OOIDA Supports Bill to Prevent Dangerous FMCSA Mandate

For Immediate Release

OOIDA Supports Bill to Prevent Dangerous FMCSA Mandate

Restricted truck speeds mean rolling roadblocks, road rage

Washington, DC – The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) today announced its strong support for the Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen-Wheelers (DRIVE) Act (HR 3039). The legislation was introduced by Congressman Josh Brecheen (OK-2) to prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) from promulgating any rule or regulation mandating speed limiters on large commercial motor vehicles (CMVs).

Speed limiting devices on large trucks have been proven to create unnecessary congestion and dangerous speed differentials among vehicles. This results in higher rates of vehicle interaction and higher crash rates.

“The physics is straightforward – limiting trucks to speeds below the flow of traffic increases interactions between vehicles and leads to more crashes,” said OOIDA President Todd Spencer. “OOIDA and our 150,000 members in small business trucking across America thank Congressman Brecheen for his leadership in keeping our roadways safe for truckers and for all road users.”

“This overreach by the Biden Administration has the potential to negatively impact all facets of the agricultural and trucking industries. I know from experience driving a semi while hauling equipment, and years spent hauling livestock, that the flow of traffic set by state law is critical for safety instead of an arbitrary one-size-fits-all speed limit imposed by some bureaucrat sitting at his desk in Washington, D.C.,” said Congressman Josh Brecheen. “This rule will add one more needless burden and Congress must stop it. For example, if a rancher is transporting cattle in a trailer across state lines, under this rule, the federal government would require a speed limiter device when above 26,000 lbs. Out-of-control bureaucrats are trying to impose ridiculous regulations on Americans who are trying to make ends meet.”

“The National Association of Small Trucking Companies strongly supports the Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen-Wheelers (DRIVE Act).  Mandating speed limiters on commercial vehicles would increase speed differentials between cars and trucks, increase traffic density, and increase impatience and risky driving by those behind a plodding truck.  Mandatory speed limiters would likely cost more lives and cause more accidents and injuries.  NASTC commends the DRIVE Act for stopping a predictable regulatory disaster,” said David Owen, President, National Association of Small Trucking Companies.

The DRIVE Act was introduced in response to an FMCSA rulemaking process announced in April 2022. The agency has received more than 15,000 comments on the proposal, the majority from truck drives expressing opposition.

Supportive Organizations

American Farm Bureau Federation
Livestock Marketing Association
National Cattleman’s Beef Association (NCBA)
Owner Operated Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA)
Western States Trucking Association

Additional Resources

Video: Speed Limiters 101
University of Arkansas Study
OOIDA Foundation Research

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