The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced in May 2022 that the agency would pursue a speed limiter requirement on heavy trucks and buses. FMCSA received over 15,600 (mostly negative) comments in response to that announcement, raising a long list of questions to be answered.
Most folks who filed comments wanted to know what the proposed maximum speed would be, could a speed limiter be overridden, and under what circumstances, and what model years of trucks would be covered. Initially FMCSA targeted December 29, 2023, for the actual proposal. Now the DOT Significant Rulemakings Report says that a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM) on Heavy Vehicle Speed Limiters is anticipated in May this year.
Here are a few key details from the Rulemakings Report:
“Specifically, motor carriers operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross vehicle weight (GVW) of … 26,001 pounds or more, that are equipped with an electronic engine control unit (ECU) capable of governing the maximum speed [would] be required to limit the CMV to a speed to be determined by the rulemaking and to maintain that ECU setting for the service life of the vehicle.”
Not yet known are the models of affected trucks, whether the speed limiters can be overridden under any circumstances, or even the proposed maximum speed. There are many other questions (penalties, effective date of the rule, whether FMCSA will maintain a list of acceptable speed limiters, as it has for electronic logging devices, ELDs, etc.). ICSA will reach out to members at such time as the proposal appears and these questions are answered.
Every year, TAT (formerly called Truckers Against Trafficking) honors a member of the trucking, bus or energy industry, whose direct actions help save or improve the lives of those exploited or prevent human trafficking from taking place, with the Harriet Tubman Award
Bob Costello has indicated that the freight market has improved – but very slowly – since January. It must be said that ATA’s indices are dominated by contract freight as opposed to spot rates.
Now, however, with Republican control of both houses of Congress and the White House (and, some say, the Supreme Court) I am optimistic that trucking will get a fairer shake than it has during Biden’s term in office.