WASHINGTON — An owner-operator-backed bill aimed at preventing a speed mandate for trucks is getting heavy pushback from safety groups aligning with small-business trucking’s big-business competition.
A coalition that includes Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Truck Safety Coalition, the National Safety Council (NSC) and Road Safe America are lobbying lawmakers to oppose the Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen Wheelers Act, known as the DRIVE Act, which was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month.
The proposal, which would prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from issuing a planned rulemaking requiring trucks to be outfitted with speed governor devices, was immediately opposed by the American Trucking Associations, whose members — many of them — have already invested in such devices for their fleets.
Safety groups are aligning with major trucking companies, warning that the bill would be a major setback at a time when fatalities from truck crashes are on the rise.
“Since 2009, truck crash deaths have increased by 71% with over 5,700 lives lost and nearly 155,000 injured in 2021 (the most recent year for which data is available),” the groups state in a letter to the leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “Fatalities to large truck occupants (largely truck drivers) surged past 1,000 for the first time in nearly 40 years.”
The coalition, which also includes The Trucking Alliance, a group backed by major truckload carriers, and The Road to Zero Coalition, an NSC-managed coalition of cities, counties and state governmental agencies, points out that “arbitrarily stopping FMCSA from this rulemaking process would compromise the agency from pursuing its stated mission — to reduce large truck crash injuries and fatalities.”
According to a recent Trucking Alliance survey, 98% of the 62,000 trucks operated by the group’s member carriers use speed limiter technology, they told lawmakers, with maximum speed settings ranging from 61 mph to 70 mph.
In addition to safety benefits, members of the coalition point to economic advantages of installing speed limiters on fleets.
“Aside from the research that shows speed limiters to be highly effective at reducing high-speed collisions, there is ample real-world use by leading trucking companies that show speed limiters diminish a company’s crashes and improve their profits,” said Road Safe America Co-Founder Steve Owings in a separate statement, referring presumably to money saved by reduced fuel use and other cost savings.
Speed limiters were a topic of debate at a Capitol Hill hearing this week. Lewie Pugh, executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which backs the legislation, argued that studies find having different speed requirements for cars and trucks make the roads less safe. In addition, slowing down goods movement will require more trucks to move the same amount of freight, adding to congestion, Pugh said.
Asked to comment on the coalition forming against the bill, OOIDA underscored the potential for more accidents resulting from speed differentials.
“Nobody cares about road safety more than truck drivers,” said OOIDA President and CEO Todd Spencer in a statement.
“Truckers know this mandate will take safety in the wrong direction. The most significant step the trucking industry could take to improve road safety is to keep experienced, safe drivers in the workforce, so we challenge those who signed this letter to work with us on increasing driver compensation, ensuring restroom access, and expanding truck parking.”
Just another pawn
Who are the companies that speed through the construction zones?? The mega carriers who are pushing for this. Who isn’t affected by major crashes and fatalities?? The mega carriers. One accident can put an owner operator out of business. The Swifts, JB Hunts, Schneiders, Primes are your major accident makers. Along with FedEx and UPS. E logs are a huge factor in these crashes also. Can’t wait until there’s less traffic in the major cities anymore. Now it’s wasting your time in traffic and fining companies for late deliveries. These loads aren’t paying much to begin with. Higher fuel prices and brokers taking advantage of the trucking industry along with lawmakers getting rich from special interest groups. It’s never been about safety. It’s the almighty dollar.
Johnny lott
This restrictions will also cost many drivers along of last wages. And will require us to work all 70 hours in our work week which will cause more wrecks from fatigue.plus longer travel time between delivery of products which will in turn cost more money
Ted Wright
As a driver for over 40 years I can say I’m all for speed governor’s. Today’s new generation o drivers do not understand mass × velocity + center of gravity and the biggest culprits by far are the Punjabs. They are insane! They barrel through metro traffic at 80 mph and they have a huge problem staying centered in their lane. So if speed limiters will slow those idiots down I am all for it.
Jason
Those promoting the mandate are misguided. Having truck speed limited while allowing cars to drive as fast as they like will cause those same car drivers to become more erratic and take more chances to pass slower moving trucks. Also, it it greatly reduces the ability of truck drivers to deal with an ever changing driving environment. There’s a lot of times truck drivers have to drive around the car driver that’s not paying attention, on cellphones, or not familiar with road rules. Its just turning trucks into big obstacles that car drivers will dangerously try to get around
Orrin parker
Said to hear fatalities are on the rise. Fatalities increased since the ELD mandate another awful mandate the FMCSA put forth now they’re talking about speed limiters that will only cause more fatalities what do they want to get it up to 100% fatality rate.
Edward C Sweeny
This is a BAD IDEA to regulate truck speed. It might save fuel, but really causes more problems. Causes Truckers to fall asleep at the wheel, causing more accidents and lives.Not only shipments will fall behind, and to make hiring drivers for these slow trucks. It will cause congestion on the highways.
Scott D
Instead of demanding them on trucks, put speed limiters into personal vehicles instead!
We, as commercial drivers are constantly having to hard brake every time a car has to “get ahead of the truck!”, only to cut us off & brake-check us, causing us to take evasive action & avoiding a crash. No matter what the circumstances, it’s ALWAYS the truck drivers fault!
We aren’t the problem! It’s 4-wheelers!
Joshua
I believe if you look at the data I would say over half of the drivers at fault for crashes resulting fatalities have three years or less. You have big companies that will make a trainer after 90 days of Otr driving. These people are training new drivers just out of a trucking school I believe you should look in that direction and also the drivers that are coming over south of the border as well!!