Trucking Compliance Update: What You Need to Know About the Speed Limiter Mandate in February 2017

What It Is

As you might guess from its designation, the speed limiter mandate imposes speed limits on certain trucks—specifically, trucks weighing more than 26,000 pounds. The rule follows a petition filed more than a decade ago by Road Safe America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to mitigating dangerous driving on US roadways.

Just how slow would heavy vehicles need to travel? Right now, the DoT isn’t clear. While RSA champions a 60 mph limit, carriers and other industry stakeholders have pushed for 65 mph cap. Ultimately, the DoT could even settle on 68 mph—if the rule doesn’t disintegrate, that is.

How It Could Affect Your Company

If enacted, the speed limiter mandate would require trucking companies to install speed limiters on all new vehicles that weigh over 26,000 pounds. For many fleets, this may make little or no difference; according to RSA, approximately 77% of trucks already have speed limiters in place.

Nonetheless, the rule could have a significant impact on thousands of truckers—and drivers in general. Truckers and operators who oppose the rule argue that would increase highway congestion and actually promote unsafe driving habits, such as tailgating, that occur due to road rage.

Moreover, some truck drivers view the rule as a detriment to their ability to earn wages. Slower speeds mean fewer miles traveled, which translates to lower salaries overall. That’s bad news for an industry currently facing an employee recruitment and retention crisis.