Speed Limits and fuel economy

chillout · Mar 12, 2015

So how do ever-increasing speed limits affect those of you who are super-conscious about your fuel economy?

Do you continue to run at a slower speed, or do you tend to 'keep up with the traffic'?

GrassHopperr · Mar 12, 2015

In 70mph speed zone, avarage speed is 75mph. thats waste of money. I never exceed 65mph unless there is money in it. At under 65mph I get 20mpg 70mph+ Im at 17.5 tops.

JohnWC · Mar 12, 2015

I've always ran below the speed limit. But people would be surprised at how much gas or fuel is wasted going up hill or starting off or coming to a stop.

TeamCaffee · Mar 12, 2015

When we are driving on two lane roads we will run up to 65 MPH but our normal speed is 58 mph when vehicles can get around us easily.

In ten years we have not had a problem.

FlyingVan · Mar 12, 2015

Hurricane Katrina and $5 a gallon fuel taught me very quickly to slow down. They ingrained it in my brain so good that I have been doing it ever since. I cruise at 60 mph indicated, about 57 mph actual.

Once in a while I drive faster because of a tight delivery time, but I don't like it. Not because of the fuel mileage alone, but more so because I get worn out running up on other vehicles and having to pass every slow poke on the road.

Instead, I sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery.

Grizzly · Mar 12, 2015

63-65 mph is the sweet spot for my '08 Sprinter 2500. Let everybody else blow on by.
It's not like we get extra bonus points or extra cash for being x amount of time early.

Watch your bottom line & be practical with your equipment.

Slow & steady wins this race .. just ask the guy with the hard shell on his back.

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Steady Eddie · Mar 12, 2015

chillout said:
So how do ever-increasing speed limits affect those of you who are super-conscious about your fuel economy?

Do you continue to run at a slower speed, or do you tend to 'keep up with the traffic'?

Just because I can do 85mph in Texas doesn't mean I do 85mph. No mater the posted limit I hardly ever go over. 65mph is my limit.

Grizzly · Mar 12, 2015

Side note: It's amazing to me when speed limits get increased how I read articles debating freedom & safety. It's neither. The issue is about economics. It's just a means to get the public to consume more fuel & pay more taxes.

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T270_Dreamin · Mar 12, 2015

I keep it between 62-69, Usually about 67 is average. GPS speed is 3 mph less. I would like to be able to do 75 out in the wide open places but the truck would not last as long and of course it would burn unnecessary excess fuel. Maybe they will design a transmission in a Sprinter that allows the rpms to run really low. I wonder how that new 7 speed does out on the hwy.

tknight · Mar 12, 2015

Conspiracy theory of the day, speed limits raised so more fuel is used = more fuel bought=more road taxes paid, simple economics !

Not sure how I missed that in a past post sorry for the repeat!

LDB · Mar 12, 2015

Loads were dispatched based on 47mph. I ran 62-63mph. Running 4 hours at 47mph puts you 188 miles down the road. Running 3 hours at 62.5mph puts you 188 miles down the road. When I'm 3 hours down the road I have 1 hour available to me for whatever use and will be on schedule for delivery. Six hours down the road and I can take a 2 hour nap and still be on time. Barring major major delays there's never any need to run over 62mph. That's good for at least 1mpg better mileage. Over the course of a year that adds up to a lot of savings.

Tennesseahawk · Mar 13, 2015

tknight said:
Conspiracy theory of the day, speed limits raised so more fuel is used = more fuel bought=more road taxes paid, simple economics !

Not sure how I missed that in a past post sorry for the repeat!

Not saying that's the reason they were raised, but why do you think they were? Liberty? HA!

xiggi · Mar 13, 2015

Grizzly said:
Side note: It's amazing to me when speed limits get increased how I read articles debating freedom & safety. It's neither. The issue is about economics. It's just a means to get the public to consume more fuel & pay more taxes.

Sent from my LG-P999 using EO Forums mobile app

Must be why they keep requiring higher mpg on vehicles.

OntarioVanMan · Mar 13, 2015

BUT some have not increased it for trucks...Illinois now joins Mich at a 10 mph difference 70 for cars 60 MPH for trucks...

Its still a sneaky tax incease under the guise of making it better for the voting public...where does it end?...How many of these idiots can handle 80 + mph in an emergency situation?...Cars can handle Interstates the condition of some of them at high speeds could be darned right unsafe...IMO

Grizzly · Mar 13, 2015

xiggi said:
Must be why they keep requiring higher mpg on vehicles.

Point well made ... but I don't see it as being mutually exclusive. I view increased mpg standards as a national issue & speed limits as more of a local issue.

OntarioVanMan · Mar 13, 2015

Grizzly said:
Point well made ... but I don't see it as being mutually exclusive. I view increased mpg standards as a national issue & speed limits as more of a local issue.

Yeah...the feds giveth and the state taketh...

Depends on what speed the MPG was tested at? any increase above that speed just dilutes that rating proportionately...making it null and void...and if I were a betting man a good % of drivers can't handle the speed say in a blowout situation....heck they can't even merge anymore, most it appears think the guy on the highway HAS TO let them in.....gee whiz...

BTW SD is going up to 80 mph!

Grizzly · Mar 13, 2015

80 mph could be new normal in S.D. -- as in 4 other states

OntarioVanMan said:
BTW SD is going up to 80 mph!

Of course they are .... why not? They could use some extra cash ....
It appears that GOP Rep. Mary Duvall of Pierre shares my same viewpoint.

OntarioVanMan · Mar 13, 2015

Grizzly said:
80 mph could be new normal in S.D. -- as in 4 other states

Of course they are .... why not? They could use some extra cash ....
It appears that GOP Rep. Mary Duvall of Pierre shares my same viewpoint.

But a fuel tax increase is also in the plans...

Tennesseahawk · Mar 13, 2015

xiggi said:
Must be why they keep requiring higher mpg on vehicles.

Do they REALLY get them tho? The mgp out there now, are the same from the 90s, except for a few brands that are really expensive.

xiggi · Mar 13, 2015

Really, show me a van from the 90 ' s that got 20mpg. I would venture to say average fuel milage is up across the board.

The number of cars on the road today far exceeds those numbers of a couple.of decades ago. I would imagine fuel tax collection is way up from what it once was. Since most people do a huge.majority of driving in.metro areas where speeds don't get raised to the numbers discussed here i don't think raiding speeds in rural areas make a huge difference in taxes

The cost of maintaining our infrastructure has gone up so much I think higher fuel taxes are inevitable.