MANDATORY SPEED LIMITERS: Little movement for or against

One year after the Canadian Trucking Alliance’s controversial call for mandatory speed limiters to be activated in all trucks there seems to be little movement in favor or disagreement with the proposal. Last year, research conducted by our Transportation Media Research Group found that support or opposition to the proposal was not as unanimous as claimed. Our survey at that time found that 58% of fleet managers surveyed (this included managers working at for-hire, private, government and lease fleets) favored the mandatory use of speed limiters with 42% opposed. A year later, our research found 61% of fleet managers supporting the proposal with 39% opposed. Although the Private Motor Truck Council has not backed the CTA proposal, our research found very little difference in support between private and for-hire fleets with 61% of for-hire fleet respondents in favor and 62% of private fleet respondents in favor.

Our research found last year that the virtually unanimous opposition to speed limiters by owner/operators claimed by groups representing their interests was out of line with reality. While three quarters of owner/operator respondents opposed the proposal, one quarter backed it. That is virtually unchanged a year later with 74% of owner/operators opposed to the proposal and 26% in favor.

The question on speed limiters was part of an annual survey on industry issues and buying trends and conducted during May and June of this year. E-mail invitations to participate were sent to over 5,000 industry professionals and the survey had a 12% response rate.