ITS and Commercial Vehicle Operations CEE 582 Ed McCormack

2 What is ITS CVO? Partnership of the public and private sectors focused on developing ways to improve freight movement Nationally Internationally Intermodally With emphasis on technology and process re-engineering.

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4 CVO (i.e. Trucks) in Perspective Nationally 7.8 million commercial trucks, driven 0.2 trillion miles and which carry 75% all the nation’s freight (in value)

5 ITS CVO Programs Involve Many Players State Agencies Carriers Technology & Service Providers Professional & Trade Associations Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Border Enforcement Agencies Canada/Mexico

6 CVO - Interstate Trucking Commercial trucking operates across state lines Each state has its own laws and taxes –Within federal limitations on interstate commerce For trucks state borders are a similar to national borders for people

7 State Regulations Vehicle size and weight limits Fuel tax Vehicle registration Weight distance taxes Operating authority (proof of insurance, business competition) Temporary versus annual permits Safety – vehicle inspections

8 Trucks do not Operate like Cars To enter Washington a trucker needs –Vehicle licensing, permits –Fuel license (IFTA) –Single state registration Have to stop at ports of entry, weigh stations, and for roadside inspections Are inspected for mechanical safety at terminals Their books can be audited

9 Truck Weights Truckers want to fill trucks because they make more per load but all states regulate weight because but overweight trucks: –Greatly accelerated pavement damage –Have problems with bridges –Need greater turning radii –Have safety and public perceptions concerns

10 “SUPERLOAD” Electric Generator Needs Oerweight Permit Weight:1,064,000 lb (482,622 kg) Axles : 22 Tires : 140 Height: 16’ 0” (4.88 m) Width : 16’ 10” (5.13 m) Length: 264’ 0” (80.47 m)

11 Different states – different laws

12 Regulation Requires Enforcement Each trucking firm has to file taxes in each state in which it operates Paperwork is enormous Enforcement is expensive for both trucking firms and states

13 Results of Enforcement Taxes owed depend on the mileage driven in each state Trucking firms must track all mileage

14 Clearinghouses Make it Easier IRP –International Registration Plan IFTA –International Fuel Tax Agreement CVSA –Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance –Motor Carrier Safety Assurance Program

15 Enforcement At weigh stations At roadside stops By audit By inspection at the maintenance facility

16 ITS ITS is designed to make it still easier Use electronics and databases to –Make administration / enforcement of laws easier –Reduce paperwork handling costs / duplication –Allow concentration of enforcement effort on “bad” trucks

17 CVISN Commercial Vehicles Information System Network Part of national program to encourage use of ITS to improve performance of CVO Washington is a leading state

18 What is CVISN? CVISN is a collection of information systems and communications networks CVISN provides a framework that enables the government, motor carriers, and others engaged in CVO to exchange information and conduct business transactions electronically

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20 CVISN Benefits of CVISN Deployment –Safety (top priority) –Cost Savings (second priority) –Customer Satisfaction –Other Indirect Benefits – Mobility, Environment Predominate use is at weigh stations

21 Traditional Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Sites Open Sign OPEN/CLOSED SIGN TO STATIC SCALE AND INSPECTION STATION MAINLINE

22 Traditional Enforcement More trucks arrive than scales can process quickly –Shut off scales (miss illegals at the back of convoys) –Back trucks onto freeway (safety hazard) –Turn “open” sign on & off (random results)

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24 Modern Scale System (1) Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI) tag attached to truck Tag relates to database –Registration tax status Including allowable weights –Fuel tax status –Last safety inspection –Company safety record –Permits

25 Modern Scale System (2) Truck runs over scale (weigh in motion) Truck AVI tag is read Look up table compares database information to weights Decision is made to bring in / pass the truck

26 Commercial Vehicles Systems: Weigh-in-Motion SENSORS AND ELECTRONICS OPEN/CLOSED SIGN AVI NOTIFICATION STATION TO STATIC SCALE AND INSPECTION STATION PRECLEARED TRUCKS CONTINUE ON MAINLINE AVI NOTIFICATION STATION TRACKING SENSORS WIM Scales

