For those wishing to comment on the mandatory speed-limiter proposal, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has extended the deadline.

The May 4 advance notice of supplemental proposed rulemaking announced FMCSA's intent to proceed with a speed limiter rulemaking and asked for comments.

The agency received requests for an extension to the comment period from the American Trucking Associations and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. The deadline for comments has been extended from June 3 to July 18.

The action is a follow up on a 2016 proposed rule that was jointly issued by FMCSA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That 2016 proposal never made it to a final regulation. It also never came up with a proposed maximum speed, although the proposal discussed possible limits of 60, 65, and 68 mph.

Unlike the 2016 proposal, which put the burden of compliance on vehicle makers, this new proposal would make interstate motor carriers responsible for limiting their trucks to a speed “to be determined by the rulemaking” for the service life of the vehicle.

Like the 2016 proposal, this new notice from FMCSA does not specify what speed that should be.

It would apply to commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross vehicle weight (GVW) of over 26,000 pounds that are equipped with an electronic engine control unit.

The ATA requested a 30-day extension and OOIDA requested a 60-day extension, explaining that due to the potential impacts and complexity of the issues associated with the speed limiters rulemaking, additional time was necessary to ensure that the most accurate data could be obtained and submitted by the associations’ members.

As of May 27, the docket had received more than 11,000 comments.

Comments may be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal.