U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) has introduced new legislation aimed at protecting Montana’s trucking and agriculture industries from what he calls a “dangerous and unnecessary” federal mandate. The bill, titled the Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen-Wheelers (DRIVE) Act, seeks to prevent the Biden administration from enforcing a rule that would require commercial trucks to be equipped with speed limiters.
Daines argued the proposed mandate from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) would disproportionately hurt rural states like Montana by increasing traffic congestion and creating hazardous speed differentials on highways.
“Washington, D.C. bureaucrats should not be telling Montanans how or what to drive,” said Daines. “Burdening our truckers, farmers, and ranchers with unnecessary speed limiter regulations would do nothing but cause congestion and higher crash rates. The DRIVE Act will help keep our trucks safe on the road as they support Montana’s economy.”
The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Mike Lee (R-UT), Ted Budd (R-NC), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Mike Crapo (R-ID).
The FMCSA proposal would require commercial vehicles over 10,000 pounds engaged in interstate commerce to use speed limiters—technology that restricts maximum speeds. Industry groups warn that such a one-size-fits-all regulation would compromise safety rather than improve it.
Todd Spencer, President of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, voiced support for Daines’ bill: “Forcing trucks to operate below the speed of traffic makes roads less safe by creating speed differences and more risky interactions. We appreciate Senator Daines’ leadership in standing with truckers.”
The Montana Trucking Association also backed the legislation, noting the risks of imposing universal speed limits on Montana’s wide-open roads. “In rural states like Montana, a truck speed limiter will create additional speed differences between trucks and cars, which does not enhance the safety of our highways,” said Executive Director Duane Williams.
Agricultural groups, including the Agricultural Retailers Association and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, also endorsed the bill, citing the need for flexibility and state-level control in transportation policies that directly affect farm operations and livestock haulers.
If passed, the DRIVE Act would block FMCSA from issuing or enforcing any rule mandating speed limiters for large trucks in interstate commerce, effectively leaving speed regulations to individual states.
By: DNU staff