I work for TM (tight management) Logistics and were having our trucks turned down to 50 mph. I had mine done this week and today it added an extra 90 minutes onto my total journey time but its going to save the company fuel money because the management say so. I cant see it as the overtime and nights out are going to go up but what do I know. Its also bugered up my gearing as the truck hunts when in top gear so when it decides to breakdown or up thats another extra cost. This might sound bitter but on a serious note I almost got rear ended by 2 wagons on the motorway who obviously thought I was going a lot faster and had to pull out pretty quickly. Something else I noticed was going up hills took ages as I didnt have the extra few mph to pull me up and where I would have been in 10th gear it was dropping down to 8th so would surely use more fuel. Does anyone else run at this ■■■■ speed and if so how do you get on with it? Appologys to all that get stuck behind me in the slow lane.
a few year back a supermarket chain reduced the trucks to 52 mph and in six months the fuel bill when down by 3 million and the few was still going up on the pumps at the time
a company i used to work for on agency reckoned going down to 52 saved 3 grand a week on feul at that 1 depot alone!
SCANNYFROG:
the truck hunts when in top gear
Are there some modern trucks that cannot cruise at 50 in top gear on the flat/slight incline 
Our trucks are set at 52…well 52 on the speedo which is 50 in real terms (benefits of sat nav).
Although most of our other depots have gone back to 56 for some reason we have been left out!
Even Volvo have said that the difference between 52 & 56 is negligible in terms of fuel consumption. I’ve got used to it now, but it does make for some interesting overtaking moments.
I can’t understand that because surely the trucks are all running for longer to get to places. Also they are taking longer to get to drops, for example : (this is just made up), I used to run Liverpool to Manchester 3 times a day there and back. The places are only open between 8 and 4 for a delivery, 8 and 12 on a Friday. It takes me an hour to drive from one city to the other and 30 mins to tip. If I drive a truck that puts 10 or 15 mins on my journey then I end up missing the last tip which means the next day I miss loading the last load putting me one load down each 2 days, that might cost the firm £150 in lost revenue but at least they will have saved £50 in fuel costs.
SCANNYFROG:
I work for TM (tight management) Logistics and were having our trucks turned down to 50 mph. I had mine done this week and today it added an extra 90 minutes onto my total journey time but its going to save the company fuel money because the management say so. I cant see it as the overtime and nights out are going to go up but what do I know. Its also bugered up my gearing as the truck hunts when in top gear so when it decides to breakdown or up thats another extra cost. This might sound bitter but on a serious note I almost got rear ended by 2 wagons on the motorway who obviously thought I was going a lot faster and had to pull out pretty quickly. Something else I noticed was going up hills took ages as I didnt have the extra few mph to pull me up and where I would have been in 10th gear it was dropping down to 8th so would surely use more fuel. Does anyone else run at this [zb] speed and if so how do you get on with it? Appologys to all that get stuck behind me in the slow lane.
How can it have added 90 mins onto your day? if you’re sat at limiter all day (which i guess your not) and its now 6mph slower then at most not including traffic and stopping for breaks ect. it could be 60 mins, but i really cannot see how it can make 90 mins to your journey time, the maths just dosnt workout.
Am i missing somthing?
For an average LGV driver in the UK, how many hours per day is the truck at maximum limiter speed on a motorway
Someone ought to give these people a simple physics lesson… you burn more fuel when you accellerate 
ROG:
For an average LGV driver in the UK, how many hours per day is the truck at maximum limiter speed on a motorway
there a lot of variables there mate
traffic flow
weather
day or night
rush hour or not
accidents
i did night trunking for 18 months and going to the hub at start of shift my average speed on the motorway was 48mph but on the way back it went up to 52mph
i did some day work for a week and my average did not get up to 41mph during the day
Taking notice of the wind direction makes more difference, the only time backing off a few kims makes sense is when running smack into a head wind, when its behind me whether its nailed to the floor or pegged back the difference on the trip computer is negligible, dunno why we don’t have more wind socks alongside major roads like they do in france, then drivers could be drivers and make the decision themselves, rather than just be someone who points the truck in the right direction.
Good question, why do they have wind socks alongside M ways in france?.
This is not very scientific, just a simple thought. The faster you push a brick (drive a truck) it must increase drag or friction. Trucks are not very aerodynamic, and even if they are, a loose or flapping curtain, an open window or a large air gap between the container and the back of the cab will not improve fuel consumption. Spend a little longer tensioning the curtain, closing the gap and using the A/C
So if we could get from 0 - 56 instantly and drove for 9 hours we could be 504 miles from the depot. So that means at 52mph we would be only 468 miles away. If the delivery was situated between these two figures, then the run is planned too tight or probably not even planned, and anyone forced to drive on the limiter all day long will soon be talking to the company shrink about the voices in his head 
But I do believe by driving slower, we do save fuel, arrive feeling less stressed and causing less wear & tear. A typical passenger ferry will do an overnight crossing from Hull to Rotterdam in 13 or 14 hours, but if there is a problem they can cover the same distance in about 9 hours. They don’t, why? to save fuel!
