Speeding trucks: Driving faster than 100km/h: Truth or Myth

Vote for Pedro on 22/06/2019 - 10:34
Last edited 23/06/2019 - 19:31

We know trucks are limited to 100km/h and some (not sure if all) have speed limiters. We’ve all probably also experienced driving the speed limit on a freeway and being overtaken by a truck.

What is the experience of OzBargain members and thoughts.

Dashcam evidence links encouraged :-)

Ps. Just because it’s downhill, it's still speeding.

Update: Speed check using Waze

M5 run between Fairford Rd and Hume Hwy Liverpool both directions. Was able to reasonably sit speedo on 100. Waze showed mostly 98 with the occasional dip to 97 with a quick return to 98.

Not scientific as it relies on me judging the 100 speedo mark and other variables but gotta love Toyota. 2% is fair.

Poll Options expired

  • 257
    Happens all the time
  • 14
    I’ve seen it occasionally
  • 12
    Doesn’t happen!
Automotive

Comments

        • pegaxs on 22/06/2019 - 11:18
          +1

          Speed limiter is not based on the speedo, but the speedo may get its readings from the speed limiter. And trucks are covered by the same ADR. The speedo cannot read "under" speed (ie: speedo says 100, truck doing 110.) But there is nothing to say that it cant be bang on (ie: 100 read, doing 100 actual)

          On the highway, it's easier to just mash the pedal to the floor and know that the limiter will hold it at 100km/h. Typically, most of the trucks I have driven, the limiter v's GPS (I have a 5Hz dedicated speed test GPS) it's usually 100 indicated and at worst about 98 actual in a truck. Most cars I test, its 100 indicated and about 92~96 actual.

          My motorcycle was so bad that I ended up putting a "speedo healer" on it to fix it. On the freeway, I was constantly being passed. Tested it, and at 100 indicated, I was doing 88. Well under ADR. With the speedo healer on, indicated is 100, actual is 99. The same can be done for cars if you want it to read more accurately.

          • Vote for Pedro on 22/06/2019 - 11:35

            @pegaxs: Without buying a gps unit, is there an ios app you recommend to test my speed vs speedo. I’ll then come back and share my findings on my car.

            Edit: I see waze is recommended online

            • pegaxs on 22/06/2019 - 11:41
              +1

              @Vote for Pedro: Most of the speed apps are ok for general testing of a vehicle. They are accurate enough in most phones to get a general idea of just how out your speedo is. Most of them will read to the closest km/h, which is good enough for this test. I use Waze, and it seems pretty bang on compared to my test equipment.

              Just make sure when you are testing to compare, that you are in open sky, phone is clear of obstructions and go for a drive in a 80~100 zone. Report back, I would been keen to know.

              • Vote for Pedro on 22/06/2019 - 13:13

                @pegaxs: M5 run between Fairford Rd and Hume Hwy Liverpool both directions. Was able to reasonably sit speedo on 100. Waze showed mostly 98 with the occasional dip to 97 with a quick return to 98.

                Not scientific as it relies on me judging the 100 speedo mark and other variables but gotta love Toyota. 2% is fair.

                So I guess when I’m doing 100 or 110 and trucks, or any vehicle for that matter, overtake (quite easily) I’m reasonably safe to assume they’re doing more than 100km/h

                • pegaxs on 22/06/2019 - 14:05
                  +2

                  @Vote for Pedro: You are making assumptions based on your own confirmation bias. You are seeing it how you want to see it and making the data you have fit the facts you want to be true.

                  Do some trucks speed, of course. Is it impossible for them to speed, of course not. But, are there systems to minimise and reduce the ability and amount of speeding, absolutely. It seems you have an agenda to demonise trucks and truck drivers and will fudge the facts to suit yourself.

                  I’ve tried to explain why you may be being passed by trucks on the highway, but you don’t want to hear it because it doesn’t suit your outrage narrative. So, have at it, but I’m out.

                  • Vote for Pedro on 22/06/2019 - 14:16
                    -1

                    @pegaxs: I went for a drive and took a look at what the data said. Even you said waze was ok. Now you got your knickers in a knot because the data says 2% error.

