Latest news with #AmericanTruckingAssociations
The Herald Scotland
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Herald Scotland
Trump kills Obama plan for big-rig speed limits
But federal regulators under Trump now say the proposal to install governors on all vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds would raise trucking costs and might actually make things worse by stalling traffic and putting more trucks on the road. Regulators said the proposal might have also slowed deliveries, hurt already-low driver pay and pushed more heavy truck traffic onto side streets instead of interstates. "Because drivers get paid by the mile, the more miles you can put in, well, the incentive is to not slow down," said Henry Albert, 62, an independent owner-operator based in Laredo, Texas. Albert said he understands why some safety advocates would support the speed restrictions, and said he personally limits his 2022 Freightliner Cascadia to 80 mph. He rarely drives that fast because higher speeds consume more diesel, he added. The exact speed limit being considered had not been decided but officials considered 60, 65 and 68 mph. Many states have interstate speed limits of 75, and some even allow 80 mph, although trucks are sometimes restricted to lower speeds. Federal regulators received more than 15,000 comments opposing the proposal, including objections from states that a national policy violated their right to set their own speed limits. Trump has ordered federal agencies to consider withdrawing or voiding what he considers to be onerous regulations, and the Department of Transportation cited his order in killing the governor plan. Regulators also noted the rule didn't consider the potential risk of increasing the speed differential between passenger vehicles and big rigs or the increased number of trucks that would have been needed to carry the same amount of cargo in a given period. They also said new technologies, like radar-assisted emergency alert and braking systems, have substantially improved safety since the proposal was first introduced. In a statement, the American Trucking Associations, which had supported a version of the regulation that would have restricted big-rig speeds to 65 mph, said it has long worked with regulators to find reasonable middle ground. "We believe USDOT can successfully balance deregulatory actions while enforcing sensible regulations that are on the books, in line with its safety mission," Dan Horvath, the ATA's chief operating officer said. There's a growing push by safety advocates to use technology like governors to limit driving speeds nationally; California Gov. Gavin Newsom last year vetoed a proposed state law that would have required new vehicles to alert drivers whenever they are speeding. Albert, who said he's seen few true accidents but many crashes, said he thinks better speed-limit enforcement would help improve safety for everyone on the road. "The speed limit sign isn't a starting point," he said, referencing the number of cars he sees zip past his rig at 100 mph. "It's the limit."
Time of India
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Trump hits brakes on Obama's speed rule: Limit on large trucks, buses removed; what changes
Representational AI image The Trump administration has scrapped a proposed rule from the Obama era that aimed to limit the speed of large trucks and buses on US highways to improve safety and cut fuel costs. The speed limiter rule was first proposed in 2016 by Obama-era regulators. It aimed to cap the top speed of big rigs and buses to reduce the severity of crashes. Officials believed this could save between 63 and 214 lives annually and cut over $800 million in fuel and emissions costs. The suggested speed caps ranged from 60 to 68 mph. On 24 July, the Trump administration formally ended the plan. Federal regulators said mandating speed governors on all trucks over 26,000 pounds could increase operational costs, worsen traffic flow, and potentially harm road safety. They also warned of longer delivery times, lower driver pay, and a shift of heavy trucks to smaller roads. Truckers and states Independent truckers and several states opposed the Obama-era proposal. More than 15,000 public comments were filed against it. Many states argued the rule would interfere with their authority to set speed limits. The administration, following Trump's broader push against burdensome regulations, sided with these objections. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 15 Most Beautiful Women in the World Undo Regulators also noted that the original proposal did not address the safety risks of slower trucks mixing with faster-moving cars. Additionally, modern safety technology—such as radar-based emergency braking—has improved vehicle safety since 2016, reducing the need for such a rule. Safety concerns While this national plan has been dropped, the debate around speed-limiting technology isn't over. The American Trucking Associations (ATA), which had backed a 65 mph cap, said it remains open to working with regulators on balanced safety measures. In California, a bill to alert drivers when speeding was vetoed last year by governor Gavin Newsom.
USA Today
7 days ago
- Automotive
- USA Today
Truckers rejoice: Trump kills Obama plan to limit big-rig speed
Limiting truck and bus speeds to no more than 65 mph might have saved lives and fuel costs, but Trump administration says it would raise costs and stall traffic. The Trump administration is hitting the brakes on an Obama-era plan that would have created a de facto national speed limit as low as 60 mph for big rigs and buses traveling American highways. The proposal had been under discussion since 2016, and Trump officials on July 24 formally announced they're dropping the plan, which aimed to reduce the severity of crashes involving heavy vehicles. Obama-era regulators said limiting trucks and buses to no more than 65 mph would save between 63 and 214 lives annually, and save drivers more than $800 million in fuel and emissions costs. But federal regulators under Trump now say the proposal to install governors on all vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds would raise trucking costs and might actually make things worse by stalling traffic and putting more trucks on the road. Regulators said the proposal might have also slowed deliveries, hurt already-low driver pay and pushed more heavy truck traffic onto side streets instead of interstates. "Because drivers get paid by the mile, the more miles you can put in, well, the incentive is to not slow down," said Henry Albert, 62, an independent owner-operator based in Laredo, Texas. Albert said he understands why some safety advocates would support the speed restrictions, and said he personally limits his 2022 Freightliner Cascadia to 80 mph. He rarely drives that fast because higher speeds consume more diesel, he added. The exact speed limit being considered had not been decided but officials considered 60, 65 and 68 mph. Many states have interstate speed limits of 75, and some even allow 80 mph, although trucks are sometimes restricted to lower speeds. Federal regulators received more than 15,000 comments opposing the proposal, including objections from states that a national policy violated their right to set their own speed limits. Trump has ordered federal agencies to consider withdrawing or voiding what he considers to be onerous regulations, and the Department of Transportation cited his order in killing the governor plan. Regulators also noted the rule didn't consider the potential risk of increasing the speed differential between passenger vehicles and big rigs or the increased number of trucks that would have been needed to carry the same amount of cargo in a given period. They also said new technologies, like radar-assisted emergency alert and braking systems, have substantially improved safety since the proposal was first introduced. In a statement, the American Trucking Associations, which had supported a version of the regulation that would have restricted big-rig speeds to 65 mph, said it has long worked with regulators to find reasonable middle ground. "We believe USDOT can successfully balance deregulatory actions while enforcing sensible regulations that are on the books, in line with its safety mission," Dan Horvath, the ATA's chief operating officer said. There's a growing push by safety advocates to use technology like governors to limit driving speeds nationally; California Gov. Gavin Newsom last year vetoed a proposed state law that would have required new vehicles to alert drivers whenever they are speeding. Albert, who said he's seen few true accidents but many crashes, said he thinks better speed-limit enforcement would help improve safety for everyone on the road. "The speed limit sign isn't a starting point," he said, referencing the number of cars he sees zip past his rig at 100 mph. "It's the limit."
