The Americans are becoming more and more legislative against their truck drivers.
Just google “E Logs” or look up how often they have to pull into weighbridge areas when they cross state lines.
They don’t have speed limiters yet…But give it time. They appear to have camaraderie and unions so they’ll resist effective speed limiters longer than the UK where drivers only look out for themselves.
True we don’t have speed limiters as such but companies set the speed with the truck computer. Ours were set at 65 MPH but when the speed limit went up to 75 MPH our esteemed company left ours at 65.
The hours of service didn’t change with ELD’s, just the way of recording them is electronically now so no liar sheets. There are weigh stations in every state but most are drive through, you drive over little scales about 10 MPH as you go in and if your weights are ok you carry on your merry way. That is unless they want to check your ELD but some stations now have the technology to read your ELD while your moving.
Franglais:
Accidents rates: Road Deaths per 100,000 people.
Vietnam: 24
USA: 12
UK: 3
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_c … death_rate
Road deaths involving trucks per freight journey and tonne/mile moved pre double nickel v post and Europe as a whole v US ?.Assuming we’re making the case that 65mph + truck speeds are more dangerous than 55 mph max.
remy:
True we don’t have speed limiters as such but companies set the speed with the truck computer. Ours were set at 65 MPH but when the speed limit went up to 75 MPH our esteemed company left ours at 65.The hours of service didn’t change with ELD’s, just the way of recording them is electronically now so no liar sheets. There are weigh stations in every state but most are drive through, you drive over little scales about 10 MPH as you go in and if your weights are ok you carry on your merry way. That is unless they want to check your ELD but some stations now have the technology to read your ELD while your moving.
E logs and assuming the speed is set by programming the Engine management system that’s a s close to the Euro situation as makes no difference.With the exception of the actual speed limit.The downsides of E logs like tachos ( meaning that the employer can enforce a break and daily rest regime whereas with log books he can’t and no flexibility to find decent parking ) outweigh any upsides because the criminals will still always be criminals.
Look on the bright side lifting the limit for some to 75 mph and holding anyone wanting to run slower down to 65 mph obviously helps to prevent elephant racing.
Are US hauliers installing inward facing cameras? If so, is it as prevalent as the UK?
ezydriver:
Are US hauliers installing inward facing cameras? If so, is it as prevalent as the UK?
Dont know how prevalent cameras are in UK but it is gaining popularity with the larger carriers, not common by any means but its there.
I drive here all day and it’s very rare to see a truck sustaining 80 mph but the roads are so different to Europe there is no comparison. West of the Mississippi river it would be no problem to hold 75 for 8 hours, ( have to have 30 min break after 8 hours) .
Any truck driving in Quebec or Ontario has to have a speed limiter set at 105 kph ( 65 mph) and that’s where most are geared to, as has been mentioned fuel economy must rise at higher speeds. I understand under 55 aerodynamics have no real effect but as speed rises over that the curve goes up steeply. That’s why you dont see the long nose trucks much anymore unless they’re in a field where fuel mileage doesn’t really count anyway. My truck is more affected by the wind than the load weight so I am a convert to aerodynamics as I pay for my own fuel!
My truck is limited to 105 and this is a pic of my elog for the last week. As you can see it is normal to average a decent mileage. This log runs from Toronto to Chicago to Edmonton to Wisconsin so few big towns to add delays.
For info my load was very light at 1.5 tons going out but very windy in my face all the way while coming back I was maxed out on weight but a fair wind and my mpg for the round trip was 6.77 mpg (US mpg) which is not bad for the outdoor temperatures and winter fuel blend.
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FFS don’t get pulled , not one 15 minute pre trip to be seen ?
Carryfast:
Franglais:
Accidents rates: Road Deaths per 100,000 people.
Vietnam: 24
USA: 12
UK: 3
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_c … death_rateRoad deaths involving trucks per freight journey and tonne/mile moved pre double nickel v post and Europe as a whole v US ?.Assuming we’re making the case that 65mph + truck speeds are more dangerous than 55 mph max.
Are what?
I’d like to know too.