                    So, first you argue that the speedo is wrong. When that’s shown a error of only 2% and not the 5 or 10 you were hoping for, then you argue that I’m using data to confirm my own bias.

                    Sorry, I think 🤷‍♂️

                  • Vote for Pedro on 22/06/2019 - 14:25

                    @pegaxs: Ps, no agenda. It arose from the other forum. I made a statement that I feel is true based on my own experience. Someone not agreeing with you doesn’t mean they have an agenda.

                    It’s not intended to demonise anyone.

                    But it is intended to have a discussion about whether some do despite the speed limiter of 100.

                    • pegaxs on 22/06/2019 - 16:07
                      +3

                      @Vote for Pedro: I don’t know why the hell I am biting, but this has become an obvious troll…

                      I didn’t “argue” that speedos are wrong, I said that there is a manufacturer tolerance built into car speedos, and under ADR, these errors can only be up to 10% and not read under what the car is actually doing. In saying that, I said that almost all cars have a variance within this 10%.

                      You have confirmed that your car has “an error”, not how large the error is. Your “guesstimate” is that is “may” be about 2%. This is normal, and I wasn’t hoping for anything. It’s your speedo and your car. It did prove a point, that there is an error.

                      Your agenda is obvious. Its narrative is basically… “While I’m driving, my car says I’m doing 100. I get passed by some trucks, ergo, all trucks speed.” which simply isn’t the case.

                      When presented with information on how a truck speed limiter works and the implications behind exceeding the speed limit and tampering with the system and the possible repercussions for the driver, the manager and the owners of the vehicle, it’s just not worth it, you just don’t seem to want to absorb it.

                      Trucks over a certain size have to be fitted with speed limiters, by law. The system involved in regulating the speed is not something MacGuyver can bypass with a stick of gum and 3 matchsticks. You can’t just make it go away, and if you get caught, you could be looking at lots of downtime and having your vehicle off the road if you found fudging the onboard systems. Trucks are not cars. Trucks are a business. If you lose your truck, you can’t just “catch the bus”.

                      The issue I have is that you’re making it sound like truck speeding is rife, when the actual truth is a more benign than you want to believe. The truth of it is that I agree, in speed zones less than 100, trucks speeding can be an issue, but at speeds over 100, the likelihood of it happening is not as often as you are trying to make yourself believe, due in part to the amount of systems that are used to keep truck speed limits in check.

                      Limiters, logbooks and over the road tracking average speed cameras make it very very hard to someone to speed in a truck out on the highway, let alone blasting past you when you are doing 110km/h. It’s mostly confirmation bias. You see a truck pass you, and because it’s a truck, you instantly label it as speeding, because it’s passing a car.

                      Anyway, feel free to take nothing from this, like the last replies where I’ve tried to explain why it’s possible but improbable and content yourself that all trucks are speeding if they pass cars. I obviously can’t make you see beyond the blinders you have one, so, with that, I’m in subbing from this thread. I have already wasted more time explaining something that most reasonable people could pick up on a first round.

      • gromit on 23/06/2019 - 13:12
        +2

        no, trucks have much tighter calibration. The fines are too great for speeding for them and the lost revenue for driving well below the limit is also too great.

    • stumo on 23/06/2019 - 00:43
      +1

      Why dont you drive at 100kph on the GPS, then read what your speedo says. That will give you a better idea of how much your speedo overreads.

      • Vote for Pedro on 23/06/2019 - 09:27

        Will try that next time I’m on m5.

        The reason I did it that way was because a forum member here suggested that when my speedo shows 100 I’m actually going a lot slower and thats why trucks are flying by.

        The test was to see what I’m doing according to waze when my speedo says 100. I’m reasonably ok with 98. I know it’s not scientific.

        I occasionally do those speed sign tests as well. You know the 1 to 5 km signs. Usually fairly bang on.

        • stumo on 23/06/2019 - 10:17

          I occasionally do those speed sign tests as well. You know the 1 to 5 km signs. Usually fairly bang on.

          No thats testing the odometer, which is designed to be accurate. The needle showing speed is designed to overread.

          The signs I mean are the laser speed measuring ones with the display that shows your speed. There are a coupke I know of on freeways in and out of melbourne.

