Apparently a lot of truckers think they can stop as quick as a car,because they will run 10 feet off your back bumper at 75mph.,in a line of traffic.but overall truckers are the safest drivers.

 

I drive a truck. Sometimes I will tailgate too, and it surprises me how close I get the odd time. Its a real pain in the butt when you are on a 2 lane stuck behind slow traffic, but then once you hit a 4-lane, even on flat ground all the cars want to do 20 km/h faster. If traffic takes off from me on the 4 lane and then I catch up on the next 2 lane again, thats when I get right up close behind them.

 

You aren't seriously ignorant enough to believe that truck drivers don't know the difference between stopping ability of a semi and, say, a little pickup or something are you?

 

I agree that truckers are the safest drivers. I live Central Texas and Semis are not allowed to use the left lane. I live north of Austin and work downtown. It ain't the trucks slowing traffic, it is self-centered smuck in a hurry tap-dancing lanes.

 

alright, i didn't read all of this stuff, but i am an OTR driver, and thought i would say a few things. in my opinon slow trucks can create a hazard, in that a lot of other vehicles will do some crazy stuff to get around them- the old "i can't drive behind a big truck" mentality. if a federally mandated governer was to be put in place, then there should also be a national speed limit. if the national speed limit was say 70 on open interstates, and the governer was 70-71, then i would be ok with it. also the owner ops. should have to comply, some of them give all of us a bad name. that being said, i am not a big advocate of government regulation. as some others have said, enforcment is key. in areas of heavy enforcement, people do drive slower and are less apt to do stupid stuff. as for the braking abilities of these trucks, if properly maintained, on dry pavement its really not that much worse than my '96 2500. i've said it before, i'll say it again. everyone needs to just relax out there, and cut each other a break. give someone else the right of way, it won't take more than a few seconds of your time and it might make both of you have a better day.

 

totally agree. i'll pass these guys all day while running say 72 in a 70, then when we hit a 55 zone, i slow to 59-60, and they are just fighting to get by, only to get passed again once we are back out on the open highway.

 

A friend of mine just picked up his 5500 today it is governed to 75mph max speed. (6 sp auto) 4.44 gears@2500rpm=75mph..
While were governing things lets have the cell phone cut out.the fast food cut out, breath-alizer,dumb azz driver cut out, and last but not least communistic government cut out as well

 

IMO, speed governors should be set by companies, not by the gov't or any agency.

I think it is better handled between a trucking company and/or O/O and the respective insurance company than by any gov't intervention.

If there is a legitimate safety enhancement to governors, insurance COs will give incentives to use them in the form of lower premiums.

Ins companies keep far better accident records than the gov't, because they have $$ at stake while the gov't just has politics at stake..

JMO