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.”
Ralph Blessing
Having grown up in Europe I think we can take care of the problem by regulating when trucks can be on the roads. During peak hours, 7-9 in the morning and 4-6 at nights, only cars should be on the road. That way there is less chance for issues to occur with 18-wheelers. I have witnessed too many instances where truckers feel that just because they are bigger, cars will stop for them when they just pull out. Yes I do agree there are also those drivers that believe trucks can stop on a dime. In addition, I believe you have too many truckers who clearly do not meet the qualifications (speak English) on the road. I believe the requirements to get a CDL A license requires you read, write and speak English.
clayton
I have been saying for years that we have the technology for universal compliance to speed limits. Let’s have every car and truck have max speed control. But allow for over speed for passing for say 5 minutes.
This would eliminate the need for officers having to write tickets and free them up for other in forcement duties.
Let’s move out of the dark ages and use technology.
Wendy Morar
I am with a mega carrier and the honest truth about the increase in crashes is pumping out new drivers who are not trained enough and the 4 wheelers in too big of a hurry to get around semi truck. I see on a daily basis how being limited on speed causes road rage by 4 wheelers. Speed limiters are not the answer.
larry R lockett
The mega fleets only reason for speed limiters for everyone is to remove any competition from owner operators. Universal speed limiters will create huge bottlenecks on the nation’s highways and slow product delivery even more that government regulations has already slowed boat to customer delivery times. At some point the government should listen to us guys that have been in trucking most our life vs. lobbyists with a agenda.
Brian
The Ata is a group of mega carriers. They cite these crash numbers constantly. Just once I’d like to see a reporter with enough moxy to remind them that the largest part of those crashes belong to their members because they hire untrained idiots.
James
Slowing down trucks should be an absolute last result. The average speed traveled on the highway by normal vehicles is 80-85mph. If you want to reduce fatal crashes start by hiring enough troopers that they can enforce speed limit compliance. Or govern regular vehicles.
I’ve already paid a lawyer to sue for the government regulating my profits if they do. The federal government can’t put a limit on how much profit I can make in a year. Let them try to force this. I’ll be coming at them for $12billion.
Mike L
When speed limits are 70 and over, and traffic regularly does 10-15mph over, having a truck limited from 61-70 is far more dangerous than just letting the drivers control their speed. Instead of doing that, just mandate tires that can handle higher speeds, and stop with the retreads. That would help safety far more than speed limiters.
CHERYL BAUS
A lot of really good comments here. 23 years experience here, driving local in NJ, PA, DE, MD, VA. So many changes in that time. We are over regulated, that’s for sure. We’re only talking about the trucks here but the FMCSA also regulates our health and I for one feel they have intruded into my life.What other industry has that kind of imposition in the name of safety? I’ve seen speed limiters ad naseum from 68 to 61 to 65 all with same company in the past 21 years. Not to mention so called safety equipment that demands my attention in following distance, hitting the shoulder line, and didn’t even get me started on the damn camaras. Sometimes, I think, we’re so “safe” we’re unsafe. And thru all of this the companies whose products we haul and the companies we work for, not to mention the FMCSA or any part of the federal government has done NOTHING to educate the motoring public in how to act around us. All of them have made untold billions of dollars off of our backs and won’t spend one dime to protect us. I’m talking about public service annoncements. Nothing new about any of this. We are constantly being treated like we’re the enemy. I’ve got 2 years left before retirement and I can’t wait.