The Road Less Traveled; Governed Truck Speed

As a follow up to Brett's e-mail about traveling and sight seeing as a trucker, how often do you plan routes that take sides road and avoid the Interstate to get a difference flavor for the same route, enjoy the scenery, stop at certain sights, or avoid the Interstate traffic?

In addition to Brett's e-mail, my drive Wednesday from St. Louis to Springfield got me thinking about this. I limited myself to 62 mph (Prime's governed speed) and learned that managing traffic is whole different ballgame if you can't go above 62. I also realized that you don't get a whole lot of benefit of the Interstate speed limit if you are limited to 8 miles below the posted speed limit.

Also, are there specific roads that are you favorites?

I know G-Town likes the roads in the Northeast.

I know a lot of people complain about the 62 mpg speed govern on some companies, I personally rather enjoy it. It helps me to have good fuel milage for the my company and since I am going slower then traffic most of the time all the accidents tend to happen somewhere else and then I go by them. It's also a bit harder to have an accident going too fast around a turn when you're 8 under the speed limit. I know to some it just seems so slow, me personally I prefer to look at the positive side of things. I've got a higher chance of making it to that truck stop at night in once piece since I don't have to slam on the breaks to go around curves and then jam on the gas to get back up to speed again afterwards. I just cruise along, watch my mirrors and pull in to park safe at sound at the end of the day.

62, really, ☹😦🙃😕🤐

Great topic! Today I went down I75, south through Kentucky and Tennessee While it’s not a two laner, it’s a beautiful drive especially this time of year. Thousands of Redbuds in bloom. We run at 63 max, so it was like a leisurely Sunday drive. Trees getting their leaves, wow it was great.

Hwy 20 just north of I80 in Indiana is a nice slow drive especially if you like seeing the Amish buggies out in force or you want to collect horse apples from the side of the road

I limited myself to 62 mph (Prime's governed speed)

I've always heard that, but I've been passed by Prime trucks, and I can go 63.

Prime lease ops go 65, but quite a few alter their trucks unbeknownst to prime and in violation of their contract.

Of course I wrote an article...

The Need For Speed Can Hurt You

Prime lease ops go 65, but quite a few alter their trucks unbeknownst to prime and in violation of their contract.

Of course I wrote an article...

The Need For Speed Can Hurt You

That is so incredibly stupid. Don't they realize that if they were to get into an accident they take all the liability upon themselves?

Prime lease ops go 65, but quite a few alter their trucks unbeknownst to prime and in violation of their contract.

Of course I wrote an article...

The Need For Speed Can Hurt You

That is so incredibly stupid. Don't they realize that if they were to get into an accident they take all the liability upon themselves?

There is only liability if they can find the black boxes after the crash.

62? Slow down there Speed Racer. Lol! I've been doing 58 in my trainer's truck to save him money on fuel. I've only been driving at night so traffic isn't really an issue yet.

At US Xpress I was governed at 68 and I'd slow down for curvey areas on the highways that cautioned 65 or 60, etc. Funny thing is I still let off the accelerator when I see those signs, out of habit, when I'm only going 58.

A great stretch of road is coming up from Las Vegas through Utah and into Colorado. Really scenic and enough curves to keep you alert.

RD, are you doing that route at night? Both Jamie and I want to drive in the west. If I was out there, I’d want to see the scenery.

Don’t take that wrong. Jamie and I have never met.