The proposed federal rule that would have required speed limiters on heavy trucks was officially withdrawn on July 24, 2025. No federal mandate is in effect, but many carriers still govern their trucks by policy, so ask before you take a job.
Rules in this industry move, and old articles stay ranked long after they're wrong. This page tells you what's in force right now, links the official source, and flags what to verify for your own situation before you act on it.
Withdrawn at the federal level, alive in company policy
The federal proposal to require speed limiters on heavy trucks was formally withdrawn on July 24, 2025, after years of debate and overwhelmingly negative public comments. As of now there is no federal mandate that trucks be governed at a set speed, and no active federal rulemaking to bring one back.
That doesn't mean you'll drive ungoverned trucks. Many large carriers limit their trucks by policy, commonly somewhere in the 60 to 70 mph range, for fuel, insurance, and safety reasons. For a new driver, the governed speed shapes your day more than most pay details: it affects your miles per hour of driving time, how you pass, and how other traffic treats you.
Could a mandate come back? A future administration could restart the rulemaking, and some states have their own split speed limits for trucks. But planning a career around a rule that might return is backwards. Ask each carrier what their trucks are governed at, and factor that into pay-per-mile math.
- No federal speed limiter mandate is in effect, and the proposed rule was withdrawn in July 2025.
- Ask recruiters directly: what speed are your trucks governed at, on cruise and on the pedal?
- A 62 mph truck and a 68 mph truck produce very different weekly miles at the same cents per mile.
- Watch for state-level truck speed rules on the routes you'd actually run.
How to make the next call
Use this page to narrow things down, then confirm the details that matter with your state's licensing office, the federal source, the school, the trucking company, or the contract itself.
The point isn't to learn more CDL trivia. It's to keep you from paying, signing, testing, or applying based on something that turns out to be wrong.
Official sources and verification links
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Federal Register speed limiter rulemaking withdrawal
The official July 24, 2025 notice withdrawing the proposed rule that would have required speed limiters on heavy trucks.
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FMCSA Entry-Level Driver Training
The federal trucking agency (FMCSA) explains the required entry-level training (ELDT) and the federal list of approved schools.
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FMCSA Training Provider Registry
The official place to search approved training schools and file a complaint.
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FMCSA selecting a training provider
A federal checklist for picking a training school.
FAQ
Is the truck speed limiter rule in effect?
No. The proposed federal mandate was officially withdrawn on July 24, 2025. No federal speed limiter requirement is in effect.
Are trucks still speed-limited anyway?
Often yes, by company policy. Many large carriers govern their trucks in the 60 to 70 mph range. Ask each carrier what their trucks are set to.
Could the speed limiter mandate come back?
A future rulemaking could revive it, but nothing is active now. Make job decisions on current carrier policy, not on a rule that may or may not return.