Washington — The Trump administration has officially withdrawn a hotly debated Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposal that would have required speed-limiting devices on heavy trucks.
As part of an Executive Order recently issued by President Donald Trump, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on June 27 announced a “package of new initiatives, pilot programs and regulatory updates designed to improve the lives of America’s truck drivers,” an FMCSA press release states.
Among the actions: rolling back a proposed rule that would have required the installation of speed limiters on trucks, buses and multipurpose passenger vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds.
FMCSA introduced an advance notice of proposed rulemaking for the measure in May 2022. It expanded on a 2016 joint proposal from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and FMCSA. The latter was the lone agency listed on the ANPRM, which didn’t suggest a top speed. The 2016 proposal specified capping speeds at 60, 65 or 68 mph.
FMCSA received nearly 16,000 comments on its updated advance proposal.
“For too long Washington, D.C., has made work harder for truckers,” Duffy said in the release. “That ends today. Thanks to President Trump, we’re getting Washington out of your trucks and your business.”
The package also contains a memo stating that increasing the amount of safe truck parking available is a “national priority” under Jason’s Law.
Signed in July 2012, the law is named for New York-based truck driver Jason Rivenburg, who was murdered in 2009 during a robbery after parking his truck at an abandoned South Carolina gas station known to be used by other truckers to rest per federal hours-of-service regulations.
As part of the package, the Department of Transportation is allocating more than $275 million to expand truck parking.
Additionally, FMCSA is planning to unveil separate pilot programs aimed at studying increased flexibility in hours-of-service regulations. The programs will allow participating drivers to:
- Split their 10-hour off-duty period into more flexible combinations, including six/four and five/five.
- Pause their 14-hour on-duty period for no less than 30 minutes and no more than three hours.
Todd Spencer, president and CEO of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, applauded the move.
“These steps not only improve the daily lives of truckers across America, but also enhance safety for everyone on the road,” he said in the release. “For years, truckers have urged Washington to address the severe shortage of truck parking, eliminate the dangers posed by a national speed-limiter mandate and give drivers greater control over their hours of service.”
The American Trucking Associations previously has supported FMCSA’s speed-limiter proposal. Addressing the package in the release, ATA President and CEO Chris Spear said: “A safe and strong trucking industry is critical to America’s economic growth and security, and data-driven measures like these that reduce regulatory burdens are important steps toward that end. We look forward to continued partnership with the administration to advance policies that strengthen America’s supply chain and bolster our essential workforce.”
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Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication