States Take Aim at Speeding Trucks

A minority of reckless truck drivers is giving the rest of the industry a bad name, say some state trucking associations. To fight back, the groups are lending support to legislation to crack down on unsafe truckers.

The Missouri Motor Carriers Association, the Arkansas Motor Carriers Association and the South Carolina Trucking Association recently supported bills that would strike heavy blows to the wallets of truckers who speed.

The organization in Missouri is supporting bills to require a $1,000 fine for truckers caught going 76 mph or higher on a highway with a speed limit of 70 mph. Another bill would require a $100 fine for each mile per hour a trucker is caught exceeding 75.

Glen Walker, chairman of the Missouri association, said the board was unanimous in its support of the measures, which are making their way through transportation committees of the legislature.

“We felt if anyone goes over 75 mph, that’s too fast, and he should pay a penalty,” he said. “We wanted to send a message to the people out there that Missouri motor carriers are safety-minded, and we don’t tolerate breaking the law.”

Walker, president of Transland Inc. in Springfield, Mo., said the industry cannot afford the heavy fines, but it also cannot afford to have unsafe drivers ruining the image of trucking.

For the full story, see the March 22 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.