Funkmaster, you obviously have not been on an interstate around here. The limit is 65 for trucks. Jackson, I see you have found another topic to advocate increased government action on. Cameras?? I Hereby give Jackson a new name. We shall now call him "Comrade Jackson". And as far as Schneider goes, I have only seen one of their guys hit 60 once. That was downhill on I64 in Virginia, with a tailwind.

Noggi - as a truck driver I would ask that you don't. It might seem like an easy way to save gas, but your life should be worth more than that. Its not safe, please just dont do it.

Now if everyone driving a car gets behind a semi, and stays there to take advantage of the truck shield against wind resistance,they (the car) will (proven fact) increase their mileage.

Lowering axle ratio would be a good idea if you have enough displacement in the engine to generate enough torque... there's no free lunch!

gotthat - you're joking, right? Ever notice that the wind noise gets louder the faster you are going? Ever try bicycling up a hill or into the wind? It's more work to go faster! The power required to overcome drag goes as the cube of the speed. If it takes 15 hp to cruise @ 55 mph, it takes... 20 hp @ 60 mph, 25 hp @ at 65 mph, 32 hp @ 70 mph, 39 hp @ 75 mph, 47 hp @ 80 mph, and 57 hp @ 85 mph. These are fairly typical values for sedans and small pickups, not semis (which would be a lot higher because of the additional surface area). Also, the reason highway speeds are (were) typically 55 mph is because that is a sweet spot for speed (getting somewhere in a reasonable amount of time) versus drag (wasting fuel). Also, it is a coincidence that it is much easier to hydroplane above 55 mph.

Now if we could only get more people and buisnesses to relax behind the wheel and slow down the world would be a better place and without the help of polititions. Also good job Con-Way! Save the planet and stick it to the oil companies.

They could also change the axle ratios in their trucks, by lowering the number the RPMs go down IE: If the truck has an axle ratio of 3.42 and its lowered to say A 2.73 its RPMs at 65 would be about the same at say 73 with the lower number, then the driver would'nt lose time and the company would still save fuel! (In the end its probably cheeper to switch the axle ratio then reprogram their computers also) Now lets hope they don't change the axle ratios and lower the speed to.

funkmasterflex-not in all states. Wisconsin is 65 for everything.
ithappens-Con-Way did this several months ago. They went from 65mph computer control to 62.

Very informative, that changes my perspective on my own driving habits. I hope everyone going on their summer vacations knows about this!

gotthat, do you trust Edmunds? They tested the premise that "lower speed saves gas" here:
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/fueleconom...

No, it is not a myth. RPMs are not the only factor. Gas mileage is a matter of expending energy to move mass. Faster speed means more friction and wind resistance as well as longer acceleration. Every mile per hour faster you need to go is more "expensive" in terms of added gas mileage: going from 60mph to 61mph will cost X amount of fuel, while going from 61mph to 62mph will cost X+Y amount of fuel. And so on.

How drivers are paid depends on the company. Some are paid by the mile and by the hour. The hourly pay comes in when they have dock time loading or unloading, and waiting for their load to be ready. Lowering the mph by 3 wouldn't mean less pay because they still have to get to their destination. In a ten hour day, it would add 30 minutes to their destination. As far as road rage goes, that type of driver shows rage against all other drivers - not just truckers.

I drive the speed limit and my cars get good milage. Good job to Schneider for leading the way. Leave early and slow down people. Save gas and stick it to the oil companys.

There is a woman who rides the vanpool I'm a part of who claims she drives a little slower on the highway's and keeps an eye on the RPM's and it adds 4-6 mpg.
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Even though I hate being behind semi's on the highway, I applaud the company for taking a step in the right direction to help take the foreign oil IV's out of our veins. Our reliance on oil should've been dealt with better 30 years ago, but we're in this situation now and we need to come up with ways to cut back on consumption.
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I read an article a few weeks ago that said for every 10 mph over 60 mph we drive, it's like paying an extra $.54/gallon for gas because of a bunch of physics involving speed and wind resistance. I've tried slowing down on the interstate and it seems to make my gas last a bit longer. Try it for a week and see what happens to your mpg.

In California they have specific roads for Truck only.

From my years of driving I am greatful to see someone take the lead in this issue of speed reduction. I believe speeds need to be monitor more close, and if that take big bother putting cameras on the interstate to add in issueing tickets get it done. If you have not driven on the open road lately the speed limit is not 65 mph, it is 80 mph. Someone needs to do something about this problem. Plus this would make up the states short falls on taxes.

The computer control is a real bad idea. It means that when a Schneider truck going 60 wants to pass another truck going 59, he’s going to be in the left lane for miles. And the rest of us will be puttering around behind them cursing up a blue streak. It would be better to leave the speed to the driver’s discretion, and just do a computer plot of speeds for the trip. Penalize the driver for going too fast, too often, but allow him to speed up when necessary. The option is to restrict trucks to the right lane only, but that causes another set of problems.

Last I knew, truckers got paid by the mile, not the hour. Are they going to raise their pay per mile to compensate the money the drivers will lose? Not only that but they will still have to take their manditory DOT breaks and not be as far down the road. Average speed limit on the interstate is 65 mph in most states, some more, some less; Won't they be in the way causing more road rage and back-ups? Good 'ol bean counters behind their desks don't think of that!

Has anyone ever actually seen one of these "studies" that would prove this?

I know that driving with lower RPMs you will use less gas, but it will also require more running time because it will take you longer to get to your destination. For cross country truckers, 3 - 5 mph would add a lot of driving time. So please, anyone, where can we look at these results?