“Drive at 55” meets stiff headwinds
By John D. Schulz, Contributing Editor -- Logistics Management, 9/1/2008
WASHINGTON — It will be an uphill battle, but some powerful people in Washington want you to slow down on the highways. And if they have their way it could have huge ramifications for shippers, who for decades have shifted their distribution systems to rely on next- and second-day deliveries—moves that might be affected if the “Drive at 55” coalition gains legislative attention.
“Drive at 55” is a loose coalition of energy conservationists, safety advocates, and some members of the trucking industry that includes the American Trucking Associations (ATA). In addition, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger are standing behind the project. In an election year, this effort is probably stuck in the slow lane of Congressional priorities; however, a new President installed with a new Congress next year may want to once again ticket the entire country for speeding.
Some history may put the coalition’s intentions into better context. In 1974, President Richard Nixon reacted to the nation’s first fuel crisis by ordering a national speed limit of 55 mph. For the next 21 years, that law helped save an average of 167,000 barrels of oil a day. But in 1995, with crude oil dropping below $20 a barrel and gasoline selling for around $1 a gallon, President Bill Clinton rescinded the lower speed limit and allowed the states to set their own limits.
Unquestionably, Americans like to drive fast—no matter the cost. A motorist could save more than $1,100 a year in gasoline if they made a daily 30-mile trip at 55 mph rather than 80 mph, according to the advocacy group Drive55.org. Still, a recent Rasmussen poll showed that 59 percent of voters would oppose reinstating the 55 mph national speed limit—only 34 percent say they support such a limit.
Already, some truckers are slowing down on their own for what they say are sound business reasons. All the vehicles of the YRC Worldwide companies have been outfitted with speed governors that do not allow travel above 63 mph. It is also backing a similar 65 mph national speed limit for all trucks.
Last February, Con-way Freight began a company-wide initiative that reduced the maximum highway speed of its 8,400 truck fleet from 65 mph to 62 mph. Con-way Inc. CEO Doug Stotlar estimates that the move will produce annual savings of 3.2 million gallons, or more than $12 million for the LTL.
On the truckload side, Schneider National and Swift Transportation, the nation’s two largest TL carriers, are among the carriers that have similarly adopted measures that instruct drivers to maintain speeds in the 62 to 66 mph range.
But because long-haul drivers are paid by the mile, any reduction in speeds means a reduction in paychecks as well. That is why driver groups such as the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and America’s Independent Truckers’ Association, oppose any move to mandate lower speeds.
“We have` enough regulation in this industry,” Larry Daniel, a spokesman for America’s Independent Truckers’ Association, recently told the Washington Times. “We don’t need the government to step into our business and cause us any more undue hardship.”
Like a lot of issues, the ATA and the independent driver groups see the issue differently. The ATA recently petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to limit the maximum speed of large trucks at the time of manufacture to no more than 68 miles per hour. In a complementary move, ATA also petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to prohibit the tampering or adjustment of the speed limiting devices, known as governors, to greater than 68 miles per hour.
“For the sake of safety, there is a need to slow down all traffic,” said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. “The trucking industry is trying to do its part with this initiative. No vehicle should be capable of operating at excessive speeds on our nation’s highways.”
Hoemann slated to join ATA in executive role
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