Speed Limiters: What to Know About FMCSA’s Latest Announcement

On the week of April 29, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) notifying that the agency will soon begin working on new rules that will govern speed in trucks. This is going to be a long process considering there is no defined maximum speed setting and that there isn’t a proposed timeline for implementing speed devices that will aid this process.

The ATA supports a maximum speed of 70 MPH for trucks that are equipped with the proper safety features. For trucks without these safety measures, 65 MPH. The ATA is a member-driven organization, and as such all decisions are made by member companies. The last revision on speed limiter policy was in 2019 by the Safety Policy Committee.

Next, the NOI has a 30-day comment period, that will be followed by an agency review. After that, the FMCSA will need to create what is called a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. This is a detailed outline that describes specific speed settings and a timeline for when to expect implementation of said plan on devices. This said plan is anticipated to drop sometime in 2023. After that, there will be another comment period for the proposal. The ATA will continue to be as heavily involved throughout each step of this process to ensure it is a data-driven project. All to say, this will be a lengthy process worth following, as the final decision will impact many.