AndrewG:
Far too much belief in plods ‘speed kills’ campaign me thinks. Speed doesnt kill, bad driving does.
Problem with the UK is that the govt wind it into the inhabitants there and before long the masses are brainwashed. As for tiredness, a drivers far more likely to fall asleep Tosco plobbing at 85kph than someone who wants to get there and get the job done doing 110kph…
+1
sums it up nicely there
85 on the cruise,in your fleet spec dungheap…bored to a near catatonic state,and recipie for rear end shunts and pileups…flat to the mat and watching whos about leads to a more healthy and rewarding pension…every now and again i try to sit on the 75 as 40mph…within 20 mins im avoiding the grass as 1 its unnatural,2,im not looking for plod or anyone else other than getting out of the road to let the rest pass me at more normal speeds,and eventually your mind just drifts off into plobland similar to the findings of your average volvo driver having more acciednts than anyone else as they have been brainwashed into thinking volvos are so safe,that they will always get 1st prize in an accident.bad driving kills,driving at or just below the limit kills as it leads to red mist frustration for everyone else behind you with the inevitable manic overtaking.
AndrewG:
Far too much belief in plods ‘speed kills’ campaign me thinks. Speed doesnt kill, bad driving does.
Problem with the UK is that the govt wind it into the inhabitants there and before long the masses are brainwashed. As for tiredness, a drivers far more likely to fall asleep Tosco plobbing at 85kph than someone who wants to get there and get the job done doing 110kph…
+1
sums it up nicely there
85 on the cruise,in your fleet spec dungheap…bored to a near catatonic state,and recipie for rear end shunts and pileups…flat to the mat and watching whos about leads to a more healthy and rewarding pension…every now and again i try to sit on the 75 as 40mph…within 20 mins im avoiding the grass as 1 its unnatural,2,im not looking for plod or anyone else other than getting out of the road to let the rest pass me at more normal speeds,and eventually your mind just drifts off into plobland similar to the findings of your average volvo driver having more acciednts than anyone else as they have been brainwashed into thinking volvos are so safe,that they will always get 1st prize in an accident.bad driving kills,driving at or just below the limit kills as it leads to red mist frustration for everyone else behind you with the inevitable manic overtaking.
Yep…+1 on the drifting off into plobland at tosco speeds in the poverty spec dung hole. Plus the dangerous overtaking on the verge ect by those numbed into oblivion by it all for mile upon mile…
a while ago i forced myself to try agency plobbing for 2 years to see if i could hack it,but i found working for tosco etc is just totally demeaning,and brain numbing to the extent i just couldnt stand the inept dead slow and stop,no initiative brain dead aspect of their rules and regs…i had to leave when i started associating myself with this dude.(not a self portrait)…
The programme was more about fiddling rest periods and hours than speeding tbf.
However if we are talking about speeding, the guys that are getting the stick here are the supermarket drivers…so.
Maybe they do not need to drive over the speed limit as they are not getting pressurised by their bosses to meet near hand impossible schedules, but instead getting set a realistic achievable workload.
So if it was me given the choice of…
A. Driving like a demented nutcase just to make my boss even richer while constantly risking my licence (and possibly my freedom) for a ■■■■ poor base rate…right through, and the promise of some paltry incentive bonus, (when we all know that said bonus should be paid in the form of a routine wage) but why would he pay that, when he can get drivers to go like ■■■■ and fiddle more than Nigel Kennedy on crack, instead of in a safe professional manner, to get maximum …and then some, production from his drivers
Or
B. Sit on or just under the legal speed limit, while achieving a much easier workload carried out in a more relaxed and stress free manner, safe in the knowledge I am on time + a half after 8 hours on my already generous basic rate.
Let me think about that one.
And I said I wouldn’t bite at a wind up. … but answered in the spirit of the thread for argument’s sake…
Oh, and I personally would not care a flying ■■■■ about heroes sat up my arse trying to push me, all it would do would stop me pulling into the next lay by, when I willingly would have done if they did not try and intimidate me in the first place.
AndrewG:
My Fh is a long wheelbase 4x2, has the long haul spec final drive which keeps the engine revs at optimum torque and efficiency, also has a very low set fifth wheel which means getting a 4m tilt down to 3,9m the cab easily clearing the trailer, its also set to get the gap between cab and trailer down to 20cm. I also have side deflectors fitted which smooths out the airflow down the sides of the unit, it all adds up to better economy but ultimately its the engine at peak efficiency in top gear which gives me that fuel saving. Ive also specced my new truck with the long haul option. Re my customer wanting it cheaper, ive been subbing for the same company in Spain now for a long time and tbh wouldnt work for anyone else, they never cut the rates and if work theyre offered which doesnt stack up its turned down…
Yeah I had a Scania with a long final drive, kept the revs at 1150@90kph. Bloody stupid setup as it was struggling even on flat ground with 30 tons in the back, fuel consumption was a whole 2mpg worse than that of my friends practically identical Scania, only difference was that he didn’t have an overdrive box, so it turned 1300rpm@90kph. Agree with caledoniandream, can’t beat physics no matter what the setup. Above 60kph faster means thirstier.
