Over the last few months you may have heard you’re fellow truckers talking about the new Speed Limiter mandate being proposed by the FMSCA. This proposal is suppose to be announced sometime this summer and will have a huge impact on the trucking industry. Effecting both company truck drivers and owner operators as well. The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) wrote in their (USDOT) September rule making report that they expect this June to be release date.
What Is The Speed Limiter Mandate?
The FMSCA is seeking to get a proposal approved that would effect commercial vehichles that haul 26,001 pounds or more. They are seeking to require ALL CommerciaL vehicles that fit this category to be governed at 60, 65 or 68 miles per hour. Another words you would have to have a governor installed on your commercial vehicle that would restrict your speed. They have not decided on the exact speed as of yet, and we do not expect to know the exact speed until June of this year. This is going to be a universal mandate that will effect all trucks in this category on the roads. Which will be another costly expense for the owners of the trucks.
How This Will Impact You As A Truck Driver?
- By putting a governor on our trucks we will be able to keep up with the flow of traffic, therefore making more of a nuisance to the general public.
- Many experts have agreed that by not allowing us to at least do the speed limit could make our jobs much more dangerous on the nations highways.
- A real concern we could face out here on the road is more road rage incident, when the passenger vehicles get upset with us holding up or slowing down traffic.
- A greater chance of a increase of rear end collisions, due to us having to maintain a much slower speed.
- Some experts have even warned that some states may require trucks to remain in the right lanes and not allow us int he left lanes to pass due to speed restrictions.
- Over the last two years we have seen a serious supply issue effecting our stores. By governing our trucks we will take longer to get supplies and goods delivered due to running out of hours.
- A large loss of qualified truckers will leave the industry, due to being governed.
- This could effect your home time. Because it will take longer to get to your designations you may start to see your home time getting shorter and shorter.
- It will cause a real back up on the highways when trucks try to pass each other, due to everyone being limited.
- 80% of rear end collisions involving a semi truck and car, where caused because the truck was going slower than the posted speed limit.
- This will make us a bigger enemy and possible target to the public. Who already has issues with truck drivers and making us a bigger enemy to them.
These are just a few of the reasons that most truckers feel that the proposed Speed Limiter Mandate could have dire consequences on truck drivers.