          • Vote for Pedro on 23/06/2019 - 10:24

            @stumo: I’m no expert, but in NSW they’re labelled as speed check. Not sure why RTA (RMS) would label them like that then.

      • Vote for Pedro on 27/06/2019 - 16:08

        So did the 100km/h on gps today on same stretch of road. Needle sat halfway between 100 and 105.

  • [Deactivated] on 22/06/2019 - 11:13
    +12

    I set the following cruise control speeds in my vehicle in NSW and have received no fines anywhere (fixed cameras in tunnels etc)

    86km/hr in a 80 zone.
    107km/hr in a 100 zone.
    118km/hr in a 110 zone.

    I pass many, many vehicles with cruise control set at these speeds.

    • bhm133 on 22/06/2019 - 23:33
      +2

      Mine is 115 for a 110 zone. Also never ever had a problem.

      A long time ago when on my P's (a REALLY long time ago), I was pulled over for doing 120 down Geelong way (my fault, but I might start an ozbargain thread on it one day with a new name). Policeman said to do 105 and all will be OK. He was referring to the calibration errors in car speedo's as well as margins of erro in radar.

      Since that time I have not had a speeding fine.

      Apart from the one time…..

    • payless69 on 23/06/2019 - 07:39

      I did that for ages and it saved me heaps of time and money. But now in QLD we do no longer have a honest govt and they can fine you with faulty equipment. I was recently forced to pay for being accused of speeding in daytime when the photo clearly showed the situation at night time.

    • stringbean402 on 23/06/2019 - 09:30

      My Mitsubishi Lancer matches pretty much exactly this.

  • tranter on 22/06/2019 - 11:39

    Yeah often see trucks speeding even when taking speedo discrepancies into account.

  • kaBargain on 22/06/2019 - 11:49

    I wouldn't trust any speedo as 100% accurate. Can we trust that a GPS readout from a phone or GPS dashcam is accurate though? Whenever I've seen a "GPS speed" with an app or dashcam it always seems to show about 94km/h when going 100km/h. -never properly checked it with my car though.

    Anyone know if the latest phones with dual frequency GPS help improve the speed accuracy?
    https://www.xda-developers.com/dual-frequency-gnss-important…

    Also, has anyone else used Google Maps recently and have the new GPS speed update? Mine seems to be dead accurate on flat surfaces (hills don't play nice). I haven't checked if the Google Maps speed matches the raw value from any other GPS Speed apps though in case Google Maps is messing around with the numbers.

    Any speed check signs seem to show 100km/h my dash says 101-102km/h which seems close enough and seems to point to the Google Maps GPS speed as being accurate.

    • Vote for Pedro on 22/06/2019 - 11:52

      Actually I forgot about speed check signs. Did one about 2 months ago and it was almost bang on.

      • spaceflight on 23/06/2019 - 00:04
        +1

        I was let of from a speeding fine because i adjusted my speed to what the sign told me. The police told me those signs are not accurate.

        • Vote for Pedro on 23/06/2019 - 09:44

          I’d misread, what i was referring to was the 0 to 5km signs on side of road

    • stumo on 23/06/2019 - 00:38

      My new google maps reads 1kph slower at 100kph than the other app I use on the same phone at the same tine. The otjer app is a tomtom speed camera app and it overlays ontop of maps so i can see both readouts.

      GPS in general is a flakey way of measuring speed uless you are on a flat straight road at constant speed.

      I use an OBD2 reader which gives me a digital readout and have checked it against those laser speed displays.

      FWIW I drive at an actual 104kph, and I rarely get overtaken and never by trucks.

      • Musing Outloud on 23/06/2019 - 13:35

        I have tried a range of phone GPS apps and tested them under the same conditions in a batch on a long flat straight road with the cruise control set. They were all pretty close (+/-1km/hr), except one that read close to -3 km/hr. I understand this consistency may not necessarily mean accuracy.

        They all had various averaging techniques. Some too fast and chased themselves up & down, others slower, one too slow to update and read 10-20 km/hr for seconds after I stopped, depending on how hard I decelerated, before zeroing out at a stop.

