ATA Wants All New Trucks Governed At 68 MPH
Oliver B.Patton
Washington Editor
Members of the American Trucking Associations want truck manufacturers to govern all large trucks at 68 mph. The ATA staff has begun discussions with manufacturers, and the association may ask Congress and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to establish 68 mph as national policy.
While ATA sees safety and public relations benefits, early reaction indicates this will not be a smooth drive.
A group representing independent truckers immediately contested the move. Speed limiters would push drivers out of the industry "in droves," said Jim Johnston, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. He said independents object to limiters because they want to be able to accelerate when they need to for safety.
OOIDA expanded on its position in a statement by Executive Vice President Todd Spencer. "It may sound like a good thing to some to slow down all the big trucks," Spencer said, "but unless you slow down all the other vehicles too, you've really only made things more dangerous."
ATA has been considering the policy change for a year. The change creates "potential for a huge safety benefit," said Dave Osiecki, vice president of safety, security and operations at ATA.
The ATA membership, which includes many of the nation's largest fleets, is concerned that excessive speed poses risks and may contribute to a poor public perception of the industry, according to an internal analysis of the policy change.
It is clear, ATA found in its analysis, that faster vehicles have less time to respond and stop in emergencies, and that high speed increases the severity of accidents. Research on the impact of a speed differential between vehicles is not conclusive, but ATA found that accident risk is lowest near the average speed of traffic and increases for vehicles going a lot faster or slower than that average.
Another justification for the new policy is money: Faster speeds burn more fuel and accelerate the truck's maintenance cycle.
ATA noted that other countries already have addressed this issue. The European Union, for example, has limited trucks to 57.5 mph since 1995, and Australia has governed trucks to 62.5 mph since 1990. The Ontario Trucking Association has adopted a similar policy (65 mph) and is seeking a national rule in Canada.
In its analysis, ATA anticipated the negative reaction from owner-operators: "Companies believe that they can maximize their profits by lowering speed to save fuel and maintenance costs. Owner-operators feel that they can maximize their profits by traveling at a higher speed, and, therefore, cover more distance in less time." Also, ATA said, owner-operators don't want to be governed on rural western roads where speed limits generally are higher.
The association also recognized that company drivers may resist a speed governor requirement. Those who are paid by the mile will feel the change in their paycheck: "Lower vehicle speed would translate into fewer miles traveled and less income," ATA said.
On the other hand, ATA said, the policy "will have substantial public image and perception benefits.
"While ATA staff and its members know that truck drivers speed less often than automobile drivers, the public's perception of trucks is a reality we have to deal with. Since the public perception towards the industry helps to shape public policy affecting the industry, ATA clearly has an interest in positively affecting public perception of trucking."
The truck safety enforcement community, represented by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, applauded the idea as a step in the right direction, although other steps need to be taken as well.
"Speed is a huge problem," said Steve Keppler, director of policy and programs at CVSA. But, he continued, speed limiters are just one piece of the solution. He described speed as one of a group of "core issues," such as driver training and knowledge of the vehicle and the roadway, that need to be addressed.
"It's a car driver problem as well," he said. "It will be a good step for ATA to get the policy discussion on the table. We need to have a national debate on speed enforcement."
He also said there is no one solution to the problem of speed. Many factors come into play – geography, for one: "Sixty eight mph in the East is not the same thing as 68 mph in the West."
It is not yet clear how the states will respond to the idea. Many western and Plains states permit 75 mph on their interstates, and it remains to be seen if they will be troubled by the creation of a speed differential.
The new ATA policy implies passage of a federal law and regulation that presumably would be enforced by the agency that is responsible for safety equipment – the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
ATA's Osiecki said the ATA staff is talking with manufacturers "about ways to go about this."
He could not say for sure that ATA will seek legislation, but noted, "Our marching orders are clear."
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