It's a Team's Life
Speed Limit or Fiction
I have been reading recently about a group wanting to take on California’s split speed limits. That way, everyone can run the same speed. I don’t know about you, but I have never driven anywhere that everyone runs the same speed limit. California has had split speed limits for as long as I can remember, and for the overall number of vehicles on the road it is one of the safest states to drive in.
In the southern half of the state or SoCal the roads are rough, and I cannot imagine wanting to drive any faster in those areas. One of the arguments I heard from another driver was that they wanted to be able to operate 60 – 65 and not worry about receiving a high-speed driving award. Really is what I wanted to say in reply, that is a great reason to up the speed limit.
Is your speeding the reason you do not want split speed limits? That does not even make sense to me. The slower speed of 55 mph is more relaxed driving the truck, easier on the truck, easier on your body, and you will get better fuel mileage.
There are several states with what I consider very high-speed limits and much higher than many trucks are governed for. Do all of these states need to spend the money to change all of their speed limit signs down to the speed the trucks are governed at? Where in the United States, does everyone run the same speed? We each drive our vehicle, and it is up to us to monitor our speed as well as those around us to make sure we do not drive over the top of them if they are going slower than us.
A speed limit sign is just that a “limit” it is not a sign that says run three over or five over, and you will be fine. There is also a minimum speed usually posted, and that also means if you cannot run the minimum speed, you will get a ticket.
When we are in our personal vehicles at home, we run closer to the speed limit as our fuel mileage is much better. When in our truck, which is how we make money to pay for our personal vehicles, we use caution and put our business first. Driving faster or driving aggressively not only hurts our business, it puts our business in jeopardy.
I do not get how in the world split speed limits are dangerous? If California is forced to change and the signs all change to on speed of 70 mph, do you think everyone will now run 70 mph? I think not.
Bob & Linda Caffee
TeamCaffee
Saint Louis MO
Expediters since January 2005
Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle;
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Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;
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