WASHINGTON — The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) is announcing its strong support for the Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen-Wheelers (DRIVE) Act.
“No one is more committed to safe highways than America’s truck drivers,” said Todd Spencer, OOIDA president. “We share the same goal as every motorist—arriving safely. But forcing trucks to operate below the speed of traffic makes roads less safe by creating speed differences and more risky interactions. We appreciate Senator Daines’ leadership in standing with truckers and working to protect all road users from the dangers of a one-size-fits-all federal speed limiter regulation.”
The legislation was introduced by Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) to prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) from promulgating any rule or regulation mandating speed limiters on large commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). The bill is a companion to legislation introduced by Representative Josh Brecheen (R-OK) earlier this year.
“Washington, D.C. bureaucrats should not be telling Montanans how or what to drive,” said Senator Steve Daines (R-MT). “Burdening our truckers, farmers, and ranchers with unnecessary speed limiter regulations would do nothing but cause congestion and higher crash rates. The DRIVE Act will help keep our trucks safe on the road as they support Montana’s economy.”
Speed Limiters
According to OOIDA, 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 National Association of Small Trucking Companies thanks Sen. Steve Daines for leading the legislative effort in the Senate to prevent speed-limiter mandate regulation,” said David Owen, president, National Association of Small Trucking Companies. NASTC stands ready to work with him for its enactment. And we surely hope to see this in the next highway bill to codify its limits on bureaucrats.”
Unsafe Road Conditions
According to Richard Gupton, senior vice president of public policy and counsel for the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA), agricultural retailers and their farm and ranch customers depend on an efficient, safe transportation system.
“A federal speed limiter mandate will create unsafe road conditions and cause an increase in the amount of daily stress and pressure on commercial drivers faced to complete their work in a safe, efficient, and timely manner,” Gupton said. “ARA applauds Senator Daines for introducing this common-sense legislation that will continue to allow states to determine the top speeds on their roads and highways according to what they determine to be safest for specific state and local needs and conditions.
“Cattle producers have full faith in our highly trained livestock haulers,” said Allison Rivera, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association executive director of government affairs. “Adding another piece of government-mandated technology to their trucks will make them less prepared to adjust to road conditions while actually making the roads less safe. NCBA is a strong supporter of the DRIVE Act and we appreciate Senator Daines supporting legislation that is backed by truckers and makes our road system safer.”
DRIVE Act
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.
A number of organizations have publicly supported the DRIVE Act, including:
- Agricultural Retailers Association.
- American Farm Bureau Federation.
- Associated Equipment Distributors.
- Mid-West Truckers Association.
- National Association of Small Trucking Companies.
- National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
- National Ready Mixed Concrete Association.
- North American Punjabi Trucking Association.
- Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.
- Towing and Recovery Association of America Inc.
- United States Cattlemen’s Association.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
Fabulous. If there ever was a law that compounded the problems of congestion, the governor on trucks was the worst, by far. Thank you Sen. Steve Daines for pushing this legislation.