U.S. Government Wants To Electronically Limit Truck Speeds

[Megalith]

If the administration has its way, trucks and buses would be capped at 60, 65, or 68 mph. All of the horrendous standstill traffic jams I’ve recently dealt with involved turned-over trucks, but it’s hard to say whether the trucker was reckless or some jackass cut him off.

…all newly manufactured trucks, buses, and passenger vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds would be required to come equipped with devices limiting their speeds to 60–68 mph. That would cover big rigs, dump trucks, refuse haulers, many buses, and other large work trucks. The new rule is being touted by the feds as an important step toward fighting the rise in traffic fatalities across the country, as well as a key ingredient in lowering CO2 emissions.

 

[Cmdrmonkey]

I work for a logistics company. Drivers already hate electronic onboard recorders because they are often have tight deadlines for delivery. I'm sure they're absolutely going to love this.

 

[Jailer]

How nice. Government once again stepping in to save us from ourselves.

I wonder how mankind ever survived without government.........

 

[auntjemima]

How nice. Government once again stepping in to save us from ourselves.

I wonder how mankind ever survived without government.........

They didn't. Accept and surrender.

 

[EODetroit]

How nice. Government once again stepping in to save us from ourselves.

Last time I checked the government is supposed to be doing exactly this. Driving isn't something that doesn't affect anyone else, you can kill other innocent law-abiding citizens by driving irresponsibly.

 

[Jailer]

Last time I checked the government is supposed to be doing exactly this.

No, they're not.

They didn't. Accept and surrender.

Exactly.

 

[Bigbacon]

I just want them to not pass other trucks on the highway and freaking slow everything down.

 

[NoNRG]

May as well slap the speed governor on heavy duty pick up trucks at the same time. Always get those lovely drivers trying to pass on the right then cut me off going 85 with some motorbikes strapped in the bed.

 

[Dead Parrot]

So some government dim bulb thinks they will improve safety by mandating a significant relative velocity difference between large and small vehicles? Probably someone that uses only the Metro in DC and doesn't own a car.

 

[bman212121]

So if they are capped at 6* whatever mileage, then there would be 0 reason to pull a truck over for speeding right? Just wait until the truck magically is going 75mph+ down out of the mountains and the driver should certainly be able to claim his truck can't go that fast...

All this would do is make for more 5 mile drag races to see who can the the most out of their governor, all the while traffic starts backing up. Then of course we get to that little tid bit about the other 6 months of the year where adverse conditions occur, this will totally fix that issue...

I'm honestly not sure what this cap is aimed at trying to solve in the first place.

 

[M76]

How is this still not a thing in the US? I'm baffled. I knew the US was lagging behind the EU in some issues, but I never thought that it was by twenty fucking years.

 

[Jagger100]

May as well slap the speed governor on heavy duty pick up trucks at the same time. Always get those lovely drivers trying to pass on the right then cut me off going 85 with some motorbikes strapped in the bed.

North America I assume. If you're being passed on the right, you're left one too many lanes.

 

[DustMite]

Many of the larger truck fleets already have the speed capped electronically. This is done citing fuel savings and insurance savings, which many believe is bogus.
This makes it take longer for the truck driver to drive from point A to point B. Over the road drivers are not paid by the hour, they are paid by the mile.
Perhaps the main point of the government stepping in is to squeeze out the rest of the owner-operator drivers and force them out of business to be forced to work for someone else instead of being their own boss.
But that's just my take on it.

 

[misfitsfiend]

Another reason I gladly welcome fully automated vehicles.

 

[Deleted member 88301]

I was never a CDL driver, but I worked for a company in Wyoming that allowed me to drive a large straight-truck all over the the state. I was a great driver. But it's amazing how bad 18-wheeler drivers can be. And it's even more baffling how people in small cars deal with big trucks.

Of course, I know, even to drive that FL, I should have had a CDL.

 

[NoNRG]

North America I assume. If you're being passed on the right, you're left one too many lanes.

That's cute. I can only go as fast as the car in front of me.

