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Title: RESEARCH PAYS OFF: PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP BENEFICIAL FOR TRUCK RESEARCH
Accession Number: 00668982
Record Type: Component
Availability: Find a library where document is available Abstract: A consortium of government agencies and businesses in Canada began research a decade ago to find ways to reduce infrastructure damage, increase safety, and gain productivity in trucking. Today, evidence of their success is beginning to accumulate. This article discusses how harmonization of truck size and weight limits has resulted in improved highway system productivity; regulatory incentives to use the most stable, safest, and most productive vehicle configurations; reduced impacts on highway infrastructure; and reduced transportation costs. For the future, the research has produced a sound, performance-based foundation to guide the evolution of truck size and weight limits. Economic impact assessment studies predicted that, as a result of the changes that were introduced, the net annual savings would be about $180 to $300 million. As implementation of the findings is now five years old, a follow-up study was recently commissioned to assess the validity of these economic impact predictions. Although the quantitative evaluation is not yet complete, observations indicate that the new regulations have induced a substantial shift of traffic from 6-or-more axle tractor-semitrailers and from doubles using single-drawbar dollies to B-train double trailer combinations. The research demonstrated that the B-trains are more stable than the vehicles they are replacing, and have better turning performance than the tractor-semitrailers replaced, so safety benefits and reduced traffic interference can be expected. The new vehicles cause only half the pavement wear per ton of payload, and are more productive for motor carriers compared with the tractor-semitrailers replaced.
Supplemental Notes: Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
Language: English
Corporate Authors: Transportation Research Board 500 Fifth Street, NW Pagination: p. 32-33
Publication Date: 1994-9
Serial: Features: Photos
(2)
TRT Terms: Geographic Terms: Old TRIS Terms: Subject Areas: Economics; Freight Transportation; Highways; Law; Motor Carriers; Pavements; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Society; I10: Economics and Administration
Files: TRIS, TRB
Created Date: Nov 15 1994 12:00AM
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