        Some cruise controls can be set at a speed between settings (say 95km/hr when the usual 2 km/hr set points are 94 and 96 km/hr, but if you click the speed up and then down it reverts to the set speed levels.

        I set my cruise control at about 4 to 6 km/hr over the limit via the GPS on a flat straight section, and also am rarely overtaken.

  • Mike88 on 22/06/2019 - 12:44
    +4

    seen plenty of trucks speeding, accounting for speed discrepancy from my own speedo. I'm more concerned with them tail gating which seems to be common practise.

    • yolo123456789 on 22/06/2019 - 12:58
      +1

      agree! my main issue is not them speeding (don't get me wrong, speeding still a problem regardless if you're a truck or car) but trucks tailgating and switch lanes and overtaking smaller cars like there is no tomorrow.

  • altomic on 22/06/2019 - 12:53
    +6

    if you watch this video then this truck is clearly doing 110km/h

    Truck crossed 25 white lines in 10 seconds. Each white line is 10 feet itself and the distance between the lanes are 30 feet, in total 40 feet.

    25 x 40 = 1000 feet
    1000 feet = .308 meters in 10 seconds
    .308 meters x 6 = 1.848
    1.848 x 60 = 110 KMPH

    Max speed for these kind of trucks in NSW is 100 KMPH

    (this comment is sarcasm)

  • SydStrand on 22/06/2019 - 13:40
    +1

    I've compared speedo vs GPS and my car overestimates by 5-6%. On 100 roads, I tend to put cruise control into 105 with zero problems.

    I would never completely exclude trucks speeding, but like mine, it's probably more the OP's speedo.

    • Vote for Pedro on 22/06/2019 - 13:43

      Did a test using waze. See edit to post. Speedo = 100, waze = 98. 2% is pretty good.

  • ronnknee on 22/06/2019 - 14:06
    +2

    Found ausmansan's main account.

  • stargalaxy on 22/06/2019 - 16:21
    -1

    I usually don't speed until I get a speeding ticket, so unless you knows a truckie that got a speeding ticket, he is not speeding.

    • Vote for Pedro on 22/06/2019 - 16:25

      Everything is legal until you get caught?

  • Euphemistic on 22/06/2019 - 17:28
    +1

    No votes for Pedro. Don’t let it worry you.

    Trucks are scrutinised way more than cars. If there is a choice between pulling over a car speeding a bit or a truck speeding a bit I can guess which one the copper is going to pick. They get weighed, log books, hours of work, different alcohol limits and all sorts of stuff. Cars have very little policing in comparison.

    Here in nsw the speed limit is 110 for cars in most areas where a truck can travel consistently at 100 so I pass them all. Out on the highways, the corners and hills slow them down enough that a car is usually stuck behind a truck.

    There is no problem.

    • Vote for Pedro on 22/06/2019 - 17:50

      If there’s no problem as you assert, then at the very least truck drivers have a marketing problem, because overwhelming perception is the opposite. That’s going by the OzB poll responses.

      • Euphemistic on 23/06/2019 - 06:36

        It’s called confirmation bias.

        • Vote for Pedro on 23/06/2019 - 09:29

          I’m going to use that one next time things don’t go how I want them to.

      • SydStrand on 23/06/2019 - 22:53
        -2

        That has less to do with trucker 'marketing' than widespread ignorance of car owners. Blows my mind that most people still don't know their speedo rounds up.

        Plus, it doesn't help that many drivers are simply petrified of trucks. I see it all the time on the M1, held up by slow cars in the overtaking lane because they can't tolerate driving alongside trucks. Or drivers who back off rather than drive between two trucks. It's like people can't judge just how wide vehicles are.

        So I can absolutely see why people are absolutely convinced that big scary trucks are speeding down the freeway, when much evidence points to the contrary.

        • Baghern on 24/06/2019 - 16:01

          you ding dong, its called buffering, you should always avoid driving next to a truck/bus

          • SydStrand on 24/06/2019 - 18:39

            @Baghern: I ride a bike. I know what buffering is. You can safely overtake a truck without fearing to drive parallel to one. It's the same people who turning adjacent to a truck over-correct with huge turns, usually into other lanes.

