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TForce | Got our 68 mph back. {sort of}

Frootloop said:
I say this respectfully, if wanting more time at home than on the road is pathetic then call me Mr Pathetic. I enjoy my work but my home life even more, and as a Linehaul driver that time adds up. I am jealous of you old guys that grew up in a slower paced world, that must have been something to experience. Unfortunately the same ones who enjoyed that world destroyed it for the rest of us that came behind them and here we are.
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I guess I didn’t realize that myself and a few others invented cell phones, FartBook, Amazon, people driving 85 mph, overnight delivery, Grub Hub, online bill pay, high speed internet, and have the ability to erase other people’s common sense? And yes, I am stating this respectfully…
 
Big R is right.

I divide my life in two parts. The everything BEFORE any internet, cell phone (Smart phone) and home computer crap which would be 1990 and truck computer crap with the 3408 CAT about 1994 and nannied detriots after 1995. ABS after 1998, however Bendix ABS etc has saved lives, mine own and others in certain incidents that has absolutely validated that simple technology and kept the ::shit:: upright on the pavement a few times. But anything beyond that? I rebel against it. Its my nature.

We rented some 20202 model cars, carollas, santa fes and whatever. We actaully drove one in tropical storm conditions with rain that came up from the ground and winds past 60. No problem there. BUT the experience of driving? Horrible. I was the nanny baby sitting a bunch of computers stuff demanding input. Radar this, engine eco that, steering correction (In the winds too...) over there and tires here and and and and. I almost hit stuff and people because eyes were not up and out.

Not doing that again. I do like the Carolla. But would have stripped ALL of the needy computer crap out of it.

In my past life before the internet, its all old iron in trucking. ALL of them were either a Joy, pain or really tough and everything in between. And we still got the work done and America kept going with everything else in spite of.

I would love to be in a old 280 something model pete one more time. But its not to be.

Today's culture, trucks and everything cries out for a purge. A disposal and cleansing of that over burdened BS in technology. There was a incident when Dowdy in Batesville lost all power in ice storm. No satellite, no computers, no phones (VOIP etc) no nothing. In half a day he had basic big generators humming and we were operating on 1970's pen and paper with pay phones to and from. Nothing on the tractor worked and the qualcomm was on sleeping for a while. But we made the switch very easily and ran on making money without that tech crap until a few days later of round the clock work they managed to get everything back up and running.

More trouble than it's worth. But its a brave new world. I for one dont want it.
 
Can you keep your foot on the throttle while in cruise to avoid slowing down when overtaking a vehicle in front of you? That’s the way I avoid the radar slowing me down. Maybe our trucks are set up different.
 
dalesr said:
Can you keep your foot on the throttle while in cruise to avoid slowing down when overtaking a vehicle in front of you? That’s the way I avoid the radar slowing me down. Maybe our trucks are set up different.
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I wonder if you all forgot the hotfoot standing on the fuel pedal all damn day trying to force a little NTC or some such crappy engine into higher RPMs loaded.
 
dalesr said:
Can you keep your foot on the throttle while in cruise to avoid slowing down when overtaking a vehicle in front of you? That’s the way I avoid the radar slowing me down. Maybe our trucks are set up different.
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No, that's the stupid part of it. If the foot on the throttle "pedal" is lower than the cruise, and the radar slows down your truck, it will slow it down to the pedal speed.
 
1984Sideways said:
Takes a fire axe to radar.

CHOP CHOP. None of that slowing down and being late already. Get going ha.
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If only.... If the radar malfunctions or is blocked by an obstacle (like road trash, snow or even deliberately with cardboard), then the cruise control will not function. This will also affect your adaptive engine braking, stability control and abs systems. This will also light up your dash like a Christmas tree with all these fault lights.

And, now you can ONLY do 65.....
 
I figured that would happen. Kill the whole tractor with chop chop.

I recall in the 90's the original ECM's that were a small computer block on the side of the engine block itself you would jiggle until they faulted. As long the engine was running, it will shift to a sort of limp mode and keep going breathing like a old iron engine. You wont have dash for anything, but thats where the stop watch came into play against the speed limits.

Long ago, KTC in Gettysburg assigned me to a tractor that had a huge fuel consumption gauge in very garish bright colors. Took up all of dash left of the tachometer in the freightliner.

Every time you pressed a smidge too hard on the fuel pedal, the gauge wound around crazily making alarm noises and flashing lights and so on. So annoying.

I drove it to the highway, turned onto it out of the yard, added power for US 15. It made so much racket I said to hell with this POS BS Truck, turned a U-ie right there, slammed her back into the bullpen and told Dispatch to find me another tractor without that crap or its my absolute last day at work there.

They handed me a unrestricted dollar truck. And were off. Why didnt they do that before. Sheesh. The other first tractor I had before that fuel gauge truck was a little 300 cummins on a tall roadranger 10. All those little hills in PA causes me to saw the top four or three gears waiting on RPMs to come up enough to shift. There was not enough power unless empty.

My right foot actually exhibits a form of nerve damage from being standing on that fuel pedal so much waiting on the damn thing. But in those days you drank a little brandy so you can keep doing it for half a day. And again tomorrow etc.

I know that I have said old iron is awesome. But not ALL of it. Some of it you avoided very much.
 
The worst is when your radar gets out of alignment. Passing someone & it picks them up and WHAM!!!, hard brake. Otherwise, for passing, you’ll learn to manipulate on/off and the nuances. You’ll need to teach the dock to load up the drives for winter driving as well.
 
