FMCSA Plans Rule Capping Speed of Larger Trucks

Federal regulators plan to cap the top speed possible on larger trucks … they just aren’t sure by how much.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced April 27 plans to mandate that Class 7 and higher commercial vehicles equipped with a speed limiting technology use it to prevent them from operating over a set speed limit. However, the FMSCA hasn’t decided what that speed limit will be, according to the notice of intent from the agency.

The notice states the planned rule will apply to trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 26,001 pounds or more — whichever is greater — that also are equipped with an electronic engine control unit (ECU) capable of governing the maximum speed of the vehicle.

The FMCSA is considering making the rule only apply to trucks manufactured after 2003, because most heavy vehicles manufactured around this time routinely included ECUs, according to the notice.

“Based on this background, it is likely the required means of achieving compliance with a speed limiter requirement would be to use the ECU to govern the speed of the vehicle rather than installing a mechanical means of doing so,” the notice states.