U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today introduced a bill to support Montana’s agriculture and trucking industries by outlawing a Biden-era proposal that mandates unnecessary and dangerous speed limitations on commercial motor vehicles, like semis and eighteen-wheelers, that are used for interstate commerce.
“Washington, D.C. bureaucrats should not be telling Montanans how or what to drive. 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,” said Daines.
Read the bill HERE.
Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) joined Daines in introducing the bill.
Background:
The “Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen-Wheelers (DRIVE) Act” would prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) from implementing any rule or regulation that would require commercial motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight over 10,000 pounds that are engaged in interstate commerce to be equipped with a speed limiting device set to a maximum speed. During the Biden administration, FMCSA proposed a rule to mandate speed limiters on commercial vehicles, which would negatively impact Montana’s agricultural and trucking industries and lead to unnecessary congestion and dangerous speed differentials among vehicles.
Statements of Support:
“No one is more committed to safe highways than America’s truck drivers. 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.” – Todd Spencer, President, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
“The Montana Trucking Association would like to thank Senator Steve Daines for leading the efforts to inhibit FMCSA from implementing a requirement that trucks over 10,000 pounds have speed limiters. In rural states like Montana, a truck speed limiter will create additional speed differences between trucks and cars, which does not enhance the safety of our highways. Trucks should not be treated differently than cars by governing their speed. Thank you Senator Daines, for promoting the decision to let the individual states (who know their roads best), establish the proper speed limit for cars and trucks.”— Duane Williams, Executive Director, Montana Trucking Association
“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. 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.”— Richard Gupton, Senior Vice President of Public Policy & Counsel, Agricultural Retailers Association
“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. 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!”— David Owen, President, National Association of Small Trucking Companies
“Cattle producers have full faith in our highly trained livestock haulers. 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.” – Allison Rivera, Executive Director of Government Affairs, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Additional Supporting Groups:
- American Farm Bureau Federation
- Towing and Recovery Association of America
- Mid-West Truckers Association
- National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
- North American Punjabi Trucking Association
- United States Cattlemen’s Association
- Mid-West Truckers Association
- Associated Equipment Distributors
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Contact: Matt Lloyd, Gabby Wiggins