Tude:
I have had time in the USA this last few days and the speeds of the trucks over there has been astonishing, but at the same time completely safe in my opinion.
I had my cruise set at 80 MPH and still had heavies come past me, one of them had three trailers onNow they can get a bit of a weave on going around a bend downhill, but largely it is not a problem and obviously they can average far more miles that we could ever wish to in Europe.
So, it got me thinking…I have been to China a few times in recent years and I would say that the USA is more regulated than China in many respects and the people have fewer freedoms, but then when you look at this and look at how we do it…It is more than worrying that we are more regulated and prohibited in what we can do compared to these two countries!!!
We are truly regulated and confined in regulation to the extent that once you have ventured outside of the EU, you truly realise just how much we are suffocated by legislation and bureacracy big time…It ain`t even funny.
EU is worse than communist China and the Trump led US of [zb] A!
In a word, we are totally forked.
Things are not quiet as they appear as I discovered first hand over there a few years back.
Speed limits are generally 65 to 75 in most states with some more densely populated states and California operating at 55 mph. Pay is generally per mile for drivers with a significant fuel bonus for company drivers so going flat out can be expensive for most.
The only impressive thing about their conventionals was how stable they were at high speed and how easy it was to take them through the eye of a needle flat out.
I guess that was because you were sat low and close to the centreline of the truck. The cabs are very small and narrow so it’s like being sat in a Transit van. Then they simply bolt on a usually decent sleeper pod at the back of the day cab for the trampers.
The biggest problem is the brakes on the US wagons were useless, you had a better chance of stopping a supertanker on time.
What very few realise is those big flash looking US wagons are limited to 36.3 tonnes max 
regardless of whether it is a single, double or triple trailer so EU wagons are far mor productive.
Some individual states allow higher weights provided you remain within that state and don’t use interstate highways.
No overall length requirement but max trailer length is 53 feet (16.2 m) and max weight is always 80,000 lbs (36.3t) and the driver has to be real careful to sort out the individual axle weights at a nearby scales before he hits the long road or he will have serious fines coming his way.
The US limits iirc are based on the bridge laws used to design the Interstate Highway system in late 50’s and 60’s. Federal highways are the ones that the Washington (Federal) Government gave financial aid to the State governments to build the countries main arteries.
My understanding was that all bridges had to be capable of a particular maximum weight on any single bridge span at any one time. That is why the axles have to be so far apart with maximum axle limits to limit the max weight on any single span at a time and of course the overall limit of 36.3t.
When it comes to legislation big business is very well looked after. Almost all the fines are for the driver rather that the company.
Being paid by the mile, Post Office mile at that, to go coast to coast in the winter ice and snow could take 3 or 4 times as long but you are only paid by the mile so you are loosing money big time. Of course driving for days at 25 mph blows your fuel bonus out the window to add insult to injury.
I found the country to be massive and relatively boring by comparison to European work. The trucks were fast but years behind European trucks in performance and comfort. Even the mirrors were too narrow to shave yourself with in the early 90’s and weren’t even heated and the back of your trailer was about 3 miles away. 
Mind you the trucks had some very clever ideas from the company’s perspective but still very basic from a drivers standpoint.
It was a poor to average paying job for the hours worked in my experience with a descent sized interstate firm with serious supervision/harassment from law enforcement if on long distance work.
Some super truck stops in the US though but give me the European legislation over the US legislation any day.
flat to the mat:
FFS don’t get pulled , not one 15 minute pre trip to be seen ?
There is no time limit to a pretrip, just a requirement to perform one. On paper sure you can only log 15 minute slots but this logs by the second so usually less sometimes more.
Like most owners my truck is maintained to a higher standard than usual for fleet trucks and equipment failure costs me more than money.
I’ve had my share of inspections with no problems, and if theres no problems my checks were obviously sufficient, if there is an issue then it wasnt good enough no matter how long it was. Works for me, if you do it differently good for you.