  • aussieprepper on 22/06/2019 - 18:36

    I drive on the M1 a fair bit and now with the road works they have the speed check signs up. My dash cam has a built in GPS speedo and its always on point. Some of the speed reading signs are a bit of, they read a few kms high compared to the rest.
    Doing 110kmh on the dash cam is around 118kmh on my dash speedo which is what i stick to even past the speed cameras and highways never had an issue so far.
    Now my next post will be me getting done lol.

    As for truckies i have had trucks pass while doing 110kmh but you don't get many.

  • Never Pay RRP on 22/06/2019 - 21:24
    +1

    Out of curiosity, why do you care?

    • Vote for Pedro on 22/06/2019 - 23:00
      -1

      Why does anyone care about anything on these forums 🤷‍♂️

      And as you’d be able to see above, I started it as a side topic from another trending topic

  • bhm133 on 22/06/2019 - 23:29
    +1

    The speed limiter can be altered with. This is, of course, illegal. In saying this, on the Hume between Melb and Syd (put into whichever order you want), I am regularly overtaken by trucks (at night), especially on the straights around Violet Town. My needle sits on 105, so with a margin of error, I am just over 100.

  • Lockieasy on 23/06/2019 - 00:08
    -2

    Can't remember the last time I got overtaken by a truck.

    Perhaps you could try and stop driving pathetically slow on highways and you'll stop getting overtaken by them.

  • stumo on 23/06/2019 - 00:31
    +2

    Toyotas are notoriously bad for overreading on the speedo.

    • Vote for Pedro on 23/06/2019 - 09:31
      -1

      Apparently not

      • nutbeat on 23/06/2019 - 09:41
        +1

        My prado tells me I'm doing 96 when I'm doing 100.
        My mothers camry is 95.

        • Vote for Pedro on 23/06/2019 - 09:45

          Mine shows 98

          • stumo on 23/06/2019 - 09:57

            @Vote for Pedro: To you using your judgement of the needle. Like I said before. You need to do a steady 100kph of GPS speed. You can clearly see that because it is a digital readout. Do that and then tell us what you think the needle on your car is saying. I guarantee you it will be more than 102.

            • Vote for Pedro on 23/06/2019 - 09:59

              @stumo: Yes, and you’ll see that’s exactly what I said in earlier posts. According to my judgement. Not scientific. Got it.

              I also explained why i did the 100 on speedo

              • stumo on 23/06/2019 - 10:03

                @Vote for Pedro: Why wont you just do it against GPS speed rather than needle? It would help cancel out the error in your judgement. We all know your "measurement" of 98kph is rubbish. I guess it will nullify your entire argument though.

                • Vote for Pedro on 23/06/2019 - 10:05
                  -1

                  @stumo: 🤦‍♂️ if you read my other posts you’d see that I’ll give it a shot. Feel free to stop clutching at straws whenever you’re ready.

                  • stumo on 23/06/2019 - 10:13
                    +2

                    @Vote for Pedro: A better idea for a thread would be:
                    Toyota Drivers: Self-righteously Driving at 95km/h shaking fist at others doing 100km/h: Truth or Myth

                • Vote for Pedro on 27/06/2019 - 16:08

                  @stumo: So did the 100km/h on gps today on same stretch of road. Needle sat halfway between 100 and 105.

  • nutbeat on 23/06/2019 - 09:40
    +5

    I mostly drive between Melbourne and Sydney, my truck will do about 102 on the flat (according to Waze, and the speed check signs which are variable depending on weather conditions).

    Let's just take the section between Euroa and Glenrowan which is nearly all flat road, on average now most nights I get overtaken by pretty much zero trucks on the flat, as I'm doing my criminally insane 102, comparing this to ten years ago there were plenty of trucks kicking along 10-15 over easy.
    The compliance is too strict now that company drivers usually won't even bother, and company owners are too paranoid to allow it to happen, a lot more trucks are GPS monitored now and drivers won't get away with their own tampering, however, owner drivers may choose to take the VERY substantial risk and do it themselves.

    The ADR stuff has already been explained in here, so I'll keep my anecdotal as OP and most whinging car drivers are running off anecdotal experiences anyway, police won't even take a second glance at a truck doing 101/102, even some of them will turn a blind eye up to 104, I believe 103.8 is the threshold for flat road speed in a 100 limited heavy vehicle (open to correction, I can't find the actual information for this at the moment).

