Drivers who violate proposed laws mandating that their trucks be equipped with devices limiting speeds to no more than 70 miles per hour could have safety rating consequences even in states that have higher speed limits, a truck safety group points out.
The latest such proposal, the Cullum Owings Large Truck Safe Operating Speed Act, was introduced in Congress on Tuesday by Reps. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., and John Katko, R-N.Y.
Text of the bill was not available, but according to the Trucking Alliance, a truck safety group that supports the bill, the legislation sets the maximum speed for all commercial motor vehicles at 65 mph, or 70 mph if the truck is equipped with adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking (AEB).
Trucks that were already operating with speed limiters installed would have to set the speed to a maximum 65 mph. Trucks manufactured without speed limiters would not be required to retrofit.
“This will be a new federal motor carrier safety standard,” Lane Kidd, the alliance’s managing director, told FreightWaves.
“So, if in Texas, where the maximum speed limit can be as high as 85 mph, the driver would be in violation of an FMCSA (Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration) safety standard, not the Texas speed limit, which can affect the driver’s safety rating.”
The bill mirrors legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate in 2019 and also named for Owings, a 22-year-old Atlanta resident who was killed in a car-truck collision in 2002 while returning to college.
“Millions of motorists are within a few feet of 80,000-pound tractor-trailer rigs each day and there is no reason why that equipment should be driven at 75 or 80 or 85 miles per hour,” said Trucking Alliance co-founder Steve Williams, who is chairman and CEO of Maverick USA, a flatbed trucking specialist. “This legislation will reduce the severity of large truck crashes and make the nation’s roadways safer for our drivers and all of us.”
Also endorsing the legislation are the Truckload Carriers Association, the Institute for Safer Trucking, Road Safe America and the Safe Operating Speed Alliance.
The Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), however, has long opposed speed-limiter legislation, citing speed differentials between truck drivers and other road users that the group contends make roads less safe.
“Drivers hate speed limiters because of the operational and safety problems they create,” said OOIDA President Todd Spencer in a letter sent to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in March. “Large carriers would love nothing more than to ensure every truck and carrier is stuck with these devices so their drivers stop fleeing for jobs at more trucker-friendly carriers.”
Spencer pointed out that the AEB and adaptive cruise control required for the 70 mph allowance included in the Senate and House bills are costly for his members.
“It’s not just the installation cost of these mandates; these systems can fail and require maintenance and other work leading to significant downtime and repair costs,” he told Buttigieg. “Even worse, our members’ experience with AEB has shown that it doesn’t improve safety but creates new challenges and dangers, such as false or unexpected system activation. These costs and challenges hit small businesses particularly hard, jeopardizing the existence of many of our members, who are often the safest drivers on the road.”
Freight+logistics+enterprises+LLC
As soon as the Democrappers got control, they’re fast pacing regulations down your throat !!
Freight+logistics+enterprises+LLC
This is pure idiocy in an already tight capacity industry that is overwhelmed with regulations, especially ones that are impractical. Trucks have been designed to operate at 75 mph for decades, especially now with disc brakes and all the modern safety engineering. Creating “TRAFFIC SHEAR” Increases deaths, it’s a proven FACT.
HOW ABOUT OPERATING IN REALITY INSTEAD OF EMOTIONS !! This will further increase accidents and deaths from congestion !!
Henry
Umm No.
Do not punish trained skilled drivers for the mistakes of non cdl holders. As you state Cars are the problem so limit them.
Ronnie Edwards
The problem is not the Semi Truck driver, most of the accident are caused by the driver’s of cars. Trying to shut down the owner operator, is not the answer, the Large truck company can not handle all the freight that need to be move up and down the roads ways.
Slowing down the Truck’s is not the answer
Justin Braneky
This is total hypocrisy. Manyi crashes are caused by cars, and not the sole fault of the driver of the semi truck. Work on improvements in training of semi drivers, focus more on equipment safety, but do not limit safe drivers from abiding by the posted speed control devices. This is ridiculous. Today semi trucks are designed for highway speed. The difference between 80 miles an hour and 65 miles an hour in reference to miles per gallon is less than 2/3 of a gallon with a newer truck. Slowing down the speed of trucks will only serve to further congest our roads. To penalize safe drivers is unfair and just more unnecessary bureaucratic legislation.
Kenneth Kusmierz
No wonder there is a severe driver shortage. Our government has, through too many regulations discouraged drivers from staying in the profession and potential drivers from getting in to it. OTR driving is hard enough without the overly stringent regulations, and the ELD is by far way too difficult to incorporate into the job. The lawmakers have no clue of the challenges an OTR driver faces with schedules and appointment times and getting rest. Its so sad, these drivers are bringing Americans everything from there underware to there next meal and on top of this they have to comply with extreme and unreasonable regulations to get the job done. If any lawmaker is reading this please relax the regulations. All a driver needs is 10 hours off duty in each calendar day broken up in as many increments as needed to complete his work day successfully. LET US GET IT DONE WITHOUT HAVING TO JUMP THROUGH ALL THE HOOPS PLEASE AND WE WILL KEEP YOUR STORE SHELVES FULL AND ALL AMERICANS WILL HAVE WHAT THEY NEED. !!!!!!
Earl Bailey
The only people who think these ideas are a good idea are the only people who habe never been in a truck much less been in a truck that has a crash dummy on the front that causes the truck to slam on the brakes for no reason and has another motorist (truck or car) rear end the trailer.
Then when this happens the same idiots running the government fine the company owners for equipment failure that is mandated to be on the trucks all in the name of safety.
Alex
What!? So after just reading an article that stated motorist where largely responsible for truck/automobile crashes because motorist are more than previous years driving while engaged in activities on their cell phone. So let me get this straight CDL drivers have to go through extensive training, are Federally regulated by the hours they can work/drive, as well as Federally prevented from cell phone usage while operating a Commercial vehicle, yet Commercial drivers are viewed as a danger on the Highways. Those advocating for this rule should ride with a Commercial driver before they open their mouths with no understanding of what they are talking about.