Surely you guys know the situation I'm describing. Two lane highway. I'm in the fast lane with a car in front of me. Assholes behind me don't like the speed traffic is going so they decide to try to pass on the right and eventually encounter a car going even slower, so now they think it's their right to move back into the fast lane even though there's no room. All the while they're driving around like they're a rally car, but they're actually driving a lifted truck with Fox stickers and a bike strapped in the bed.

Usually it's a semi truck in the slow lane (to tie this in with the article).

 

[M76]

May as well slap the speed governor on heavy duty pick up trucks at the same time. Always get those lovely drivers trying to pass on the right then cut me off going 85 with some motorbikes strapped in the bed.

 

[djdave404]

If they regulate truck speeds to "save lives" how long before the same logic applies to passenger cars?

getting a run at the upcoming hill to clear the top of the hill at a reasonable speed is a common practice for heavy haul trucks.

I drove Michigan Specials for the better part of 30 years (look it up) 80 tons gross.

you think it sucks to get behind a truck now, wait till this becomes law and the truck driver can't get out of your way because some non driver thinks this speed limited truck is a good idea.

it actually could cause more problems, with more people doing desperate things to get by the slower trucks.

 

[auntjemima]

How is this still not a thing in the US? I'm baffled. I knew the US was lagging behind the EU in some issues, but I never thought that it was by twenty fucking years.

It's been this way in Canada for atleast the last decade and may be closer to two. When I read the post I checked the date to make sure I wasn't commenting on a necro post lol

 

[celeron300]

Government just wants control. Period.

 

[sirmonkey1985]

I just want them to not pass other trucks on the highway and freaking slow everything down.

whelp get ready because instead of it taking a mile to pass a truck going 2 mph over the speed limit it's going to take them 15 miles to pass another truck doing 1 mph over the speed limit to pass them.

the speed limiting of trucks isn't going to do shit except piss off more truckers.. the 3 primary reasons for accidents with trucks are 1. some asshole cuts them off and because they're in the truck they MUST slow down to miss them or they automatically lose their trucking license if they hit the back of another car even if it's not their fault. 2. weather related 3. falling asleep while driving because of stupidly tight deadlines they have to meet on deliveries.

 

[M76]

If they regulate truck speeds to "save lives" how long before the same logic applies to passenger cars?

getting a run at the upcoming hill to clear the top of the hill at a reasonable speed is a common practice for heavy haul trucks.

I drove Michigan Specials for the better part of 30 years (look it up) 80 tons gross.

you think it sucks to get behind a truck now, wait till this becomes law and the truck driver can't get out of your way because some non driver thinks this speed limited truck is a good idea.

it actually could cause more problems, with more people doing desperate things to get by the slower trucks.

Getting a "run" at a hill actually makes very little difference. If your truck is underpowered and/or overloaded it will loose momentum maybe 10 feet later if you get a run at the hill at 70mph, instead of starting it at 60. Either way you'll slow to a crawl. And it's not like we died in the eu due to trucks in the last 20 years. In fact the fatal accidents caused by trucks on highways is greatly reduced, because if you know you can't go faster than 60 then you're not tempted to overtake. Before the limiters were introduced driving on major transit roads was like playing russian roulette. You never knew when a turkish or armenian truck would show up in your lane driving the opposite way doing 75-80, on a road where passengers cars are allowed to go 55.

 

[djdave404]

Getting a "run" at a hill actually makes very little difference. If your truck is underpowered and/or overloaded it will loose momentum maybe 10 feet later if you get a run at the hill at 70mph, instead of starting it at 60. Either way you'll slow to a crawl. And it's not like we died in the eu due to trucks in the last 20 years. In fact the fatal accidents caused by trucks on highways is greatly reduced, because if you know you can't go faster than 60 then you're not tempted to overtake. Before the limiters were introduced driving on major transit roads was like playing russian roulette. You never knew when a turkish or armenian truck would show up in your lane driving the opposite way doing 75-80, on a road where passengers cars are allowed to go 55.

how long have you personally drove trucks?

ya that's what I thought.

educate yourself. go for a ride in a truck for a day, your opinion will change I assure you.

explanation of the trucks I drove..... ‘Michigan trains’ productive and safe, with a flaming exception years ago - Trailer Talk - TruckingInfo.com

 

[Rustynuts]

How nice. Government once again stepping in to save us from ourselves.

