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Speed Management

13 minutesENSafety Training49 CFR 392.6 / 392.14 - FMCSA Safe Driving Speed Requirements
Quick Answer

Speed Management is a 13-minute online course that trains commercial and fleet drivers on the relationship between speed, stopping distance, and crash severity, along with defensive driving techniques for managing speed in varying road and traffic conditions. It is designed for commercial motor vehicle operators, delivery drivers, and fleet personnel and includes a downloadable certificate of completion.

Course Overview

Speed-related factors contribute to a significant portion of commercial vehicle crashes each year. Federal government research indicates there are nearly 150,000 heavy truck and bus crashes annually in the United States, with excessive speed and failure to adjust speed for conditions ranking among the top driver-related crash causes. For fleet operators, speed-related crashes carry direct costs including vehicle damage, cargo loss, and liability claims, as well as indirect costs such as increased insurance premiums, CSA score impacts, and potential FMCSA enforcement actions.

This course trains your drivers on the principles of speed management as a core defensive driving skill. Your team will learn how speed affects vehicle control, stopping distance, and crash severity across different road conditions, traffic environments, and weather scenarios. The course reinforces the driver's role in making proactive speed decisions that protect themselves, other motorists, and the company's safety record.

What You'll Learn

  • The relationship between speed, stopping distance, and crash severity
  • How road conditions, weather, and traffic density affect safe operating speed
  • Defensive driving techniques for managing speed in high-risk scenarios
  • Speed management around curves, intersections, and work zones
  • The impact of vehicle weight and load on braking performance at speed
  • How speed-related violations affect driver records and fleet CSA scores

Who Needs This Training

  • Commercial motor vehicle operators driving trucks and buses
  • Delivery and courier drivers operating company vehicles in urban and highway settings
  • Fleet drivers who operate in varying weather and road conditions
  • New hire drivers completing initial fleet safety orientation
  • Drivers with speed-related violations or crash involvement in their records
  • Supervisors responsible for coaching drivers on defensive driving practices

Regulatory Background

While no single FMCSA regulation sets a universal speed limit for commercial motor vehicles, 49 CFR 392.6 prohibits drivers from operating at speeds greater than reasonable for conditions, and 49 CFR 392.14 requires drivers to reduce speed in hazardous conditions including snow, ice, fog, and rain. FMCSA's Compliance, Safety, Accountability program tracks speeding violations under the Unsafe Driving BASIC, and carriers with elevated unsafe driving scores face interventions including warning letters, targeted inspections, and compliance investigations. Speed-related violations carry severity points that directly impact a carrier's CSA profile. Additionally, many states impose reduced speed limits for commercial vehicles. Fleet operators with patterns of speed-related crashes or violations face increased insurance costs and potential operating authority challenges during FMCSA safety fitness determinations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Speeding violations are tracked under the Unsafe Driving BASIC in FMCSA's CSA program. Each violation carries severity weight points that increase based on how far above the posted limit the driver was traveling. Accumulated points across a carrier's driver pool increase the carrier's percentile ranking, and carriers above the intervention threshold face escalating enforcement actions from warning letters to comprehensive on-site compliance reviews.
Under 49 CFR 392.14, commercial motor vehicle drivers must exercise extreme caution and reduce speed when conditions including snow, ice, sleet, fog, mist, rain, dust, or smoke reduce visibility or traction. Under 49 CFR 392.6, drivers must not operate at speeds greater than what is reasonable for the conditions and hazards present. Violations of these regulations are citable during roadside inspections and recorded in the carrier's safety record.
FMCSA does not mandate a standalone speed management training course. However, 49 CFR Part 380 requires entry-level CMV driver training that includes safe operating procedures, and 49 CFR 390.11 requires carriers to ensure drivers are competent to operate their vehicles safely. Carriers are expected to maintain driver qualification files and provide ongoing safety instruction. Speed management training supports compliance with these broader requirements.
A fully loaded commercial vehicle at highway speed requires significantly more stopping distance than a passenger car traveling at the same speed. At 60 mph, a loaded tractor-trailer needs approximately 370 feet to stop on dry pavement compared to roughly 130 feet for a passenger car. This distance increases substantially on wet, icy, or gravel surfaces. Drivers must account for load weight and road conditions when determining safe following distance and approach speeds.
Yes. Insurance underwriters evaluate a carrier's crash history, driver violation records, and CSA scores when calculating premiums. Documented speed management training demonstrates a proactive approach to risk reduction, which insurers view favorably. Carriers with lower crash rates and fewer speed-related violations are better positioned to negotiate competitive insurance rates at renewal.
$24.95
per person
Volume Pricing
Team Size Price per Person
1 - 9$24.95
10 - 24$19.95
25 - 49$17.95
50 - 99$17.50
Subtotal $24.95

Certificate of completion included. Downloadable upon passing the final assessment.

$24.95
per person