(MAY 4, 2023) – On Tuesday, Representative Josh Brecheen (R-OK), a fourth-generation rancher and former trucking company owner himself, introduced the Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen Wheelers Act, or DRIVE Act.
The bill would prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from “implementing any rule or regulation requiring vehicles over 26,000 pounds that are engaged in interstate commerce to be equipped with a speed limiting device set to a maximum speed.”
In 2022, the FMCSA issued a notice of intent that it was considering rules requiring speed-limiting devices for certain large commercial vehicles.
U.S. Cattlemen’s Association Transportation (USCA) Committee Chairman Steve Hilker issued the following statement:
“Our members are responsible for the daily transportation of millions of animals. Livestock haulers must take into consideration the welfare of their cargo which means avoiding rough-road conditions, adjusting speed, and being more aware of their surroundings to prevent animal injury.
“USCA is opposed to any federal mandate that limits a driver’s autonomy over their own truck and trailer. We’d like to thank Rep. Brecheen for his support of our nation’s livestock haulers through the introduction of the DRIVE Act.”
The bill was co-sponsored by Reps. Pete Sessions, R-Tex., Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Scott Perry, R-Pa., Eric Burlison, R-Mo., John Moolenaar, R-Mich. and Matt Rosendale, R-Mont.
