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Somebody is “Feelin Purty Good” today!
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A.I. is going off the rails.
I asked one of the leading providers for "price of crude oil today".
It quoted 31 cents.
Per pint.
Was it my bad to think A.I. would talk in terms of barrels?
Works out to $104.16 / bbl
I don't know if you can reason with A.I.
Do you think the reason it quoted prices per pints had something to do with St. Patrick's Day being in A.I.'s collective recent memory?
I asked one of the leading providers for "price of crude oil today".
It quoted 31 cents.
Per pint.
Was it my bad to think A.I. would talk in terms of barrels?
Works out to $104.16 / bbl
I don't know if you can reason with A.I.
Do you think the reason it quoted prices per pints had something to do with St. Patrick's Day being in A.I.'s collective recent memory?
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I find it interesting that despite people driving 70-90mph on major highways most of the time, there seem to be fewer accidents than decades ago when the limit was 55mph (and people were driving 60-65). I guess it's the better vehicles?
I do a 1200M round trip about every month, 500 miles to Oregon and 500 miles back, on I-5 and US-97. Plus some running around while I'm there. I haven't seen a major wreck in years.
On I-5, I'm passed by cars going over 100mph fairly often. I go about 70-75.
I do a 1200M round trip about every month, 500 miles to Oregon and 500 miles back, on I-5 and US-97. Plus some running around while I'm there. I haven't seen a major wreck in years.
On I-5, I'm passed by cars going over 100mph fairly often. I go about 70-75.
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Thanks for politely saying I am WRONG.Yet thousands of fleet vehicles are GOVERNED to 55 MPH.
Yet they survive. Weird.
And in a HYBRID 15 mph will save you more gas than 25 MPH. In gasoline only the max fuel economy is about 35 to 40 mph in vehicles not aerodynamic, and a bit higher, 45 to 50 mph in very aerodynamic vehicles.
EDIT: To follow your line of reasoning which would you prefer to rear end your Maverick? A semi going 55 or a Civic going 70? Mass kills.
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The TRUTH is:
Number of DEATHS is down a modest 10% since 1990.
Total number of CRASHES is up since 1990.
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Many state laws have a similar statement to this:
"No person shall drive upon a highway at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation, because of a grade, or compliance with the law."
My dad once got a ticket for driving too slow on the interstate. He was 15 under the posted limit.
Some states also require a driver who is going slower than the normal flow of traffic to pull over and let the cars behind you pass if there are 5 or more vehicles behind you.
If you are driving at 55 on a clear highway where the speed limit is 80, you are highly likely to be cited for travel at an unsafe speed.
You may also run the risk of being a victim of road rage.
As far as the truck speed limit of 55.. It's a joke.
Coming back from my last trip to California, where the speed limit for cars was 65 and the truck limit is 55, I was doing 65 in the right lane and was passed by so many trucks doing 70 to 75 I lost track of counting them.
The 55 on the back of the truck didn't seem to affect the vehicle velocity.
"No person shall drive upon a highway at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation, because of a grade, or compliance with the law."
My dad once got a ticket for driving too slow on the interstate. He was 15 under the posted limit.
Some states also require a driver who is going slower than the normal flow of traffic to pull over and let the cars behind you pass if there are 5 or more vehicles behind you.
If you are driving at 55 on a clear highway where the speed limit is 80, you are highly likely to be cited for travel at an unsafe speed.
You may also run the risk of being a victim of road rage.
As far as the truck speed limit of 55.. It's a joke.
Coming back from my last trip to California, where the speed limit for cars was 65 and the truck limit is 55, I was doing 65 in the right lane and was passed by so many trucks doing 70 to 75 I lost track of counting them.
The 55 on the back of the truck didn't seem to affect the vehicle velocity.
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Must be a west thing because they don't drive 55 here. If a company limits their trucks speeds is more likely for insurance reasons not for fuel economy. And in logistics time is money.
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And if my wife is bitching at me I'll do 80!
Glen,Tom,
I'm guessing you're not familiar with interstate 15 through Utah.
Interstate 15 isn't exactly desolate.