    So I pass a lot of car drivers, hardly any of them are sitting on 100, funnily enough they like to push it up to 100 when they see me starting to come around them, and leave me sitting in the right lane until I pull back in behind them again and then they magically drop back to about 98.

    My personal observations coming from doing approx 250,000kms a year are that if you think 101-103 is SPEEDING then yep plenty of trucks are SpEeDiNg, but the vast majority of car drivers are not doing the speed limit, and because this is Australia they don't have to and that's fine, if it's a big problem for you maybe you should start a campaign to get trucks reduced to 90, or just go about your business and either do the speed limit or try and keep out of people's way when they're trying to work and then you probably won't be affected.

    • Vote for Pedro on 23/06/2019 - 09:51
      -7

      If what you are saying is true,clearly truck drivers have an image problem then because most quiet OzBargainers perceive there to be a problem.

      Getting all worked up and attacking car drivers isn’t going to fix that for you.

      • afoveht on 23/06/2019 - 10:55
        +4

        most quiet OzBargainers perceive there to be a problem.

        Where are you getting this? The positive poll does not suggest any "problem."

        Getting all worked up and attacking car drivers isn’t going to fix that for you

        Do you not realize that no one is attacking you - they are just raising contrary information? Perhaps you're dealing with cognitive dissonance?

        As a car driver I see truckies as mostly responsible. At times i've chatted with them at roadhouses / servos, heard their stories, and they've always come across as genuinely concerned for safety. OTOH I see all sorts of car driving that I would remove from the road immediately if it was up to me. It's a small wonder truckies can put up with much of the car driving out there, day after day after day. Imagine having to work with incompetent co-workers or daft customers all day - I imagine the life of a truckie is a bit like that. Give them a break.

        • Vote for Pedro on 23/06/2019 - 11:17

          It suggests a perception in this community that trucks exceed the speed limit. To me speeding is a problem. Whether true or not, that’s how this community perceives it

          And yes, he was having a go at car drivers.

          So I pass a lot of car drivers, hardly any of them are sitting on 100, funnily enough they like to push it up to 100 when they see me starting to come around them, and leave me sitting in the right lane until I pull back in behind them again and then they magically drop back to about 98.

          Ps. I agree there are some car drivers that need to resit their licence test. Isn’t it scary that our current regime allows them to be on the road.

          I’m sure being a truck driver is difficult. But this discussion is about breaking the law and the perception of breaking the law. There’s no excuse for breaking the law

          • afoveht on 23/06/2019 - 11:35
            +1

            @Vote for Pedro: That quote was not having a go at car drivers - it was a statement of fact. The driving behavior quoted pisses me off too.

            There’s no excuse for breaking the law

            That's just lazy. Some laws suck, some laws are good. They should always be scrutinized.

            • Vote for Pedro on 23/06/2019 - 11:36
              -2

              @afoveht: Ok, there’s no excuse for speeding

              You know my favourite behaviour is. When it’s a 2 lane freeway and a truck goes to overtake another truck but is only going 2km/h faster and it takes forever.

              • afoveht on 23/06/2019 - 11:55

                @Vote for Pedro: Pregnant woman in labour? Getting through a red light camera without a harsh brake? Passing a clumsy driver? There's always an excuse. You're just being lazy again.

                If you're not being harmed or put at risk then perhaps you should consider the appropriateness of the existing truckies' speed limits rather than just demand their enforcement. I certainly support safe driving but some of the rules in this place, especially about speeds on straight roads out in the open, are ridiculous.

                • Vote for Pedro on 23/06/2019 - 12:07

                  @afoveht: Nice whataboutism.

                  If there’s a valid excuse, elect to have the matter heard in court. Let the magistrate decide. If you believe ACA, Jones and Hadley the courts are too soft anyway.

                  I absolutely demand the law be enforced. Doesn’t stop me from lobbying for change if I don’t agree.

                  You don’t just break the law because you don’t agree with it. That’s being lazy and a lawbreaker.

                • spaceflight on 23/06/2019 - 22:54

                  @afoveht:

                  There's always an excuse.

