Public Safety Interest Group
Joins Motor Carriers to Petition for Federally Mandated 68-MPH Speed Governors
on Heavy Duty Trucks
(September 19, 2006) -- A movement by the trucking
industry to govern commercial transport trucks to enhance road safety on North
American highways continues to grow. The press release shown below was issued
by a major US trucking company:
ATLANTA and GREEN BAY, Wis. — Sept. 18, 2006
— In what is believed to be the first Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA) petition jointly filed by a public safety interest group
and a group of motor carriers, Road Safe America and Schneider National Inc.
petitioned the FMCSA last week to require electronic speed governors be set at
not more than 68 mph. The proposed regulation would affect class 7 and 8 trucks
manufactured after 1990 (in 1991 speed governors became standard equipment).
Eight other motor carriers including J.B. Hunt Transport Inc., CR England Inc.,
Covenant Transport Inc. and Dart Transit Company also signed the petition, which
was filed with the FMCSA on Sept. 11.
Bill Graves, president and CEO of the American
Trucking Associations (ATA), has already submitted a letter of support for this
measure to the FMCSA. The petition will be available for public comment as soon
as it is docketed for rulemaking by the FMCSA.
Recent FMCSA studies suggest that limiting the speed
of commercial trucks will have a significant impact on safety. According to the
FMCSA’s Large Truck Causation Study, “traveling too fast for
conditions” was the single most frequently cited factor in large truck
crashes where trucks were assigned a critical reason.
“The 80-mph, 80,000 lb.-truck has no place on
our highways,” said Steve Owings, who co-founded Road Safe America after
he lost his 22-year-old son, Cullum, in a high-speed truck accident. “This
petition is a matter of life and death for drivers of passenger cars, as well as
for professional truck drivers. And it is a matter of economic common sense for
the companies that put trucks on the road.”
Don Osterberg, vice president of safety and training
for Schneider National Inc., joined Steve Owings in supporting what he called
“one of the most important safety initiatives in commercial vehicle
transportation in the last 20 years.”
“Historically, carriers have waited for
regulations to come down from the federal government and not been actively
engaged in the process,” said Osterberg. “What’s unique in
this filing is that a core group of responsible carriers is stepping up and
initiating a proactive change for improving public safety. This is good for
drivers, good for the motoring public and good for the entire trucking
industry.”
Schneider is among a growing number of national
carriers that maintains speed governors on their trucks at below 68 mph. In
addition to safety improvements, carriers already governing their trucks’
top speed at these levels cite savings in fuel consumption, liability costs and
equipment wear and tear as business reasons for the
limitation.
About Road Safe America - Atlanta-based Road Safe America is working to make our highways safer by reducing the number of collisions between large trucks and passenger vehicles. Many trucks travel at dangerously high speeds, making it impossible for them to stop safely in an emergency. Road Safe America is working toward a national rule that requires operational speed governors in trucks, limiting them to 68 miles an hour, with serious consequences for violators. Passenger vehicles are responsible for many tractor-trailer accidents, as well. Therefore, Road Safe America also works to educate the driving public on how to safely share the road with large trucks. For more information, please visit www.roadsafeamerica.org.
About Road Safe America - Atlanta-based Road Safe America is working to make our highways safer by reducing the number of collisions between large trucks and passenger vehicles. Many trucks travel at dangerously high speeds, making it impossible for them to stop safely in an emergency. Road Safe America is working toward a national rule that requires operational speed governors in trucks, limiting them to 68 miles an hour, with serious consequences for violators. Passenger vehicles are responsible for many tractor-trailer accidents, as well. Therefore, Road Safe America also works to educate the driving public on how to safely share the road with large trucks. For more information, please visit www.roadsafeamerica.org.
About Schneider National Inc. - Green Bay, Wis.-based
Schneider National Inc. is a premier provider of truckload, logistics and
intermodal services. Serving more than two-thirds of the FORTUNE 500®
companies, Schneider National offers the broadest portfolio of services in the
industry. Schneider National has provided expert transportation and logistics
solutions for more than 70 years. A $3.5 billion company, Schneider National
conducts business in more than 28 countries in North America, Europe and Asia,
and continues to grow its international service offerings. For more information
about Schneider National visit www.schneider.com or call (800) 558-6767.
Source: Schneider National Carriers;
http://www.schneider.com/news/Final_FMCSA_Petition.html#
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