Congressman Josh Brecheen Reintroduces DRIVE Act to Oppose Federal Speed Limiter Mandate

On April 10, 2025, Congressman Josh Brecheen (R-OK) reintroduced the Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen-Wheelers (DRIVE) Act (H.R. 2819). This legislation aims to prevent the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) from mandating speed limiters on commercial vehicles exceeding 26,000 pounds engaged in interstate commerce.

Brecheen originally introduced the DRIVE Act in May 2023, but that version of the bill stalled in committee and never advanced to a floor vote during the 118th Congress. Despite garnering support from several industry stakeholders, it failed to gain the bipartisan traction necessary to move forward.

Brecheen, drawing from his personal experience in the trucking industry, criticized the FMCSA’s proposal when he originally introduced the legislation:

“This overreach by the Biden Administration has the potential to negatively impact all facets of the agricultural and trucking industries. 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.”

Supporters of the DRIVE Act, including the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), argue that speed limiters could increase road hazards. OOIDA President Todd Spencer stated:

“The physics is straightforward - limiting trucks to speeds below the flow of traffic increases interactions between vehicles and leads to more crashes.”

Conversely, safety advocates and major trucking associations, such as the American Trucking Associations (ATA), generally support speed limiter mandates. They cite studies indicating that trucks equipped with speed limiters have a 50% lower crash rate compared to those without.

The DRIVE Act has garnered support from several organizations, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and the Livestock Marketing Association. Co-sponsors of the bill include Representatives Pete Sessions (R-TX), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), and Scott Perry (R-PA), among others.

As of 2024, the FMCSA was poised to push ahead with the speed limiter rulemaking in May of 2025; however, with the recent change in administration, it's unclear whether it intends to continue down that path.

As the debate continues, stakeholders from various sectors weigh the potential safety benefits against the operational challenges posed by speed limiter mandates.

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