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
ATA's push for teen truckers will make capacity glut worse
The trucking industry finds itself mired in one of the most protracted freight recessions on record, a predicament exacerbated by a flood of capacity that has outstripped demand. This surplus stems from an industry with negligible barriers to entry, where supply can readily overshoot, challenging the American Trucking Associations' (ATA) persistent claim of a perpetual driver shortage. That narrative, however, merits scrutiny—not least because it may serve interests beyond those of the industry it purports to represent. The ATA's assertion of a driver shortage sends a misleading signal. It lures vulnerable workers and aspiring entrepreneurs into a market already saturated, with banks naively extending credit on the premise of guaranteed demand and pricing power—hallmarks of a classic shortage that, in trucking, are conspicuously absent. Seasoned operators know this well: neither element holds sway in today's environment. Halting the influx of new drivers, rather than fueling it through congressional programs and CDL mills, could stem the capacity glut. Yet the ATA persists, a stance that appears at odds with its members' welfare. Indeed, the ATA testified before the Senate Commerce Committee this week, urging lawmakers to lower the interstate driving age from 21 to 18. Such a move would further open the taps on new entrants, potentially swelling capacity even as the industry buckles under the weight of excess capacity. Lowering the truck driver age to 18 would risk unleashing a torrent of new participants into an already oversupplied market, exacerbating the glut rather than alleviating it. Safety advocates warn of heightened accident rates among younger drivers, who are statistically more prone to distractions and crashes due to inexperience. Economically, this influx could depress freight rates further, prolonging the recession for carriers already operating on razor-thin margins and making a bad situation worse. Active trucks have surged from 1.5 million in January 2017 to 2.1 million today, a 40% increase, largely driven by a steady stream of new drivers. The ATA may thus reflect organizational incentives rather than its members' needs. A trade association whose dues scale with the size of the market favor unchecked growth over its constituents' profitability. Prioritizing policies that address oversupply, rather than encouraging more capacity through new entrants, could curb the excess and offer a path out of the current crisis. Until then, the ATA's stance risks perpetuating a crisis it claims to address. The post ATA's push for teen truckers will make capacity glut worse appeared first on FreightWaves. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Federal excise tax changes fall short in Congress
This story was originally published on Trucking Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Trucking Dive newsletter. Industry stakeholders are renewing pushes to reduce the federal excise tax. The tax is 12% on most new trucks and trailers and certain instances of chassis, based on the first retail sale. The American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear has railed against it, calling it an 'antiquated tax' that 'imposes an enormous hardship.' The American Trucking Associations has long objected to regulations that unfairly burden truckers. Advocates seeking to change the measure highlight that the tax started at 3% in 1917 before reaching its current rate in 1983, according to an April report by the American Transportation Research Institute, the research arm of the ATA. The ATRI report also highlighted that the tax can exceed $20,000 for new trucks and extend beyond $52,000 for a zero-emission truck, which comes as vehicle costs have skyrocketed in recent years. Legislators attempted to change the tax this year. In March, U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, of California, introduced a bill seeking to repeal the tax, but the bill has never gotten past the House Committee on Ways and Means. In late June, the 'big, beautiful' tax policy bill drew a proposed amendment from U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, of Ohio, seeking to reduce the tax to 2%. That didn't make the cut for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that became law. He still plans to include the 2% provision in future legislation, according to his communications director, Reagan McCarthy. 'Senator Moreno is committed to fighting for American truckers, the backbone of America's economy, and fought to include critical tax relief for truckers in President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill,' McCarthy said in an email. 'He will continue to look for avenues to get this provision included in future legislation.' The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has expressed reservations on changing the excise tax. The organization's leadership has argued that significant changes to the tax could drain funding from the Highway Trust Fund, which covers transportation projects. Without a replacement, the Highway Trust Fund could be stressed and adversely affect truckers, OOIDA officials say. The group says another revenue source would be needed to cover those highway costs. The ATRI report suggested that if the excise tax were repealed, one solution could be a diesel tax increase of 11.2 cents per gallon to cover the costs. 'This increase is much lower than an inflation-adjusted increase of the diesel tax, which would have risen by $0.286 since its last adjustment in 1994 to a total of $0.527 per gallon,' the report said. Recommended Reading Trump tax law draws praise, criticism from industry groups Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
