Members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure highway subcommittee questioned the integrity of the speed limiter rulemaking process at a recent hearing.
U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls blasted Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) chief Robin Hutcheson, drawing a connection between a fundraiser she attended and the proposal. The Texas Republican took exception to Hutcheson removing the electronic speed governors issue from the hearing’s agenda. Rep. Nehls bordered on accusing the FMCSA boss of pay-to-play by rubbing elbows with “labor unions, trial attorneys, large trucking companies,” that “had been pressuring your agency to select a speed limiter rule at 60 mph, well below what the agency had indicated it was prepared to select.”
“I hope you equally consider the 15,000 comments from America’s truckers who have provided input on this rulemaking. They’re not going to be able to host a big fundraiser for you,” Rep Nehls reportedly said.
Reports indicate Hutcheson stood her ground while fielding the subcommittee’s pointed questions. She pushed back on the Congressman’s question, asking if attending fundraisers negatively impacts the ongoing process.
“We take very seriously the fidelity of the process of rulemaking, and we don’t discuss the contents of the rule even as we’re engaging with our stakeholders,” Hutcheson reportedly said.
Joining Nehls in his disagreement with heavy duty commercial motor vehicle speed limiters were U.S. Reps. Mike Bost of Illinois, Doug LaMalfa of California, Eric Burlison of Missouri, Jefferson Van Drew of New Jersey, and Mike Collins of Georgia. Arguments have been made that big rigs are safest when they can travel at the same rate of speed as the surrounding traffic.
Other points of contention involve taking acceleration out of a trucker’s maneuverability tool kit. Illinois Rep. Bost, a former trucker, took a big swing at Hutcheson’s determination to push through a rule, despite public comments largely opposed.
“The other problem is that you have changed the vehicle’s dynamics and are therefore endangering people rather than saving them, because a speed limiter doesn’t allow a driver to make decisions to either speed up to get out of the way or to go around a situation occurring in front of them,” Rep. Bost reportedly said.
The speed limiter proposal has powerful and influential people on both sides. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters clarified its position in a letter demanding a speed limit of no more than 60 mph. Organizations such as the American Trucking Associations prefer a limit of up to 70 mph. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association rejects any and all limits.
Sources:
https://truckdriversus.com/a-look-into-trucking-industry-associations-take-on-speed-limiters/
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/republicans-pan-truck-speed-limiter-proposal-at-house-hearing
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