What does the speed-governor checker do?
Many trucks, buses and tankers carry a speed limiter set to a fixed speed. If it is disconnected or set higher, the tracker still records the speed. The checker reads a speed export, removes one-record GPS spikes, finds runs above the set speed plus a tolerance that last long enough to matter, and ranks vehicles by the signs it finds.
The five signs
- A sustained run above the limit.
- Runs on two or more days.
- Several runs: at least the pattern count.
- A top speed far above the set speed.
- Cruising above the limit: the 95th percentile of moving speed is above it.
Inputs you need
| Input | Where to find it | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Speed export | A CSV export from your tracking platform | Choose the shortest record interval available. |
| Set speed | Limiter certificate or workshop record | Use the figure for each vehicle class. |
| GPS tolerance | A test drive at a steady speed | Compare GPS speed with the speedometer. |
How it is calculated
Records of each vehicle are sorted by time and repeated time stamps are counted once. A record more than the spike jump above both neighbors is removed. A run is a chain of records above the limit with no gap longer than the longest gap. It counts when its first and last records are at least the sustained duration apart. Driving time sums the gaps between moving records (5 km/h and above).
Worked example
In the example export, TRK-102 runs at 84 to 97 km/h for 14 records 20 s apart: 13 x 20 = 260 s, about 6.8 km above the line. Two more runs follow the next day, so it shows all five signs and is worth a review. TRK-103 jumps once to 131 km/h between two records at 79: that is removed as a spike, and its one 40 s run at 86 km/h makes it a check. TRK-101 peaks once at 84 km/h for a single record, which is not sustained.
Rules in some markets
Some regulators require speed limiters on commercial vehicles and act against tampering. The rows below are context only, with the confidence of each source. Verify against the current official text before you rely on any of them. This tool draws no legal conclusion.
| Market | Rule or notice | Confidence | Source, last checked 2026-11-03 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | Federal Road Safety Corps: speed limiting devices, starting with commercial vehicles, through licensed service providers. Legal basis named on the page: FRSC (Establishment) Act 2007, section 10(3)(m), and National Road Traffic Regulations 2012, section 152(4) | Official page read | Open source |
| Kenya | National Transport and Safety Authority warning to long-distance public service vehicle operators against governor tampering, with fines, impoundment or licence suspension (December 2025). The 2013 speed-governor rules under the Traffic Act are listed on Kenya Law, but their text could not be read | Secondary source: news article read | Open source |
| South Africa | Speed governors on new minibuses, midibuses, buses and goods vehicles above 3,500 kg first registered after 1 December 2016 (amendment gazetted 31 August 2014). Goods vehicles of 3,500 to 9,000 kg are reported limited to 100 km/h | Government news read, regulation text not read. The 100 km/h value is from Freight News | Open source |
Assumptions and limits
GPS speed is not the limiter's own reading, and sparse records hide short runs. A long downhill can push a truck with a limiter above its set speed. The list says where to look, not what happened or who is responsible. Files up to 5 MB and 60,000 rows are read. If you ask for the report, the rows up to 8,000 characters, or a summary of the results, are sent to our server with the request and kept for up to 45 days.