OOIDA: Support effort to stop speed limiter mandate

Thousands of truck drivers have voiced their displeasure with the government’s attempt to mandate speed limiters on commercial motor vehicles.

Now, truck drivers have a bill they can support to stop speed limiters from becoming a reality.

Last week, Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., introduced the Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen Wheelers Act. The bill, HR3039, would prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from promulgating any rule or regulation mandating speed limiters.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association supports the DRIVE Act and sent a Call to Action to its more than 150,000 members. OOIDA is asking its members to reach out to their representatives and ask them to be a co-sponsor.

As of May 8, the bill to block speed limiters already had six co-sponsors:

• Pete Sessions, R-Texas
• Lauren Boebert, R-Colo.
• Scott Perry, R-Pa.
• Eric Burlison, R-Mo.
• John Moolenaar, R-Mich.
• Matthew Rosendale Sr., R-Mont.

Last year, FMCSA issued an advance notice of supplemental proposed rulemaking that considers requiring commercial motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 26,001 pounds or more to be equipped with speed-limiting devices.

According to the Regulations.gov website, about 15,600 comments were submitted to the FMCSA in response to the advance notice. An overwhelming majority of the comments were opposed to a mandate. However, the FMCSA appears poised to move forward with a notice of proposed rulemaking this year. According to the most recent Unified Regulatory Agenda, the proposal could be published as early as June.

Brecheen joined Land Line Now last week to tell listeners why FMCSA’s speed limiter rulemaking must be stopped.

Many states that once had separate speed limits for cars and heavy-duty trucks changed their laws because they believed it is safer for vehicles traveling on the same road to be operating at the same speed. Brecheen said that if FMCSA is allowed to determine trucks’ top speed, it would remove a state’s ability to govern its roads.

“We need the ability to have our state legislators and state senators to listen to the people and make adjustments,” Brecheen told Land Line Now. “When the federal government does something, it’s put in place and ingenuity and creativity is often lost. We need the ability to adjust to different conditions.”

You can listen to Brecheen’s complete interview with Land Line Now below. LL