Letters to the Editor: Truck Speed, Model Idling Rule
b>Truck Speed
This is my 2 cents regarding the lowering of truck speed capabilities.
Those of us who can recall what it was like to have the national speed limit reduced to 55 mph back in the early 1970s should also recall how drastic a measure that seemed to be, especially for truck drivers.
The costs of operating the equipment dropped drastically because of increased life spans for drivetrains and engines, not to mention the reduction in fuel consumption.
Other efforts aimed at reducing fuel consumption also were introduced, such as making right turns on red after a complete stop, which we still do to this day. As for drivers, less stress was involved — and we didn’t even know what stress was back then, as it had not yet been defined.
The biggest hurdle to overcome back then was how long it would take to reach the speed limit and recover lost speed. The biggest engines we had in those days were, for the most part, 250 Cummins, or, if you were lucky, a 318 Caterpillar. We also had rib-sided 40- and 45-foot trailers, all of which added to the dilemma of slow starts and not being able to maintain high-end speed.
But none of those conditions exists anymore. We now have high-torque, low-RPM engines with the ability to reach and maintain highway speeds with the blink of an eye. The smart driver knows that with today’s tough economy, maximum fuel-efficiency is reached at speeds far less than those at which most drivers actually operate.
It isn’t fast driving that gets you where you need be sooner — it’s smart driving.
Lawrence Hartung
i>Director, Risk Management and Safety
aylor Truck Line Inc.
orthfield, Minn.
Model Idling Rule
With the Feds presenting a “Model Idling Rule” of no more than 30 minutes while loading or unloading and no more than five minutes “at most other times,” will this “rule” supersede the California Air Resources Board idling rules?
In California, the rule is: No idling more than five minutes except when using the sleeper berth and never within 100 feet of a school or residential area — and that includes trailer-refrigeration units.
When on any school ground, diesel engines must be shut down within 30 seconds of arrival. The only exception to CARB’s five-minute rule is if the truck’s power unit/engine is required to operate auxiliary equipment.
What effect, in essence, will the federal idling rule have on California truckers?
Ted Dunn
i>Director, Risk Management
roPacific Fresh
urham, Calif.
These letters appear in the June 12 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.