White said:
The worst is when your radar gets out of alignment. Passing someone & it picks them up and WHAM!!!, hard brake. Otherwise, for passing, you’ll learn to manipulate on/off and the nuances. You’ll need to teach the dock to load up the drives for winter driving as well.
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Agreed. But when your cruise is set higher than the pedal, you just slowed yourself down. That's what we use to do when passing, tap the cruise off and keep going by. Now you'll just be throwing an anchor out the window...
 
White said:
The worst is when your radar gets out of alignment. Passing someone & it picks them up and WHAM!!!, hard brake. Otherwise, for passing, you’ll learn to manipulate on/off and the nuances. You’ll need to teach the dock to load up the drives for winter driving as well.
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Thats were you wind up dead.

Wolf Creek Pass comes to mind. Throw in ice with cold rain below the snow layer.

I fight against that so much. Thats why we are professional trained CDL A class 8 drivers. Not just any schlub can get those monsters tamed in braking.
 
How about when you're just driving along, and as you approach an electronic billboard on the tollways, the collision alarm goes off and slams on the brakes for a split second.

Someone told me that the radar they use for the tollway to monitor your toll pass or traffic speed does interfere with the radar.

Also, low bridges seem to set it off too. It's not that it's out of alignment, it's that the radar gets reflected in certain weather conditions. Just as it does when you pass random vehicles. Their shape sometimes reflects a ghost signal, even when they are in the next lane.

And yes, it gets extremely fun in bad weather. These systems will (or have already) caused unnecessary accidents.
 
MeatPopsicle said:
How about when you're just driving along, and as you approach an electronic billboard on the tollways, the collision alarm goes off and slams on the brakes for a split second.

Someone told me that the radar they use for the tollway to monitor your toll pass or traffic speed does interfere with the radar.

Also, low bridges seem to set it off too. It's not that it's out of alignment, it's that the radar gets reflected in certain weather conditions. Just as it does when you pass random vehicles. Their shape sometimes reflects a ghost signal, even when they are in the next lane.

And yes, it gets extremely fun in bad weather. These systems will (or have already) caused unnecessary accidents.
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I do not give a damn.

Suppose it did. I kill a family. Rot in jail see a trial or two.

Hammer the table with facts. Radar did it.

Let the rest fall where it may.

Thats one specific reason I do not take radar vehicles. I will absolutely have to see the State I am in literally ban gas combustion engines before I will be forced to let it go.

I do give a damn enough to fight against it. I can see many scenarios around the USA where the radar gets all scared and hammer the binders. It might be on rain, ice or in a delicate position crossing GWB.

One time across the east river the construciton failed to build any sort of railing in the hammer lane of the overpass above that water. You had a foot of pavement under your wheels and a couple of feet to your left that pavement ended where the rails and stuff belongs.

There was absolutely nothing there except open skies and about 140 feet above whats below. In a slow right hand curve. If you were a sleepy head or somehow inattentive your rig would have taken a swan dive clear into the river OR into one of the low rise buildings to the side of that interstate.

One of the buildings is tall enough to impact a radar vehicle in that situation. You are coming up on it as you hit the curve. It will slam the binders and over you go.

Another time, Texas left the interstate from NM Line all the way to Armarillo without a shoulder. Its a three foot fall off edge sharp enough to remove entire front ends and then you if you fell off it. You had 3 inches give or take two. And thats all you got for 60 miles. Actually 64 miles.

I had to do the driving that section because my wife had nightmares of that drop off. She does not do well with such precision for so long.
 
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It will nice when the truck slams on the brakes and the trailer jackknives and decapitates a family in the other lane. All caught on video. I can plausibly say, it wasn't me driving it was the Kenworth.
 
No port said:
It will nice when the truck slams on the brakes and the trailer jackknives and decapitates a family in the other lane. All caught on video. I can plausibly say, it wasn't me driving it was the Kenworth.
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And the owner and title holder of that thing plus the authority etc will cease to exist once the courts get through handing over the entire company, all cash moneys and assets etc lock stock and barrel to the surviving kin.

The Robot did it defense will only get you essentially empty. Then possibly imprisoned.

There are a rash of radar related crashes in our Government Records that accumulate every year. Say the Telsla auto pilot that slammed into a living breathing bright red fire engine with wailing siren and lights.

If you or me or anyone is in that radar truck seat decapitating the family, then you are the fall guy. Dont be stupid driving a radar 18 wheeler.
 
1) Driver, if you think getting 68 back is a "victory," respectfully, you don't have but a box of popcorn; Some smaller terminals DID set their own speed limits. i've already said too much and cannot further comment.
 
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2) Now that i think about it, i feel this way----the setting 68 on cruise and 65 on the pedal is the safer way:

Most cruise controls we have now are adaptive. Therefore, if there is traffic ahead that ISN'T moving at 68, the cruise will slow you down and keep adequate space between yourself and the vehicle in front.

i think our bigger problem is space management, not speed. What was the recommended following distance? 0-30mph 4-6 seconds following distance? 30mph and above 6-8 secs?
 
Speed managment comes from Dispatch mandating 700 miles every 24 hours, logs be damned. You are not allowed to stop anywhere. THATS the real quiet part.

We have governed trucks out the wazoo full of emissions :shit:ting marbles and all sorts of safety this and that piled into mountains of junk on the interstate in real time video in a bit of snow.

What a waste.
 
SAFETY BULLETIN: Regarding Freightliners with adaptive cruise. Do not, REPEAT, do not allow dirt, mud, or snow to build up on the front bumper sensor. This will force the prompt to override adaptive cruise as it won’t be available.
 
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