I usually cruise on motorways at 82k/51mph even though our fleet are limited to 85/53. I find that having a little in reserve is handy for passing other vehicles which are running just slower than I am, getting past and back in without the 5 mile elephant race. In the course of a day the difference is minutes on a run and I find it far less stressful than being forever on the limiter. My fuel economy figures are nearly always in top 5% and can’t remember that last time i was below the economy target.
I tend to run on the limiter, working nights as I do, but I always back off a bit if someone is creeping past me and there’s no one behind. I wish a few more would do this …
My limiter is set slow anyway, it reads 90 but everyone comes past me except Tesco, TK Maxx, Knowhow and other 48mph merchants.
Limited to 90k (aren’t all rigid tippers?) but I set the cruise between 80 and 85kmh. Single c/ways it’s 70-75kmh (much better on fuel than 65). We’re paid a fuel bonus, well the Scania P360s are, the MAN TGS 35400s aren’t as they’re autos and thirsty as hell. I get the best mpg figures out of the MAN drivers apparently but the bonus threshold is 7.0 and I come in just below. I averaged 6.99 last week, annoyed that I wasn’t given it for the sake of 0.01. If I hadn’t worked the Saturday then I’dve been on 7.1.
I ran on the limiter in a Stobrat Volvo FH, great truck - if you want to get past someone doing an inch an hour more than you, wait for a hill, the free wheel down the hill is a great feature. Im sure Merc brought this in on the new craptross too
Wiretwister:
I usually cruise on motorways at 82k/51mph even though our fleet are limited to 85/53. I find that having a little in reserve is handy for passing other vehicles which are running just slower than I am, getting past and back in without the 5 mile elephant race. In the course of a day the difference is minutes on a run and I find it far less stressful than being forever on the limiter. My fuel economy figures are nearly always in top 5% and can’t remember that last time i was below the economy target.
So who runs on or off the limiter?
Flat out on limiter,if I go slower I get more trucks passing me,then pull in before I’m comfortable=more stress. I go with the flow.
jackslad:
Flat out on limiter,if I go slower I get more trucks passing me…
What do you do when you come up behind someone doing half an inch an hour slower than you then? Eight mile elephant race? Bit amateurish, don’t you think?
Rhythm Thief:
I tend to run on the limiter, working nights as I do, but I always back off a bit if someone is creeping past me and there’s no one behind. I wish a few more would do this …
My limiter is set slow anyway, it reads 90 but everyone comes past me except Tesco, TK Maxx, Knowhow and other 48mph merchants.
TK MAXX aren’t limited to that speed up here. The silver FMs do 56 although they share a site with M&S who are limited to 52. Units can by used on either contract
Wiretwister:
I usually cruise on motorways at 82k/51mph even though our fleet are limited to 85/53. I find that having a little in reserve is handy for passing other vehicles which are running just slower than I am, getting past and back in without the 5 mile elephant race. In the course of a day the difference is minutes on a run and I find it far less stressful than being forever on the limiter. My fuel economy figures are nearly always in top 5% and can’t remember that last time i was below the economy target.
Limited to 90 usually but I now set the CC at 78 since I got a NIP 2 weeks ago from Notts police. Average Speed Camera caught me doing 59 in the 50 roadworks at the bottom of the bank. I was tired and hadn’t notice the truck had gained speed going downhill. I use the exhaust brakes on all downhill sections now
What do you do when you come up behind someone doing half an inch an hour slower than you then? Eight mile elephant race? Bit amateurish, don’t you think?
I know this wasn’t aimed at me but I’ll respond -
If on a motorway, I’m more than happy to overtake somebody with an ‘eight mile elephant race’ because despite the highway code, most truckers seem to see logic and apply the unwritten rule of backing off a little to let somebody past. If they don’t, I consider THEM to be the amateurs.
Before I get flamed, here’s the reason…
If the overtaking truck remains behind the marginally slower truck, HE has to back off slightly, maybe for HOURS.
Yet, the truck being overtaken has to back off only for SECONDS to let the marginally faster truck past.
What annoys me as well is that for a couple of miles I’ll be making good progress catching up to somebody, then suddenly for some ‘strange’ reason when I reach them and pull out to overtake, my rate of closure drops off rapidly, despite still running on the limiter. Funny that, isn’t it
Javiatrix:
If on a motorway, I’m more than happy to overtake somebody with an ‘eight mile elephant race’ because despite the highway code, most truckers seem to see logic and apply the unwritten rule of backing off a little to let somebody past. If they don’t, I consider THEM to be the amateurs.
Up to about 15 yrs ago nearly ALL truckers would do this when you overtook them, because at that time the “amateurs” were in the minority, where as now unfortunately it appears that there are more of them and less of us …just an observation.
Javiatrix:
If on a motorway, I’m more than happy to overtake somebody with an ‘eight mile elephant race’ because despite the highway code, most truckers seem to see logic and apply the unwritten rule of backing off a little to let somebody past. If they don’t, I consider THEM to be the amateurs.
Up to about 15 yrs ago nearly ALL truckers would do this when you overtook them, because at that time the “amateurs” were in the minority, where as now unfortunately it appears that there are more of them and less of us …just an observation.