                  Just because you have an excuse doesn't mean you should be speeding.

                  especially about speeds on straight roads out in the open, are ridiculous.

                  Except that speed kills. The faster you go through more likey you are to die in a cash.

          • Tuftsdude on 23/06/2019 - 14:00

            @Vote for Pedro: I negged you fyi. Why do you think it's okay for someone to speed up when a faster car is trying to overtake them, then slow down again when it is behind them? Drivers that do that are cancer.

            • Vote for Pedro on 23/06/2019 - 14:08

              @Tuftsdude: I don’t. That’s the worst. Just saying that the argument ‘but they’re worse’ doesn’t stack up. But are car drivers biggest culprit in that action, imo yes.

              Appreciate you being upfront :-)

          • nutbeat on 24/06/2019 - 09:01

            @Vote for Pedro: I actually wasn't having a go at car drivers, I am a car driver as well, my friends and family are all car drivers (some good ones some awful ones).

            You see, a fairly large proportion of my job is just trying not to kill dumb people, it really shouldn't be like that, I'm just trying to transport stuff, get home and get paid, but people keep putting themselves in dangerous situations, that I then need to compensate for and reduce / negate the danger that THEY are now in. MOST car drivers just drive for themselves and don't look past the bonnet of their car, we have to drive for ourselves and for everyone around us, and yes that is all part of being a truck driver, it's something you don't realise until you step into the profession, unless you grow up around trucks.

            I can give you a very good example of an excuse for "breaking the law", I am driving along doing 102 (like a big filthy criminal), the speed limit is 110, you are coming up beside me and you're doing 103 (guess your speedo must be out of whack because you think you're doing about 110), you're just happy enough on your cruise control being a law abiding citizen, and out you pop into the right lane to overtake me, and there you sit for about five minutes until you're past me.

            Sounds good yeah?

            Not so, it is infintely more dangerous for you to be sitting beside a truck for that period of time than it would be to just stick the boot into it and do a few kms over the speed limit to get past me and get away from me, all sorts of things can go wrong, I could blow a steer tyre and the whole unit would just career into and over your car, the truck driver could be playing with snapchat or some other dumb stuff that people do and wobble over the lines into you, he could be tired and didn't pull up when he should have, there's too many variables.

            I'm not sure what it is about this 100 kmph thing that you're being so precious about, it's kind of strange to be honest that you're so obsessed with it.

            • tranter on 24/06/2019 - 09:57

              @nutbeat: If you were doing no more than the maximum permissible speed allowed by law then the car would have passed you in a shorter amount of time. Not really a good example to demonstrate your point.

              • nutbeat on 24/06/2019 - 12:04

                @tranter: Well it was just that, an example, there are so many variables to consider, what if the car was doing 102 and I was doing 100, are we really to argue over 2kmph?
                The point I was making was that it is safer to exceed the speed limit to get away from a dangerous situation, than to dawdle along with a big truck beside you, I am sorry that you missed the point.

            • coin saver on 24/06/2019 - 10:04

              @nutbeat: So why do trucks come up alongside cars and do the same thing?I would also rather be sitting alongside you when a driver fails to give way to the right.

              • nutbeat on 24/06/2019 - 12:02

                @coin saver: I'm not here to speak for all truck drivers or defend any other truck drivers, plenty of idiots driving trucks too, but the only reason you would find me out in the right lane overtaking a car (in a highway situation) is if they're driving too slow for me to sit behind them, or if I have moved over to let them join from a ramp and they've decided to speed up and just sit beside me in my blind spot.
                Due to speed limiters we don't have the luxury of accelerating out of a dangerous situation.

            • Vote for Pedro on 24/06/2019 - 17:00

              @nutbeat: What I think you’re trying to do is frame your argument around 100 vs 102 - an argument that makes this topic seem petty (as it would). Nice debating tactic. I don’t think anyone gives a hoot about 2km/h.

              What we’re talking about is a little more than 2.

      • SydStrand on 23/06/2019 - 23:21
        +1

        clearly truck drivers have an image problem then because most quiet OzBargainers perceive there to be a problem.