I wonder how mankind ever survived without government.........

MANY more died before OSHA.

Companies only came to Jesus on safety after getting decimated with lawsuits. Such things can keep companies in check given enough time, or not, with their armies of lawyers. and only after many more die or get maimed.

 

[Brian_B]

Getting a "run" at a hill actually makes very little difference. If your truck is underpowered and/or overloaded it will loose momentum maybe 10 feet later if you get a run at the hill at 70mph, instead of starting it at 60. Either way you'll slow to a crawl. And it's not like we died in the eu due to trucks in the last 20 years. In fact the fatal accidents caused by trucks on highways is greatly reduced, because if you know you can't go faster than 60 then you're not tempted to overtake. Before the limiters were introduced driving on major transit roads was like playing russian roulette. You never knew when a turkish or armenian truck would show up in your lane driving the opposite way doing 75-80, on a road where passengers cars are allowed to go 55.

Well.. driving the wrong way is an entirely different matter than speeding. Limiters have no bearing on that at all....

 

[Terpfen]

Headline should read "Government causes economic downturn by completely screwing with JIT supply chains."

 

[M76]

how long have you personally drove trucks?

ya that's what I thought.

educate yourself. go for a ride in a truck for a day, your opinion will change I assure you.

explanation of the trucks I drove..... ‘Michigan trains’ productive and safe, with a flaming exception years ago - Trailer Talk - TruckingInfo.com

Just because you drove a truck in the seventies doesn't make you automatically right, so do you care to add some actual arguments or are you just trying to brag? That would have to be a first though that someone brags about being a lorry driver.

 

[M76]

Well.. driving the wrong way is an entirely different matter than speeding. Limiters have no bearing on that at all....

Read that post again please, because you seem to have missed the point. But just for you I'll repeat. If the truck is limited to the speed limit of the cars driving on the road, then the truck driver can do fuck all, he won't be able to start risky overtaking maneuver, because he can't go faster then the other cars on the road.

 

[mynamehere]

This is just their first step. This will apply to all vehicles as soon as they can convince enough people that they can't be trusted with the ability to exceed the speed limit. Then on to government control of other aspects of the driving experience.

 

[djdave404]

Just because you drove a truck in the seventies doesn't make you automatically right, so do you care to add some actual arguments or are you just trying to brag? That would have to be a first though that someone brags about being a lorry driver.

I would think an experienced point of view would carry more "weight" than someone's who only experience with trucks is seeing one on the highway.

And my driving career ended in 2011, shoulder tendonitis from physical labor did me in.

 

[Azphira]

So... what happens if you are capped at 68, and need to suddenly go 75 to avoid an accident...

 

[M76]

I would think an experienced point of view would carry more "weight" than someone's who only experience with trucks is seeing one on the highway.

And my driving career ended in 2011, shoulder tendonitis from physical labor did me in.

You can't just say "experience" as some magic buzzword that refutes all arguments automatically.

I'm not saying you can't get a run at a hill. I'm saying if the hill is large enough for momentum to run out before the top, then it doesn't make much of a difference. Actually the best practice is to only load the truck with as much as it can carry with reasonable speed even on the uphill. I only drove a truck that was made in the eighties and is pathetically underpowered. Thankfully today's long haul trucks all have 400+ bhp and a ton of torque. It's no longer the time of the screaming two stroke diesels. So maybe your experience with driving road trains over hills in the seventies is no longer that relevant.

I trust that you believe that we have plenty of hills in the EU as well. And trucks going uphill is not a major source of accidents. Winning a few seconds when going over the hill is not something that I think should be prioritized over general road safety. And overloading a truck so the only way it can clear hills is by getting a run at them is even worse.

 

[Spidey329]

My dad owns a trucking company. His trucks are already governed, just a tad higher.

The thing is, if you do 60 the entire way, you can only go about 600/miles a day because of the trucking laws (10hr shifts, iirc). The delivery windows are so tight that you can't possibly make them. This will hurt the trucking industry and/or it'll raise shipping costs.