Remember the speed limits in Europe are generally lower than the UK, and speeding fines are dished out regularly. the European limit is 80km/h - 50mph
Relax a bit, you have the best ever view from your office window, enjoy the changing scenery, and smile a bit more when you arrive at the customer 
leyland510:
Someone ought to give these people a simple physics lesson… you burn more fuel when you accellerate
How would the limiter setting make a difference to that?
Wheel Nut:
This is not very scientific, just a simple thought. The faster you push a brick (drive a truck) it must increase drag or friction. Trucks are not very aerodynamic, and even if they are, a loose or flapping curtain, an open window or a large air gap between the container and the back of the cab will not improve fuel consumption.
The IRTE commissioned a report about aerodynamic efficiently recently, I’ll dig it out. Trucks are designed to be aerodynamic to an extent, otherwise they wouldn’t have large spoilers and air scoops etc.
ROG:
How would the limiter setting make a difference to that?
Reducing the limiter speed won’t save fuel consumption in the long term. Automatic synchromesh gearboxes (such as the Volvo i-shift and ZF AStronic) give better fuel consumption even at 56 mph because the accelleration is carefully controlled to match the torque and road speed required.
To me, if a company has decidied to restrict their vehicles lower than 56 it shows that they’ve failed to invest in training to educate their drivers and not considered the additional costs which will result from this.
Hi i currently run 15 artics and as a small company the price of fuel is as we know it to much,and no the customer at pressent doesn’t and sometimes cant give anymore.I count myself lucky so far this year i’ve managed to keep all the trucks working and the drivers we have I,m very happy with,they work with me not against me.Work this year has been very hard to get and keep but we have managed just.I took a decision just before christmas to drop the speed on our trucks from 56 to 52.I didn’t do this to fill my pockets full of cash i did it to try and even the extra cost of fuel.I do drive the trucks most weekends to collect trailers for my drivers so they can have ther time off at weekends and while driving i noticed that on our scanias 420,470 and v8’s that at 52 they all sat bang in the middle of the green.I have been doing this for nearly 3 months now and we have on average saved £900 a week,the drivers have become ok with this because they understand that there is only so much we can absorbe as a company,And as for time lost it doesn’t make any differance and my trucks do high miles.
ONLY FOOLS RUSH TO STOP.
leyland510:
Wheel Nut:
This is not very scientific, just a simple thought. The faster you push a brick (drive a truck) it must increase drag or friction. Trucks are not very aerodynamic, and even if they are, a loose or flapping curtain, an open window or a large air gap between the container and the back of the cab will not improve fuel consumption.The IRTE commissioned a report about aerodynamic efficiently recently, I’ll dig it out. Trucks are designed to be aerodynamic to an extent, otherwise they wouldn’t have large spoilers and air scoops etc.
Any amount of large spoilers and air scoops wont help if the curtains are flapping and the tensioners not tightened, with the rib sided or open tipper, or the 9’6’’ container on a high skelly with a shallow pin being the worse.
I do take your point that in general the modern truck designs are becoming more aerodynamic, until someone fits 2 rows of spotlights on a bull bar or fits super single tyres on steering axles. But the teardrops being used on the parcels and the tapered side guards work as the cleaner appearance of the livery on trailers in bad weather shows.
When I had my own trucks I used to stay around the 50 - 52 mark and that made little difference to journey times but a big difference to fuel consumption. these were Volvo’s with the i-shift box.
We’ve got our motors restricted to 52. Don’t know what difference it makes to fuel but allegedly its a lot. All I know is at 52 you are on the top of the green band.
OK, I’ve dug out the article (Transport Engineer August 2009 pp21-25) on truck aerodynamics (I have a spare copy of the magazine if anyone is interested, let me know). CFD modelling is based on a ‘generic’ 4x2 tractor and 3-axle box trailer. The following two points are made which will increase fuel efficiency:
- Match roof spoiler height to trailer height (a spoiler set just 200 mm below the trailer will increase drag by 4.7%).
- Minimise cab gap by setting the fifth wheel correctly as this reduces the amount of airflow around the cab / trailer.
Modelling was done based on constant speed on a straight flat road with a transmission efficiency of 94%. Of course, there is the caveat applies that this does not apply to all types of truck and the savings may not be massive. But it doesn’t cost anything to do either. 
Scanny,
Which depot do you run out of?
All of ours at shobdon are being turned down to 52,the drivers aren’t happy,but i see it as more money in the pocket.
Cheers
Tonyb