Passing Gear, Passing Speed

There was a recent discussion about cruising speed and productivity. Old School commented that he cruises at 62 mph. That comment got me to rethinking my speed habits.

When I get in on discussions with other drivers from my company, I hear them say they would like the company to give them that extra passing speed. I think 3 mph is the standard amount. And I agree that it would come in handy in certain situations. So I decided to create my own passing speed. Our trucks can cruise at 68 and I usually set my cruise at 68. But what if I cruised at 65? Then I would have 3 mph to use as a homemade passing speed. I’ve been experimenting with this technique for several weeks now and the results are good so far. Number 1, my fuel economy has increased a little bit. Number 2, I get in far fewer passing situations. And when I do, I can use the extra 3 mph to get by other trucks quicker if I need to. It helps improve my ability to smooth the traffic flow around me. And I have to believe that I irritate other drivers much less. Increased safety is also a benefit.

As far as productivity, my miles have remained about the same. Maybe a few less per week, it’s hard to say exactly. But as Frank Sinatra said: “Regrets? I’ve had a few, but then too few to mention. “

What do the drivers here think about my new practice and its pros and cons?

Any MPH above 60 MPH, your MPG decreases by 1/10th. Running the cruise control does even more to actually decrease fuel economy in these big trucks. How? The computers are set to maintain the speed you select on cruise no matter what, at all costs. Any weight, any wind, hills, curves, hot, cold, etc. So the truck will pour in max fuel going up the hills, then suddenly decrease the input descending, constantly repeating this process. A smooth application by a driver's foot will beat this anytime, it just takes practice. On flat ground the cruise is great, but most areas of the country are not flat. In my driving, my monthly average speed for all miles is normally between 57.5 and 58.7 MPH, while my career MPG is at 8.7 MPG. That's on paper, not by the dash calculator or off any ELD reading. I watch my fuel pressure gauge, the boost gauge, the tachometer, and my ears more than anything.

The biggest factor in my productivity is how many days I take off. I spend more than half my time on state routes and the old US highways, many of which are two lane roads. Also most of my driving is done at night, which all those factors bring a lot of possible hazards into the picture. Most of the time although I'm at 65 on cruise and 62 on the pedal, I keep it on the pedal. It gives me more control, I can react quicker to a situation and I'm not going to be going too fast for conditions.

When I'm on the interstate , I'll put cruise on, but use the pedal too, as well as the pass smart function as needed. The adaptive cruise is horrible as is the shift points and programming as PackRat said. I don't do for fuel economy as much as it's supper annoying to have the truck cutting off throttle so badly that it takes everything it's got to get back up the next hill.

I've found that if I use the pass smart at the base of the hill, it negates the computer cutting throttle and coasting, it will let me carry gained momentum and gradually apply full throttle. We're only allowed 30 minutes per day of the pass smart, but if you use it for 30 seconds or less, it doesn't seem to count against your allotted time.