Drivers are stuck in a quandary, if you follow the laws by the book, they don't make a living because of all of the penalties associated with being late (by the receiver/shipper). The current system and economics makes it so that it's very difficult to be by the book, hence why you get tired drivers.

These safety laws were created (along with the odd emissions laws in CA) usually out of a good purpose, but the shipping economy doesn't take them fully into account. They expect you to drive 2800 miles in 5 days while also doing pickups and dropoffs. It leaves very little margin for error.

 

[M76]

So... what happens if you are capped at 68, and need to suddenly go 75 to avoid an accident...

That would be the slowest accident in history. For a loaded truck to accelerate from 68 to 75, takes quite a few seconds. This argument always comes up sooner or later when proposing speed limits. And what if you need an inflatable dingy to avoid the accident? You're describing a scenario that is so unlikely that there is no point to plan for it. There are infinitely more accidents caused by overspeed than by lack of speed. I don't even know what situation would that be. Unless you mix luck into it. And say that if you were travelling 4 mph faster then you'd just missed the idiot coming from the side.

Anyhow apart from road safety. And even if you're the safest driver and never caused an accident and can avoid every danger even at 88mph in a truck, fuel consumption and trough that pollution is something that the US better start to take seriously too.

 

[M76]

My dad owns a trucking company. His trucks are already governed, just a tad higher.

The thing is, if you do 60 the entire way, you can only go about 600/miles a day because of the trucking laws (10hr shifts, iirc). The delivery windows are so tight that you can't possibly make them. This will hurt the trucking industry and/or it'll raise shipping costs.

Wait I have an idea. Maybe change the delivery windows? If all the trucks are governed, then it's not like someone else will take the job. Because noone can offer faster service. It's not like allowing 65 would make a ton of difference. If you just happen to arrive at the dropoff at the end of the shift chances are that you're not getting unloaded anyway because the staff at the destination already left. So you get unloaded the next morning anyway. Even if you can squeeze in an extra 50 miles into the day. But in most cases it's pointless. You (I mean the driver) can wake up early next morning, then be at the destination at the earliest hour when they open for deliveries. It won't collapse the entire economy. Don't worry. We've been regulated for 20 years at least and we're still here.

 

[pxc]

This is an older article (from 2014), but it gives a balanced view of the reasoning behind installing limiters on heavy trucks: Fed to Require Speed Limiters on Trucks

How is this still not a thing in the US? I'm baffled. I knew the US was lagging behind the EU in some issues, but I never thought that it was by twenty fucking years.

We still use the imperial system of measurements, in 2016. That's how.

 

[djdave404]

That's twice now that you chose to dismiss my experience behind the wheel to save your opinion from being crushed.
the only option you had I guess.

You Are Correct, I Did start Driving when two cycle 318 Detroit Diesels were around, and my first truck had one.

But when I stopped driving in 2011, my Kenworth had a 550 HP 3406E Caterpillar.
And the Cat made life on the road much easer for the driver.

your hills are the same obstacle as here I have no doubt.

You Seem to be of the Opinion The a Blanket Law of speed limiting Trucks will somehow Give a warm and Fuzzy Feeling Of A Safer Highway.

if you took my advice for one day, and took a ride in a heavy truck, you would see the light of truth.

what is that truth?

that CARS and there impudent drivers cause more truck accidents than truck drivers themselves.
No matter the speed of the truck.

you never hear someone say, Oh that truck was going "just the right Speed"

You may have a future as a politician, you stick to your opinion no matter how many facts are presented.
and also demean anyone's experience who disagrees with your opinion.

Sorry, I used the buzz word "experience" again.

 

[evilsofa]

Who built the highways these vehicles are being driven on? Oh, rhat's right... the government.

If you don't like the rules the government sets for you to drive on them, you are welcome to drive somewhere else.

 

[Prisoner849]

I'm not sure a track driver peaking on a sleepless 48-hour caffeine/ephedrine-fueled cross-country run is any safer at 68 than 75.

 

[djdave404]

Who built the highways these vehicles are being driven on? Oh, rhat's right... the government.

If you don't like the rules the government sets for you to drive on them, you are welcome to drive somewhere else.

Who Built the Government?

Oh that's right, We The People that Drive on the Highways.