Yellow Corp. Chairman and CEO William D. Zollars recently said he wants speed limits for trucks capped at 65-mph, even if cars are allowed to drive faster.

At a Washington, DC, press conference, Zollars said he would ask more than 20 states to cut back their speed limits to the proposed 65-mph. He also said he would divert part of the company's advertising budget to promote the cause of highway safety.

Todd Spencer, executive vice president, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association: "The real issue regarding speed limits is this -- there's no correlation between safe driving and what's posted on a sign.

While we recognize that no one should exceed the posted limit, road conditions such as weather, congestion and the speed of other vehicles often determine safe road speed."

In addition, Spencer points out that studies have shown that safety is actually compromised when there's one speed for trucks and another for cars. "OOIDA would be vehemently opposed to any instance where the speed for trucks is different from the speed for cars," Spencer said.

"But it would be a mistake to think this new position has anything much to do with safety. This is pure spin, or corporate double talk, to advance a bigger and heavier truck agenda. A relative handful of very large trucking companies hope to convince lawmakers that longer combination vehicles with weights of 120,000 pounds and more should be operating in every state. For these carriers and their associates to be in a position to claim we run safe and slow makes their position easier to sell -- even if it's totally untrue."
-- Dick Larsen, senior editor