Surely, you don't think it's safer to drive 55 on a lightly traveled road with an 80 mph limit. When there is a good possibility somebody could be coming up to behind you traveling 80- 85 miles an hour
Driving 55 holding up traffic on an 80 mph roadway is a good way to have a head-on accident by a driver passing everyone.
Nevada is also increasing their speed limit to 80 mph.
Portions of the Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming road networks have 80 mph posted limits.
Out West, we don't have time to fart around at 55.
My comment ( I was not trying to be a smart aleck) was based on the road in the picture! I understand on an interstate that it is best to 'GO WITH THE FLOW'.
In your photo I note a wildlife fence. The picture is a bit blurry, but I am not sure there is one on both sides. On the road you have pictured I would probably not go over about 65 or 70 depending on the time of day because of the stopping distance at 80 if a wild critter decided to cross the road. I would bet several dollars to a donut, that at night you are overdriving your lights at 80 mph on the road pictured. If something comes out it and stops, it is dead meat!!! Hopefully the driver won't be.
Does the speed limit decrease at night? I have seen some roads where that happens. Stay Safe!!
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That's interstate 15 just north of the I-70 interchange south of Salt lake City.Glen,
My comment ( I was not trying to be a smart aleck) was based on the road in the picture! I understand on an interstate that it is best to 'GO WITH THE FLOW'.
In your photo I note a wildlife fence. The picture is a bit blurry, but I am not sure there is one on both sides. On the road you have pictured I would probably not go over about 65 or 70 depending on the time of day because of the stopping distance at 80 if a wild critter decided to cross the road. I would bet several dollars to a donut, that at night you are overdriving your lights at 80 mph on the road pictured. If something comes out it and stops, it is dead meat!!! Hopefully the driver won't be.
No, there is no night time speed difference.
15 years ago, I used to do a lot of traveling between Las Vegas, Phoenix and Salt Lake City.
Las Vegas to Salt lake City was a piece of cake interstate the whole way. Las Vegas to Phoenix you took I-40 to rt.93 and then south on 93 to Phoenix. 93 at the time was mostly two lane referred to as the widowmaker. If I had to drive back from Phoenix at night. I always pulled in behind a semi and followed it North to the I-40 interchange no matter how slow it went.
I always figured if somebody was going to pull out and pass, they'd have to go through the semi first before they hit me. Same goes for a deer crossing the road. I didn't leave a whole lot of space between the back of the semi and me.
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I am a local truck driver here in Central California. Throughout the entire state, "3 or more axles" or "towing a trailer" max speed is 55. Like most all the rest of the big rigs out here, I really drive 60. In my Maverick, I have the advanced cruise control set to go 5 over the speed limit. If the speed limit is 65, I let it go 70. But, if I come up on a big rig doing 60-65 on the freeway, I am perfectly content letting the ACC tuck me in behind big rig and save on fuel 
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55 MPH for truck fleets is 100% for cost savings. Almost all fuel savings. Insurance may be lower too but it's a small percent compared to fuel savings. Probably fewer over heated engines and blown engines too. Probably longer lasting brakes too.
Time is not money in this case due to hours of service rules. I think it it 10 hours maximum behind the wheel? Maybe it is 12 hours.
It is literally impossible to get extra loads in per week by speeding up.
Speeding may only help on a later segment if a prior segment was unusually delayed by traffic jam, bad weather, a road or bridge closure. Pretty rare. Speeding may make up for lost time. But it does not get you more loads per week. The big boys know this.
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Mass may kill, but velocity squared is a bitch!
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I suppose states can do whatever they want on STATE or county roads.
On interstates where there is ALWAYS two lanes per side, minimum, the law states you must be able to travel within 30 MPH of the posted limit in the right most lane. With a permit and escort, slower. (IE house movers)
Fleets with modern trucks have GPS and owner controlled top speeds. It's easy to set top speed. In the Maverick there is even an owner controlled top speed for "young or inexperienced drivers" you can set. I think it is either on or off. But with Forscan maybe you can change the default setting. I think it is 75 MPH from factory. Not sure.
At $5+ per gallon of diesel national average, and contracts written when it was $3.50, it's a very safe bet more and more owners are lowering the top speeds of their trucks.
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