ITS and Commercial Vehicle Operations

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ITS and Commercial Vehicle Operations

• CEE 582
• Ed McCormack

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What is ITS CVO?

• Partnership of the public and private sectors
  focused on developing ways to improve freight
  movementNationallyInternationallyIntermodally
  With emphasis on technology and process
  re-engineering.

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CVO (i.e. Trucks) in Perspective

• Nationally 7.8 million commercial trucks,
  driven 0.2 trillion miles and which carry 75 all
  the nations freight (in value)

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ITS CVO Programs Involve Many Players

• State Agencies
• Carriers
• Technology Service Providers
• Professional Trade Associations
• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
• Border Enforcement Agencies
• Canada/Mexico

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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)
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Different states different laws
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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

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Results of Enforcement

• Taxes owed depend on the mileage driven in each
  state
• Trucking firms must track all mileage

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Clearinghouses Make it Easier

• IRP
• International Registration Plan
• IFTA
• International Fuel Tax Agreement
• CVSA
• Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance
• Motor Carrier Safety Assurance Program

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Enforcement

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

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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

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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

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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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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

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

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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

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Commercial Vehicles Systems Weigh-in-Motion
TRACKING SENSORS
SENSORS AND ELECTRONICS
TO STATIC SCALE AND INSPECTION STATION
OPEN/CLOSED SIGN
AVI NOTIFICATION STATION
AVI NOTIFICATION STATION
WIM Scales
PRECLEARED TRUCKS CONTINUE ON MAINLINE
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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 opposedto passive)
• Dedicated Short Range Communications
  devices(DSRC)

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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)

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WIM

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

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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

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WIM

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

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WIM Scales

• Ramp sorter
• Main line sorter

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

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

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Ramp Scales

• Extra ramps (by-pass lanes) require land and
  paving expensive
• Requires even good trucks to slow down and
  enter scale site

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Mainline Sorter Scale
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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

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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 cant examine passing trucks

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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?

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AVI Tag

• How do you connect the tag ID to the various
  database records?
• Modify each existing database?
• Creation of new database?
• Whos credentials are you using (this trip)?
• Independent trucker working for major carrier
• Can the legacy database be changed?

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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

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Commercial Vehicles Systems Weigh-in-Motion
TRACKING SENSORS
SENSORS AND ELECTRONICS
TO STATIC SCALE AND INSPECTION STATION
OPEN/CLOSED SIGN
AVI NOTIFICATION STATION
AVI NOTIFICATION STATION
WIM Scales
PRECLEARED TRUCKS CONTINUE ON MAINLINE
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Who uses CVISN? Most States
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WIM In Washington
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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

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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?

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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

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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

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Interstate CVO

• Disadvantages
• Officers cant do visual inspections of passed
  trucks
• Lowering of standards?
• Wont detect problems with good firms until
  it is too late
• Cant see the condition of the driver
• Drivers dont have the excuse to stop and take a
  break

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Interstate CVO

• Implementation Issues
• Agency interaction
• Database ownership and control
• Who benefits?
• Who pays?
• Privacy (see control of database)
• Interoperability

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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 doesnt exist
• Regulatory agency Vs. firms Vs. drivers

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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?

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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?

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Who Benefits?

• The benefits in congested / high volume locations
  are different than in low volume areas
• California
• Wyoming

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Who Pays?

• Is system for the public agency benefit or the
  truckers 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?

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Groups in the WIM Business
Greenlight Oregon
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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

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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

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Greenlight

• Oregons version (works with NORPASS)
• Political disagreements with other states
• Mostly over control of and access to data
• 25,000 trucks enrolled

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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

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Interoperability

• Will these groups systems operate seamlessly?
  (Not so far)
• Technical interoperability exists (tags)
• Back office interoperability
• Access/control to data
• Transaction fees

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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

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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
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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

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Truck Warning (CVISN Tag)
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Other CVO ITS
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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 (?)

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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

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GPS uses triangulation to find location
Source Geoplane
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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

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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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The End