Rainy and Old School.

At this stage of your journey; a governed truck speed shouldn’t enter any of your thoughts. It’s noise you’d be better off, “tuning out”.

About a year ago Swift raised their governed “cruise-control” speed from 62 to 65. On the pedal is 62mph.

Since then, it’s had no effect on my productivity or my attitude towards governed speed. I set my speed on cruise at 63. This way if I am approaching a slower vehicle, I’ve got some headroom necessary to complete the pass with less chance of getting into a stalemate with the other vehicle, obstructing two lanes of traffic. Although this may seem insignificant; if a Trooper observes this, they can write a ticket.

The paradigm shift you’ve yet to understand, we can’t drive these behemoths as you would a car or light pickup truck. You’ll get this soon enough.

Good luck!

Will it matter what your paycheck is if you’re in a ditch or kill someone?

My truck is governed at 67 and there are plenty of times I don’t feel safe at that speed. Even on interstates marked 70mph.

Like Rainy says, don’t overthink it.

First, you are correct, there are many things to consider when choosing a company and how fast the truck goes doesn't matter. Most companies dispatch at around 50 mph. That gives you plenty of time to get there. There is traffic or construction everywhere. When I was in school one of my trainers shared a story. He started his day and while driving in his governed truck a bright yellow truck blows by him. A few hours later, same truck blows by him again. This happens a couple of more times. When he was pulling off the exit to park for the night that yellow truck was right behind him. There are so many variables between point A and B that will make a difference in how fast you get there. Good luck.

We are governed at 68. But I usually cruise along at 63 to 65 mph. The extra speed is nice, when I need to pass rainy and her prime minions.

You will find, that a lot of times, the same truck will pass you several times. Meanwhile you are cruising along, enjoying the sites, relaxed, and in control. There is a fuel savings /cost equation in that scenario too.

Old School-

Thanks for the two blogs about What it takes to be a top tier driver, and Show me the Money. They were very enlightening. My chance to get back into this industry has been enhanced since stumbling on to TT and the vast knowledge of the experienced drivers here. So thanks for you time to put these out there.

Didn't mean to high jack Pennywise's thread, but reading yours, Rainy's and G-town's responses to the governed trucks always makes me think there is some common sense here. When I drove before I would see trucks flying by me all the time (we were governed at 57 mph, California having a 55 mph speed for trucks.) I still made my deliveries on time.

Heres an article i wrote

The Need for Speed Can Hurt You