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My mates just done 2100 miles in 3 days and that’s with chaining up for the snow he only has 460hp
When I was in the USA in 2018 I drove through Tennessee. Mississippi and Louisiana and I set my car speed limiter at 60 mph as I wasn’t in any great hurry to get anywhere. Trucks did overtake me on the interstates but not one of them was doing anywhere near 80 mph. Such were the traffic conditions that you could actually cover 60 miles in the hour. I talked to several truck drivers at rest areas, all very helpful and interesting, but they were becoming more regulated. I expected them to be on much better wages than UK drivers but there wasn’t a great deal of difference between what they told me they were earning and the top earners at my depot in Manchester. The US drivers take home more money because of lower tax etc than us in the UK.
wire:
01
No problem cruising at high speed in the Western states to be fair.
There was a time when the verges would have been littered with 55 mph signs with bullet holes shot through them. 
I’m actually fine with the UK speed for HGV’s. Infact I’d be happy for it to drop down to 50mph.
But I am used to it as I have mainly worked for supermarkets the last few years.
Also the difference in our trucks our huge.
For example on some sections of the M20 when I’m fully loaded I am struggling to achieve 30mph due to it being slightly uphill.
Which is crazy seeing as how its only slightly uphill our trucks are completely gutless.
But we dont need the power and we do not need the speed we are only on a small island.
It makes sense for America because some of their runs are 3000 miles.
I suspect most long haul drivers in the uk barely cover 300 in a day.
The faster speed makes a huge difference in delivery times for American trucks but for us the difference would be minimal.
For example to do 300 miles at 70mph would take you about 4 hours 20mins (probably more like 5 hours with minimal traffic and no stops though)
At 50mph it would take you 6 hours. (So not a huge saving)
adam277:
For example to do 300 miles at 70mph would take you about 4 hours 20mins (probably more like 5 hours with minimal traffic and no stops though)
At 50mph it would take you 6 hours. (So not a huge saving)
The ‘difference’ even between 60-65 mph v 56 mph actually means being able to do around 400-500 mile run in one shift as opposed to not being able to.So the difference between a viable trunk run job or no job.
On my trips to the US I can remember the speed of the trucks - and also the tyre carcasses littering the verge
Socketset:
On my trips to the US I can remember the speed of the trucks - and also the tyre carcasses littering the verge
Tyres blowing goes with the territory of high speeds and high Summer temperatures.
Carryfast:
adam277:
For example to do 300 miles at 70mph would take you about 4 hours 20mins (probably more like 5 hours with minimal traffic and no stops though)
At 50mph it would take you 6 hours. (So not a huge saving)The ‘difference’ even between 60-65 mph v 56 mph actually means being able to do around 400-500 mile run in one shift as opposed to not being able to.So the difference between a viable trunk run job or no job.
Most trunking firms this is not a issue.
Due to being based in the midlands. I dont deny that there will be benefits to being about to do that speed but it’s not really massive compared to the states.
In which being able to average an extra 10-20mph can shave a few days off of a run.
adam277:
Carryfast:
adam277:
For example to do 300 miles at 70mph would take you about 4 hours 20mins (probably more like 5 hours with minimal traffic and no stops though)
At 50mph it would take you 6 hours. (So not a huge saving)The ‘difference’ even between 60-65 mph v 56 mph actually means being able to do around 400-500 mile run in one shift as opposed to not being able to.So the difference between a viable trunk run job or no job.
Most trunking firms this is not a issue.
Due to being based in the midlands. I dont deny that there will be benefits to being about to do that speed but it’s not really massive compared to the states.
In which being able to average an extra 10-20mph can shave a few days off of a run.
How does being based in the Midlands get two return runs from London to Bristol or London - Leeds or Manchester - London,or London-Charnock or Killington Scottish changeover, done easily in a shift if at all ?.
As for the states the comparison is just the same because it’s all about maximising the tonne/mile figure that can be completed in a shift.Whether it’s 400-500 miles in the UK.Or 500-700 miles in the States.The latter being a combination of longer driving time and higher speeds.While the effective reduction to 50-55 mph here has just resulted in hub systems which mean under employed drivers or drivers doing less driving and filling their time with warehouse labouring duties during hub trans shipment operations.
