WASHINGTON — An Oklahoma lawmaker is taking a preemptive shot at a truck speed limiter proposed rule scheduled to be published this year, introducing a bill aimed at stopping it.
The Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen-Wheelers (DRIVE) Act, introduced in the U.S. House on Tuesday by Republican Josh Brecheen, would prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from “implementing any rule or regulation requiring vehicles over 26,000 pounds that are engaged in interstate commerce to be equipped with a speed limiting device set to a maximum speed,” according to a statement from Brecheen. A draft of the bill was not yet available.
FMCSA stated in a notice of intent issued last year that the agency would be proposing that interstate commercial trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 26,001 pounds or more, whichever is greater, be equipped with an electronic engine control unit capable of governing a yet-to-be-determined maximum speed. The notice generated over 15,000 comments, mostly from drivers or small carriers staunchly opposed to it.
Brecheen, a fourth-generation rancher and former trucking company owner, argues the rule would harm the agricultural sector as well as the trucking industry generally because it would include livestock trailer/truck combos and grain trucks.
“This overreach by the Biden Administration has the potential to negatively impact all facets of the agricultural and trucking industries,” Brecheen asserted.
“I know from experience driving a semi while hauling equipment, and years spent hauling livestock, that the flow of traffic set by state law is critical for safety instead of an arbitrary one-size-fits-all speed limit imposed by some bureaucrat sitting at his desk in Washington, D.C. This rule will add one more needless burden and Congress must stop it.
“For example, if a rancher is transporting cattle in a trailer across state lines, under this rule, the federal government would require a speed limiter device when above 26,000 lbs. Out-of-control bureaucrats are trying to impose ridiculous regulations on Americans who are trying to make ends meet.”
Brecheen cited a 2005 study that found that interactions among vehicles traveling 10 mph below the posted speed limit were 227% higher than among vehicles moving at traffic speed. Such interactions lead to more crashes, said Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which supports Brecheen’s bill.
“OOIDA and our 150,000 members in small business trucking across America thank Congressman Brecheen for his leadership in keeping our roadways safe for truckers and for all road users,” Spencer commented.
The bill also has the support of the National Association of Small Trucking Companies, Western States Trucking Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, United States Cattlemen’s Association, Livestock Marketing Association, and the Towing and Recovery Association of America.
The American Trucking Associations, which developed a speed-governing policy for commercial trucks in 2007, initially supported a fixed maximum speed of 65 mph for all Class 7 and 8 trucks with electronic speed governors manufactured after 1992. ATA has since revised its policy to take into account the latest safety technology, and for those types of trucks it now supports speed limiters set to a maximum of 70 mph.
In responding to Brecheen’s bill, ATA suggested that the U.S. Department of Transportation conduct a recurring five-year review of speed governing regulations to ensure they are consistent with current technologies.
“It is vital that any regulation get the details right, and the technologies are changing every year,” said ATA Executive Vice President of Advocacy Bill Sullivan. “These efforts to prohibit the development of safety policies are misguided, they will lead to more serious crashes, and this bill will never become law, even if it passes the House.”
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george mallouk
I’m from Ontario Canada, I am an ex driver and have been running a trucking company for over 32 years. We are governed at 65 MPH, I don’t agree with that speed but I do believe in speed limiters. But it should be a realistic speed. I know that the technology is there to set the speed limit at what the jurisdiction speed limit is. Problem created by the Ontario law is our trucks are always in the way when we get into other Provinces and States with higher speed limits. Or when you just want to get away from another vehicle, the only choice we have is to slow down because we can’t pass anyone. But on the bright side we saved a fortune on fuel when this law came into effect. Before this law we had our trucks set at 78 MPH so our drivers could keep up with everyone else when in the States that have 70 and 75 MPH speed limits. Most of our trucks were getting 4.5 to 5 MPG after we set them to 65 MPH our fleet fuel mileage went up 6 to 7 MPG in the old school trucks.Lots of drivers forget they are driving an 80,000 lb weapon of mass destruction, most have the old braking systems of drums and shoes that are almost always out of adjustment, can’t stop near as fast as they should. So when they are flying at 75 to 80 MPH they do serious damage. Someone cuts you off, or you blow a steer tire, wildlife jumps out in front of you etc. Two things are needed for safety on all roads, first is mandate disc brakes on both trucks and trailers. That should have been done years ago, (all our new equipment we ordered have disc brakes) instead of all the stupidity lawmakers spend on log books thinking they are making our roads safer. Second is speed limiters, at reasonable speeds like approx. 70 MPH. Thats m
Just us4All
The FMCSA Should Stand Down on Initiating these Very Restrictive and Intrusive rules for America’s Truckers.Speed Limiters ELogs Etc. These Pencil Pusher Talking Heads Have Taken the freedom free Sprit and Moral of The Trucking Industry Away Long Ago and Continue to do so. AND In Total Disregard for the Well Being of the Industry.The Driver Shortage ETC. is a Direct Correlation to These Devisive and Restrictive Rules. Rules that Seems to be more about Control Then Safety…SO STAND Down FMCSA!
Carmen A Veneziale Jr
Penske logistics have face recognition cameras in our face. We cannot even eat a cracker or take a sip of water without being written up. In 70 mph road , we are in the way by our speed of 66 mph max. But if you go 69 down hill , you’ll get written up. 35 years driving and 10 years here , that was bought out by Penske. I didn’t need a camera to reach 35 years, but the micro managing behind the wheel will end it soon.
Marin Marquez
Fix the f*cien roads first, the roads are more dangerous, looks like we are in a third world country, we pay too high, highway taxes, we are getting screwed.
Thajearjammer
Never drive fast. So this ruling wouldn’t affect me. But unlike some people I stand for freedoms wether I agree with them or not. It’s called the speed limit! Govment already invested in signs.?Why waste “chips” resources are scarce? Mb why inflation is stagnating? Scarcity. Government busy work. To many capital hill experts no results.
Jeff
Speed limiters are not the answer, they actually cause more accidents, delays for various reasons.
I’m from Canada and speed limiters pose a huge issue causing more traffic delays and accidents.
Our Government won’t admit it.
All that has to be done is better training for commercial drivers and for the law to weed out the bad ones
I know common sense is hard for allot but now we have elds logging which creates another safety issue as allot of drivers think they can’t stop for a coffee etc, so it’s rush rush, this is what us causing major of accidents.
Then you have allot of Companies pushing drivers beyond and silent recourse when they fail.
Wayne Kwiatkowski
Momentum is a very important part of a truck drivers job. Winter conditions make it vital. Being spunout on a hill in winter and putting chains on is not a safe place to be. Yes there are chain up areas before most big hills. But it isn’t as simple as it sounds. We as truck drivers are doing a job. We are transporting goods that are usually on a schedule . We will travel through changing weather conditions and are at the mercy of what ever company maintains the highways what looks nice and sander at bottom of hill could very well be strait ice at top
Wayne Kwiatkowski
The Electronic log should also be cancelled it is an invasion of privacy. Every thing about it is just to save the government money. It has nothing to do with safety on the highways. In reality it will make the highways more dangerous. because the general public will be impatient with all the slow traffic being held up. As every truck driver knows when there is a long line of traffic because of a slower vehicle in the lead is making it so a loaded truck is not able to maintain momentum for a hill. The rest of the line up assumes it is the truckers fault and eventually someone gets impatient and passes in a bad spot.there are so many reasons the whole thing is stupid there is not enough space to write it here. But I am sure there are going to be a lot more accidents on our highways in the near future.