In order for a driver to lose 2 bucks an hour, they would currently have to max out their 11 and run 715 miles, right? Your math requires the absolute maximum number of miles achievable to be obtained on the 11 hours of driving, right? I'm genuinely trying to understand how drivers are going to lose enough miles to create a drop that significant in pay.

Compared to what? That 33 miles per day is not going to be noticed. It's easier to maintain an average of 62 mph than an average of 65 mph because of the amount of slowing down throughout the entire day. You have to slow down more often from 65 than 62. Even with a truck governed to 65, most drivers are only going to average around 60 to 62 mph depending on traffic and terrain. I used to team drive in Schneider trucks governed to 65. The max number of miles achievable in 11 hours was 715. I only did that a handful of times and that was before the mandatory 30 minute break was created. Realistically, it's more like 600 to 650 miles per day. If you could manage to run at 62 mph for 11 hours straight, it's 682 miles. It's just not realistic to expect to go 65 for 11 hours straight. The laws of averages are going to win here. You have to slow down more for slower traffic when you are going faster. You don't have to slow down as much when you are going slower, so, it's easier to maintain a higher overall average.

Since the pay is based on miles actually driven instead of what you could theoretically do, dropping from 65 to 62 will have pretty much no impact on pay. I really only say "pretty much" because of the rare times that you might be able to average 63 to 65 for an entire 11 hours and that's not going to happen often. Trucks governed to 70 don't average 770 miles in 11 hours. They are forced to slow down for traffic and terrain.