27 AVI Tag Used in Washington Transponder at 916 MHz tag Cost $50 in Washington State 5 year battery life Red or green light with a beep Active tag (as opposed to passive) Dedicated Short Range Communications devices (DSRC)

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31 WIM Scale Technology Types of scales –Bending plate –Deep pit load cell –Piezo cable –Capacitance mat /strip –Piezo quartz –Fiber optics –Bridge WIM –Culvert WIM (CULWAY) –Buried steel frame / strain system –(virtual WIM)

32 WIM All WIM scales suffer from the same limitations – dynamics (bouncing wheels) Different designs do have advantages / disadvantages based on –Cost –Accuracy –Expected lifespan

33 WIM Consequently: WIM can NOT be used directly for enforcement. It can only be used to sort probable over-weights from not likely over weights

34 WIM The key is reducing vehicle dynamics Next best alternative – account for dynamics with multiple sensors – longer time on the scale

35 WIM Scales Ramp sorter Main line sorter

36 Scale House WIM Scale By-pass Lane Enforcement Ramp Sorter Scale Directional Sign

37 Ramp Scales Slower speed = more time on scale = better accuracy Scales can be repaired and maintained more easily Allows easier selection of trucks

38 Ramp Scales Extra ramps (by-pass lanes) require land and paving = expensive Requires even “good” trucks to slow down and enter scale site

39 Mainline Sorter Scale Scale House WIM Scale AVI Readers Directional Sign

40 Main Line Scales Do not need to slow down trucks Less disruption to trucking / roadway Can reduce size of weight station ramps (lower cost) Increased risk of “evasion” through by-pass –Intentional –Unintentional

41 Main Line Scales Easier to retrofit existing scale sites More difficult to install and maintain Subject to greater level of dynamic impacts Harder to communicate with drivers Officers can’t examine passing trucks

42 AVI Tags Issues One way or two way? –How do you signal the trucker? In vehicle tag? Overhead sign? Roadside VMS? Some combination? Do you store credentials electronically on the tag?

43 AVI Tag How do you connect the tag ID to the various database records? –Modify each existing database? –Creation of new database? –Who’s credentials are you using (this trip)? Independent trucker working for major carrier –Can the legacy database be changed?

44 AVI Tag Readers Operational speed –Speed of vehicle –Speed of transaction Connection to databases Connection to WIM device Need to track truck from one location to another

45 Commercial Vehicles Systems: Weigh-in-Motion SENSORS AND ELECTRONICS OPEN/CLOSED SIGN AVI NOTIFICATION STATION TO STATIC SCALE AND INSPECTION STATION PRECLEARED TRUCKS CONTINUE ON MAINLINE AVI NOTIFICATION STATION TRACKING SENSORS WIM Scales

46 Who uses CVISN? – Most States

47 WIM In Washington

48 CVISN Benefits American Trucking Association –Cost Benefit analysis (before and after CVISN) resulted in a 16 to 1 return on investment to the motor carrier Washington State –IT Feasibility Study and Cost Benefit Analysis found for every dollar spent on CVISN, the citizens received $1.28 in return benefits

49 Database Connections / Architecture Does the roadside reader connect to the DOL database directly? Does the DOL database download the necessary data to the enforcement site? –What about when the “home” IRP state is not the state with the enforcement location? Are there security concerns with making the DOL data accessible?

