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In written comments to federal regulators, several large trucking companies and trade organizations echoed concerns of owner-operators that a proposed rule for a heavy-truck speed limiter will not improve safety on U.S. highways, and may even cause more crashes due to speed differentials.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have extended the deadline for public comments on their proposed speed-limiter rule by 30 days to Dec. 7, the agencies announced Nov. 1.

Some motorists said they favor the idea of slowing trucks down on the highway, but the overwhelming majority of the nearly 3,000 comments filed thus far on a federal heavy-truck speed limiter proposal came from truckers calling it a recipe for disaster.

The U.S. Department of Transportation should quickly finalize a proposed federal speed-limiter rule for new heavy trucks, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer (D) said Oct. 6. 

LAS VEGAS — American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear sharply criticized a proposed federal speed-limiter rule for new heavy trucks as “flawed” largely because it would create differential speeds on the nation’s highways.

The federal government has issued a proposed rule requiring new heavy­duty vehicles to be equipped with speed-limiter devices that many large trucking fleets have been using voluntarily for several years.

The pursuit of a heavy-truck speed limiter rule began in 2006 when American Trucking Associations and Road Safe America each filed petitions claiming that limiting the top speed of trucks would save both lives and fuel.