There is no way going faster will improve mpg. It goes against the laws of physics.
Mechanical resistance, aerodynamic resistance and rolling resistance all increase and require more energy to overcome.
Energy comes from burning fuel, nowhere else. You can argue that reducing rpms means that less fuel is being injected for each mile travelled, however you’re only eliminating a couple of hundred squirts of a very fine mist and that’s not enough of a reduction to compensate for the extra needed to travel at a faster speed.
newmercman:
There is no way going faster will improve mpg. It goes against the laws of physics.
Mechanical resistance, aerodynamic resistance and rolling resistance all increase and require more energy to overcome.
Energy comes from burning fuel, nowhere else. You can argue that reducing rpms means that less fuel is being injected for each mile travelled, however you’re only eliminating a couple of hundred squirts of a very fine mist and that’s not enough of a reduction to compensate for the extra needed to travel at a faster speed.
In my case going faster to keep the engine at peak efficiency does stack up. I burnt over 85,000litres of fuel last year and as such keep a close watch on consumption and my own figures prove to me that the figures quoted by Volvo are correct. I do the same run week in week out, Malaga to Calais return and running at 100kph saves 80 litres over running at 90kph…
If that’s the case then there’s something else going on, the law’s of physics cannot be broken. You may get a slight benefit from hitting a hill faster at the bottom, using the extra momentum to get you over the crest without downshifting (physics again) but that would only work if you were in rolling hills the whole trip.
80litres a trip sounds good, but unless each trip is under the exact same conditions, wind speed/direction, tyre tread depth etc etc etc. Then the figures are not directly comparable.
As you know your rolling resistance drops as a tyre wears down, so that could account for the drop in fuel used, a few degrees difference in temperature and humidity could also swing the numbers.
However if you’re adamant that your lorry does better mpg at 100km/h than it does at 90km/h then it’s likely that you have a leak in your intercooler, the higher rpms at the higher speed will produce more turbo boost and overcome this leak somewhat and give you a better mpg figure.
Either that or your lorry is extremely over geared and could do with a lower profile tyre to raise rpms at 90km/h and bring you even more savings as you won’t be trying to break the law’s of physics.
Then again, it’s a lorry, they’ve been making liars of men since they’ve been making them lol
In addition to the previously mentioned problems with physics, aerodynamics and rolling resistance, even if it would be beneficial to run at such high speed to gain from optimal torque range (why not run at lower speeds in the 11th gear then? Same optimal rpm, lower aerodynamic drag, etc?) it would be a total pita to cruise at 10kph higher than other lorries. Always overtaking, braking, accelerating, eg doing everything against good mpg. And at 100kph you’ll be hard to miss for any uniform. Especially on the N10 etc.
newmercman:
However if you’re adamant that your lorry does better mpg at 100km/h than it does at 90km/h then it’s likely that you have a leak in your intercooler, the higher rpms at the higher speed will produce more turbo boost and overcome this leak somewhat and give you a better mpg figure.
Either that or your lorry is extremely over geared and could do with a lower profile tyre to raise rpms at 90km/h and bring you even more savings as you won’t be trying to break the law’s of physics.
Its on std size Alcoas with the std fitment tyres from the factory, its the long haul spec fitted by Volvo so i doubt its over geared. i keep my truck in top condition and for reliability its over serviced, i never fit re cuts only brand new premium tyres which always get changed way before they reach the wear stops so tyre diamater is also pretty consistant. As for a split intercooler, turbo boost pressure is set at a max before the wastegate opens, any loss of pressure between turbo going through the intercooler and inlet manifold would result in a loss of power which it certainly doesnt have. The turbo cannot make up for loss of pressure along the way…
milodon:
In addition to the previously mentioned problems with physics, aerodynamics and rolling resistance, even if it would be beneficial to run at such high speed to gain from optimal torque range (why not run at lower speeds in the 11th gear then? Same optimal rpm, lower aerodynamic drag, etc?) it would be a total pita to cruise at 10kph higher than other lorries. Always overtaking, braking, accelerating, eg doing everything against good mpg. And at 100kph you’ll be hard to miss for any uniform. Especially on the N10 etc.
Ive no idea where you drive but on the AP’/ routes theres very little braking and accelerating to do, traffic is very free flowing and as for uniform… well ive done this run many dozens of times and uniform is a rare sight and ive personally NEVER been pulled…
It doesn’t take much for an intercooler to be inefficient and increased turbo boost and therefore a greater volume of air going through the intercooler will compensate for pressure loss.
This is often the case in lorries which perform better in both mpg and performance when they’re driven like you stole them.