        That's some Bill O'Reilly logic there. Most Ozbargainers are unaware of the workings of their own cars, so whether they perceive a problem is immaterial so long as the truck drivers obey the speed limit.

        Anonymous, online straw polling like this is pointless because it aggregates bad opinions and emboldens ignorance. It's like how A Current Affair gets 98% positive responses to questions like 'Have YOU been ripped off by a shonky builder?' It's obviously ridiculous to suggest that 98% of builders are dodgy, but people overwhelmingly feel aggrieved. Justified? Probably not, but it's red meat for dummies.

    • Vote for Pedro on 23/06/2019 - 11:51
      -1

      On a side note, if the standard is the same for all vehicles, where’s the evidence that truck speedo’s are any more accurate than a cars speedo?

      • spaceflight on 23/06/2019 - 23:19
        +1

        where’s the evidence that truck speedo’s are any more accurate than a cars speedo?

        Why don't you call a truck company and ask if they regularly calibrate their Speedo?

        But truck drivers do not use their speedo to make sure they do not exceed their limited speed.

        They have speed limiting devices to limit the speed.

        You can read about it here
        https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2006L02297

      • Vote for Pedro on 24/06/2019 - 17:03

        … seems like 95% of OzBargainers perceive that some exceed that limit. Most even believe it happens all the time. We all know that success of various things is based around ‘confidence’. At the moment the community has no confidence that it doesn’t happen.

        • altomic on 25/06/2019 - 09:44

          perceive

          infers belief.

          unless it is being measured with calibrated equipment then your argument is weak as it consists of hearsay and conjecture without any sound basis.

          • Vote for Pedro on 25/06/2019 - 10:00
            +1

            @altomic: I said exactly what I meant. Nonetheless, thanks for feeling like you needed to explain the English language to me.

    • Baghern on 24/06/2019 - 16:07
      +1

      comparing this to ten years ago there were plenty of trucks kicking along 10-15 over easy

      That explains alot

      Personally I don't believe most of our cars/roads are built for anything above 100. If you can "feel" it, you probably shouldnt be doing it.

      Was in my mates new luxury sports car last year, felt like nothing at 110, yeah that's built for going above 100

    • Smith1988 on 24/06/2019 - 23:44
      +1

      103.8 is the maximum if you have brand new drive tyres, the difference between new 11r’s and ones on the wear markers is 3.8kmh

  • HeWhoKnows on 23/06/2019 - 12:57

    Whats your problem ????

    Trucks travelling slightly over the speed limit is NOT a problem for 99.9% of people

    But for OP it is… Seriously OP get a life!

    Try sitting behind a truck travelling well UNDER the speed limit !

    • Vote for Pedro on 23/06/2019 - 13:03

      Apparently it’s a thing for 92.5% of OzBargainers as well.

      I’m happy to sit behind a truck or car doing the speed limit

  • figjamone on 23/06/2019 - 13:04

    Since 2006 the law has changed and all cars now travel slower then there speedometer say so a gps will give you a clearer view if 1/ You travel on a flat surface of road travelling in a northly direction so the satellite can see your gps for a kilometre 2/ Do this at different speeds so you can see what speed you are actually doing. eg 60ks 80ks and 100ks that will tell you why you haven’t been done for speeding. Your six months check at toyota won’t change your speedometer,having 50,000 is on your tyres will increase your speed as they are smaller than new.

    • Vote for Pedro on 23/06/2019 - 13:07
      -1

      I’m ok with that. It’s not the speedo I care about.

      Notwithstanding, according to some other opposing view posters here, the same speedo error margin rules apply to trucks.

      So cars and truck speedos playing to the same error rules

      The Toyota check comment specifically related to the safety argument someone put to me and not speedo.

    • Euphemistic on 23/06/2019 - 14:38

      GPS is much more accurate than that. Depending on what device you are using the location is updated every second or three and the software interprets your position and then the speed is determined between location points and updated very regularly. Within a few seconds at speed it will determine your actual speed. If you had to travel north for a km for it to work, the speed should wander around by several km/h but it doesn’t. My devices might lag by 5sec or so when I change speed but it is always proportional to the Speedo. It shows lower than the needle indicates by 4km/h low at 60 and 7 low at 110.

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