FMCSA pushes back rulemaking on truck speed limiters to May

WASHINGTON — The federal government’s controversial truck speed limiter rule has been delayed once again and is now set to be published in May.

Originally scheduled to roll out by mid-2023, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration pushed the date back to Dec. 29 of last year.

But according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s latest significant rulemaking report, the speed limiter rule will not be out for another five months — or possibly longer.

The rule would require that trucks weighing over 26,000 pounds be equipped with an electronic speed governor to set the device at a maximum speed, which is expected to be revealed in the rule.

Owner-operators generally oppose the rule, contending it would stifle driving flexibility and lead to more crashes. Safety groups and large carriers — particularly trucking companies that already set limits on their trucks for economic as well as for safety reasons — support a federal mandate.

At a hearing on Capitol Hill in December, House Republicans pushed back against the proposed regulation and whether the rulemaking process was being conducted ethically.

Source: freightwaves.com