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Senate panel rejects amendment to limit semi-truck 65 mph requirement to I-40
Summary
A Senate Judiciary Committee amendment that would have limited a proposed 65 mph maximum for semi truck tractors to Interstate 40 failed in committee votes. Sponsors discussed traffic volume and crash risk on I-40 but the committee declined the narrower amendment and advanced the bill.
Senate Judiciary Committee members debated changes to Senate Bill 226, which would set a 65 miles-per-hour maximum for semi truck tractors and direct semis into the right-hand lane. Committee members considered an amendment narrowing the rule to Interstate 40 but voted the amendment down and proceeded with the bill as written.
The amendment’s sponsor explained the change was meant to make the 65 mph limit apply only to I-40. “With the amendment, [the bill] would require semi trucks to drive at a maximum speed of 65 miles an hour, but only on I-40,” the sponsor said. Opponents and some committee members argued that roads outside I-40 can be dangerous and that drivers on smaller highways face different lane and lane-count dynamics.
A representative for the state (testifying to traffic patterns) said I-40 “generally carries approximately 10 times the amount of commercial motor vehicle traffic” compared with other interstates, and that the high volume of commercial vehicles contributes to more crashes involving commercial motor vehicles on I-40.
After discussion the committee held a roll call on the amendment; several senators voiced support for the amendment while others opposed it. The presiding chair announced, “The amendment fails. Act on the bill without that amendment.” The committee then moved a motion for a due pass on the bill and recorded a due-pass recommendation.
The committee record shows discussion focused on balancing safety on a high-volume corridor (I-40) against broader statewide impacts on smaller highways and agricultural trucking routes. Several members supported the bill but opposed the I-40-only amendment, arguing the 65 mph cap should apply statewide if adopted.
Committee action: the committee rejected the amendment limiting the 65 mph requirement to I-40 and proceeded to act on the bill without that amendment; a due-pass motion for the bill was recorded.
Looking ahead, sponsors and committee members indicated they will continue to refine language and consider how lane restrictions and speed caps would interact with existing lane-use rules for heavy commercial vehicles.
