On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK) announced Thursday he had introduced legislation he said would protect ranchers, farmers, and truckers from government overreach.
The Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen-Wheelers (DRIVE) Act would prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from implementing rules that require vehicles over 26,000 pounds to be equipped with a speed-limiting device. The legislation would apply to vehicles engaged in interstate commerce, Brecheen said, and without the legislation, vehicles like semi-trucks, livestock trailer/truck combos, grain trucks, and other large commercial vehicles would be negatively impacted.
“I know from experience driving a semi while hauling equipment and years spent hauling livestock that the flow of traffic set by state law is critical for safety instead of an arbitrary one-size-fits-all speed limit imposed by some bureaucrat sitting at his desk in Washington, D.C.,” Brecheen said. “This rule will add one more needless burden, and Congress must stop it. For example, if a rancher is transporting cattle in a trailer across state lines, under this rule, the federal government would require a speed limiter device when above 26,000 lbs.”
According to Brecheen, the FMCSA’s proposed rule will add extra transportation costs to the agricultural and trucking industries and make roads unsafe.
Several industry groups support the legislation, including the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, United States Cattlemen’s Association, Western States Trucking Association, Livestock Marketing Association, National Association of Small Trucking Companies, and Towing and Recovery Association of America.
“The physics is straightforward – limiting trucks to speeds below the flow of traffic increases interactions between vehicles and leads to more crashes,” said OOIDA President Todd Spencer. “OOIDA and our 150,000 members in small business trucking across America thank Congressman Brecheen for his leadership in keeping our roadways safe for truckers and for all road users.”
The legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Scott Perry (R-PA), Eric Burlison (R-MO), John Moolenaar (R-MI), and Matt Rosendale (R-MT).