50 Interstate CVO Advantages: –Screening increases the effectiveness of officers –Decreases the time delay on legal truckers –Decreases emissions and noise –Improves fuel usage –Lowers merging / diverging movements –Allows more thorough credentials check

51 Interstate CVO Disadvantages –Costly infrastructure –Timing of database updates is difficult –Notification is difficult –WIM is expensive and requires lots of maintenance –Needs large numbers of participants to really gain operational benefits –Little incentive for many truckers to participate

52 Interstate CVO Disadvantages –Officers can’t do visual inspections of “passed” trucks –Lowering of standards? –Won’t detect “problems” with “good” firms until it is too late –Can’t see the condition of the driver –Drivers don’t have the excuse to stop and take a break

53 Interstate CVO Implementation Issues –Agency interaction –Database ownership and control –Who benefits? –Who pays? –Privacy (see control of database) –Interoperability

54 Agency Interaction Up to ten state agencies per state must cooperate Agency buy-in and support is essential A very difficult task if this is not a priority within the organization Trust – often doesn’t exist –Regulatory agency Vs. firms Vs. drivers

55 Database Who owns the data from each enforcement site? –State? –Trucking company? –Private contractor? –How can that data be used? Audit? Speed enforcement? By the trucking company?

56 Who Benefits? Who Pays? Are the benefits of the system mostly obtained by –the public sector, or –the private sector? Who should pay for the infrastructure and operations costs?

57 Who Benefits? The benefits in congested / high volume locations are different than in low volume areas –California –Wyoming

58 Who Pays? Is system for the public agency benefit or the trucker’s benefit? Is the system mandatory or voluntary? –Payment issue A requirement? Is it intended to be a private business? –Participation issue Need incentives to get participation?

59 Groups in the WIM Business Greenlight: Oregon

60 Prepass Private business –Has public partners Installs and operates system for states –$0.99 a bypass or $15 a month fee for unlimited bypasses –Owns / controls the data –Does not allow us of their transponders in other systems 250,000 trucks enrolled

61 NORPASS More “public” agency oriented approach Truckers buy transponders from states (~$50) Free use of the system to truckers Supported directly by states Transponder works in Prepass 56,000 trucks enrolled

62 Greenlight Oregon’s version (works with NORPASS) Political disagreements with other states –Mostly over control of and access to data 25,000 trucks enrolled

63 Privacy Who gets access to data? Who gets to know where the truck/trucker is? –Independent trucker –Hired driver –Company –Shipper –State regulatory agencies (WSP) Effect on participation / political acceptance of system

64 Interoperability Will these group’s systems operate seamlessly? (Not so far) Technical interoperability exists (tags) Back office interoperability –Access/control to data –Transaction fees

65 Interoperability CVISN tag can be used for tolls Same technology, different backroom operations However what about other DSRC applications? Different frequencies have advantages and problems

66 Transponders and Traveler Information Travel time of trucks between roadside readers can be used as low cost travel time information system Ft. Lewis to SeaTac: Average Speed for the Mean and 85th Percentile (Slowest) in May 2004

67 Transponder Standards Issues CVISN tag is 916 megahertz Proposed 5.9 gigahertz for DSRC has better ability to transfer more information at speeds Resistance to this change Can Federal government force a transponder standard? Manufacturers driven by existing and future customers and will not make the tag unless it will pay Europe has a different standard

68 Truck Warning (CVISN Tag)

69 Other CVO ITS

70 Commercial Fleet Management Increasingly Common GPS with cellular connection On-board computers with sensors on brakes, lights, tires, etc Used for Equipment and load tracking Dispatching and en-route information Driver management Maintenance Emergency call signal Fuel tax reporting (?)

71 Global Positioning System System uses 24 satellites Signal from 4 satellites are used to compute positions in three dimensions (plus 1 for a time check Ground based master control system keeps system correct

72 GPS uses triangulation to find location Source: Geoplane

73 ITS and Hazardous Materials GPS used for shipment tracking and monitoring Electronic placard/manifest - if incident occurs responders know what materials they have to deal with Travel information for re-routing during incidents Stolen vehicle alerts, geo-fencing, remote vehicle disabling

74 Summary - ITS use for CVO Electronic clearance –Vehicle weigh, status, and cargo Automated roadside safety inspection –Sensor differentiate between vehicles and look at safety data Onboard safety monitoring systems –Provide information about load balance, doors, temperature tire pressure, crash avoidance Automated administrative processes –Improve government taxation and regulation process Commercial Fleet Management –Real time route, driver, vehicle, and cargo information Hazardous materials incident response –Tracking, information about cargo contents

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