Would speed limiters drive truckers out of the industry?

Improving driver retention has been a focal point of the U.S. Department of Transportation in recent years.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, in particular, has spent a lot of time stressing the importance of the issue.

“We lose about 300,000 truck drivers a year,” Buttigieg said during a Senate committee hearing earlier this month. “We have to look at everything from working conditions to compensation … The sooner we can address those, the sooner we can not only bring people into the career but have people stay and thrive in that vitally important part of our supply chain.”

Large carriers typically possess turnover rates of 90% or more. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association points to low wages, difficult working conditions and overregulation among the reasons the trucking industry has a difficult time retaining drivers.

Concerning regulation, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently proposed a big one.

Earlier this month, FMCSA published an advance notice of supplemental proposed rulemaking to mandate speed limiters on most commercial motor vehicles. Commercial motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 26,001 pounds or more and that are equipped with an electric engine control unit capable of being governed would be subject to the mandate. A speed had not been determined, but previous proposals floated the possibilities of 60, 65 or 68 miles per hour.

OOIDA called the speed limited mandate one of the “most overreaching proposed rulemakings in decades.” Mandating the device would be another expense for truckers, and it would likely affect income as most truck drivers are paid by the mile. The regulation also would likely increase stress for drivers as it would make it more difficult to make appointments and lengthen the amount of driving time. And in instances where a speed-limited truck is forced to go 10 or 15 mph below the posted speed limit, truckers are more likely to become the targets for road rage from the impatient drivers of passenger vehicles. Concerns over being the recipient of a rear-end collision and being unable to speed up to avoid a crash are a couple more ways a speed limiter mandate could increase the already hefty stress toll on truck drivers.

About halfway into a 30-day comment period, truck drivers have responded. According to the Regulations.gov website, the FMCSA has received 11,354 comments so far. Out of those, a sampling of the comments points to an overwhelming majority opposed to the mandate.

Hundreds of the comments allude to truck drivers leaving the industry if the mandate goes through.

“I will choose to leave the industry if this goes forward,” wrote Jonathan Fox. “I am a 42-year-old owner-operator. You, the FMCSA, have already placed too many regulations upon the trucking industry. Your regulations have had little to no effect on the safety of American highways.

“A law like a proposed speed limit for trucks will further clog the highways. It will ruin the morale of all truck drivers, and it will worsen the divide between drivers and law enforcement and the FMCSA. I started driving a truck at 23 years young. I love trucking. But I am not afraid to leave trucking.”

Danny Armstead wrote, “A speed limiter mandate would cause a major slowdown in freight being delivered as well as major traffic jams and accidents. You will end up having drivers leaving the trucking industry for good. This is a very bad idea.”

Many truck drivers said that the speed limiter mandate would make a difficult job even more difficult.

“I believe limiting speed on all trucks is a problem,” William Rutschke wrote. “Doing so will affect traffic for the worst. This will also cause the supply chain issues to become worse. Not to mention driver retention. Drivers are already faced with many challenges. This will only make things worse by every load taking longer.”

Considering the focus on improving driver retention and that research suggests that the increase in speed differentials will lead to more crashes, the current push for a mandate is a head-scratcher.

If you agree, let the agency know about it. More than 11,300 individuals and organizations have submitted comments so far, but the mandate would affect millions.

OOIDA encourages all truck drivers to submit comments on the speed limiter notice before the June 3 deadline. The Association has made the process easy through its Fighting for Truckers website. The public also can go to the Regulations.gov website and enter Docket No. FMCSA-2022-0004. LL