I’m getting tired of these Canadian winters, so I’ll throw down a gauntlet, you pay for my flights and expenses and I’ll come and do a trip for you, I won’t go over 90km/h unless it’s downhill (and free) and I bet I can beat your 100km/h mpg figures [emoji41] [emoji41] [emoji41]
AndrewG:
Ive no idea where you drive but on the AP’/ routes theres very little braking and accelerating to do, traffic is very free flowing and as for uniform… well ive done this run many dozens of times and uniform is a rare sight and ive personally NEVER been pulled…
Well I’ve only driven to Spain around 50 times but I do know that the prenomination “AP” is only valid in Spain, whereas in France, a truck travelling at 100kph between, say, Hendaye and Poitiers, or the ring road of Lyon, will stick out like a sore thumb. Strongly agree with newmercmans opinion on men and trucks on this one.
AndrewG:
Far too much belief in plods ‘speed kills’ campaign me thinks. Speed doesnt kill, bad driving does.
Problem with the UK is that the govt wind it into the inhabitants there and before long the masses are brainwashed. As for tiredness, a drivers far more likely to fall asleep Tosco plobbing at 85kph than someone who wants to get there and get the job done doing 110kph…
With you on the ‘Speed kills’ thing, it doesn’t. The key word is INAPPROPRIATE speed kills, then coupled up with bad driving.
You mention 110ks, yeh that’s maybe fine on the A1 mostly, or the A14, as for poorer quality A roads, it’s a complete different ball game.
The second you would lift the limit to 110 on an A roads, the f/whits among us will do just that, all day long, and be to thick to differentiate between the suitable and the unsuitable.
Also I would hate to meet one of these retards who think a 15 is not enough for them and doing more, .and more than likely dog tired, coming towards me in my car on the A road up from my house…whatever [zb] speed they were doing.
I was sat in queue behind a numpty English truck driver doing 40 on the A17 on Friday. Lovely wide safe road where it’s perfectly safe to drive at speed. All the truck drivers behind him were getting wound up and pulling out to let him know his driving was annoying them. Eventually the artic in front of me (directly behind him) attempts an overtake in a stupid place and ends up almost having a head on with oncoming traffic just getting in front of him over the chevrons before an island. I finally get by him when the road widens into two lanes for a roundabout.
AndrewG:
Ive no idea where you drive but on the AP’/ routes theres very little braking and accelerating to do, traffic is very free flowing and as for uniform… well ive done this run many dozens of times and uniform is a rare sight and ive personally NEVER been pulled…
Well I’ve only driven to Spain around 50 times but I do know that the prenomination “AP” is only valid in Spain, whereas in France, a truck travelling at 100kph between, say, Hendaye and Poitiers, or the ring road of Lyon, will stick out like a sore thumb. Strongly agree with newmercmans opinion on men and trucks on this one.
Youre missing the point, there just isnt the police around on these roads and in any case we’re hardly breaking the sound barrier here, its 10kph or 6mph extra and that does not equate to sticking out like a sore thumb. As for the term AP, if you re read my post i said AP/routes meaning Autopistas (Spain) and Autoroutes (France).
Btw, if you want to call me a liar ive been called much worse, go ahead if it pleases…
AndrewG:
Ive no idea where you drive but on the AP’/ routes theres very little braking and accelerating to do, traffic is very free flowing and as for uniform… well ive done this run many dozens of times and uniform is a rare sight and ive personally NEVER been pulled…
Well I’ve only driven to Spain around 50 times but I do know that the prenomination “AP” is only valid in Spain, whereas in France, a truck travelling at 100kph between, say, Hendaye and Poitiers, or the ring road of Lyon, will stick out like a sore thumb. Strongly agree with newmercmans opinion on men and trucks on this one.
Youre missing the point, there just isnt the police around on these roads and in any case we’re hardly breaking the sound barrier here, its 10kph or 6mph extra and that does not equate to sticking out like a sore thumb. As for the term AP, if you re read my post i said AP/routes meaning Autopistas (Spain) and Autoroutes (France).
Btw, if you want to call me a liar ive been called much worse, go ahead if it pleases…
Plenty of Speed cameras in France, 2 I know well are heading North into Bordeaux and round Lyon, but France really does seem to got an obsession with speed cameras and hidden speed traps in the last few years.
Tris:
I was sat in queue behind a numpty English truck driver doing 40 on the A17 on Friday. Lovely wide safe road where it’s perfectly safe to drive at speed. All the truck drivers behind him were getting wound up and pulling out to let him know his driving was annoying them. Eventually the artic in front of me (directly behind him) attempts an overtake in a stupid place and ends up almost having a head on with oncoming traffic just getting in front of him over the chevrons before an island. I finally get by him when the road widens into two lanes for a roundabout.
That was my point, inappropriate speed, in this case too slow for the conditions, and potentially dangerous. But who was the worst the 40mph guy or the one who did a dangerous move. A classic case of more bad driving as a reaction to bad driving.
I reckon the overtaker, as a pro he should have adapted to a situation not potentially make it worse by possiblly killing the poor guy oncoming.
No ■■■■ load or timed delivery is THAT important.
… but answered in the spirit of the thread for argument’s sake… 
are heading North into Bordeaux and round Lyon, but France really does seem to got an obsession with speed cameras and hidden speed traps in the last few years.