Truck Size

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Truck Size Weight Enforcement

• Federal Highway Administration
• Office of Freight Management Operations

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Federal Commercial Vehicle Size Weight
Enforcement

• Federal Regulation of Transportation Date Back to
  mid-1880s (railroads)
• Roadway Weight Limits Date Back to 1913, the
  First Limits were Imposed by the States
• 1941 Study by Interstate Commerce Commission
  Recommended Size Weight Limits at Federal
• Level
• First Federal Truck Size and Weight Limits were
  enacted with passage of Highway Act of 1956.

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Federal Commercial Vehicle Size Weight
Enforcement

• Highway Act of 1956 Authorized Construction of
  the Interstate Highway System
• Federal Size and Weight Regulations were included
  to
• Protect Public Investments made to Build the
  Interstate System
• Support Safe Operations of the Interstate System
• The Tie of Federal Truck Size and Weight
  Regulations to Infrastructure Preservation and
  Protection and to Highway Safety Continues to
  Today.

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Federal Commercial Vehicle Size Weight
Enforcement

• Important Truck Size and Weight Milestones
• 1956 -- Federal Size and Weight Laws Passed
• 1974 -- Federal Weight Limits Adjusted, Bridge
  Formula Enacted
• 1982 Federal Vehicle defined, National Truck
  Network Identified
• 1991 Longer Combination Vehicle Weight,
  Configuration and Legal Network Enacted.
• Congress enacts legislation, the President signs
  into Law Federal Agencies promulgate
  regulations, carry same legal force as Law.

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Federal Commercial Vehicle Size Weight
Enforcement

• Elements Subject to Federal Regulation
• Truck Weight
• Axles
• Gross Vehicle
• Bridge Formula (axles and spacing)
• Truck Length
• Trailer Length is Regulated, 48 minimum for
  semi-trailers and 28 for twin trailer
  combinations (STAA vehicles)
• States have Grandfathered Length Limits that
  vary from 48 (half of the states) to 59 6
  (OK)
• Width Limits
• Originally 96 in 1956, increased to 102 in
  1982
• Safety devices are excluded from width and length
  measurements (ie side mirrors, handholds,
  splash suppression devices)
• There is no Federal Limit in Law for Truck
  Height, Authority is with the States to Regulate,
  Generally Determined by Infrastructure Tolerances
  (ie bridge clearances).

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Federal Commercial Vehicle Size Weight
Enforcement

• States are Responsible for Enforcing Federal Size
  and Weight Laws
• Enforcement Conducted by State Police in most
  cases or State Public Safety Agencies
• States Oversee State Truck Regulations and State
  Designated Truck Networks as well
• Failure to Enforce or Comply with Federal Laws
  Leads to Penalties or Sanctions Applied to
  States FAHP
• Denial of Access to Interstate System by Trucks
  of Legal Federal Weight NHS Funds Withheld
• Failure to Certify Enforcement of Federal Laws
  and Regulations 10 of Annual FAHP Apportioned
  Funds.

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Federal Commercial Vehicle Size Weight
Enforcement

• State have authority under federal law to permit
  over dimension and/or over weight loads
• States issuing permits may restrict the routing
  of a permitted load based on the physical ability
  of the routes to safely accommodate the load.
• Permit Authority is based on three types of
  grandfathered rights
• 1956 divisible load and non-divisible load
  permit rights were established
• 1974 second round of state truck weight limits
  grandfathered and state bridge formulae
  grandfathered
• 1991 LCVs legal operation allowed based on 1991
  legal status
• State Highway Agencies or Department of Motor
  Vehicles issue permits for divisible and
  non-divisible load movements, restrictions may
  apply to the permit.

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Federal Commercial Vehicle Size Weight
Enforcement

• 2006 State Enforcement Activities
• Vehicles Weighed Over 225 million trucks
  weighed
• Number of Violations Close to 2.5 million
  citations issued
• Number of Permits Issued Close to 5 million
  permits issued
• Approximately 4 million Non-divisible load
  permits
• Almost 1 million Divisible load permits
• Estimates calculated from data provided by the
• states in the Annual Certifications.

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Federal Commercial Vehicle Size Weight
Enforcement

• There are four types of equipment primarily
  employed in the enforcement of commercial vehicle
  weights
• Stationary Weigh Stations using Fixed Scale Set
  Ups
• Semi Portable Scales requiring two to four
  persons to operate
• Portable Scales requiring two persons to operate
• High Speed Weigh-in-Motion Equipment used
  currently for screening commercial vehicle
  weights.

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Vehicle Weight Enforcement

• Factors Affecting Enforcement Locations
• States Attempt to Intercept Overloaded commercial
  vehicles at a Point-of-Entry to Minimize
  Impacts of Excessive Weight on the Integrity of
  the Pavements and Bridges
• States Use Traffic Monitoring Data (traffic
  volume, vehicle classification, continuous
  classification and HSWIM) to Profile Highway
  Corridors and Understand Demands on such
  Corridors
• Enforcement Community Operational Knowledge of
  Various Routes and Corridors Influences Decisions
  in Locating Enforcement Activities.

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Vehicle Weight Enforcement

• Personnel involved in Weight Enforcement
• Numbers Vary by State Depending on the Size of
  the State, Level of Commercial Vehicle Travel
  Occurring Within the State and the States
  Ability to Fund an Adequate Enforcement Program
• Large States (California, Texas, Florida, New
  York, Pennsylvania) Tend to have a substantial
  number of staff involved in enforcement of weight
  laws
• Smaller States (New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode
  Island) have less Highway Mileage, Less Truck
  Travel and thus, fewer staff assigned to weight
  enforcement.

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Automated Enforcement Initiatives

• Traditionally, Weigh Stations were widely used to
  enforce CMV activities
• Trends in Truck Travel and Freight Demand
  Rendered This Approach Impractical from Roadway
  Congestion and Safety Standpoint
• Forecasts Point Toward Substantial Increases in
  Truck Travel Over the Next Several Years
  Underscoring the Critical, Immediate Need for
  More Effective, Automation Based Approaches to
  Support Enforcement Programs
• Automated Enforcement Techniques Tend to More
  Efficiently Direct Enforcement Activities
• e-Permitting and Virtual Weigh Stations are
  Priority Programs Areas Viewed by FHWA to Support
  Adequate Levels of Truck Enforcement.

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Freight Volumes 2002-2035

• Tons of commodities are forecast to increase 92.4
  percent, reaching 37.2 billion in 2035.
• Domestic tons increase 90.5 percent to 33.7
  billion in 2035
• Import and export tons increase 111.8 percent to
  3.5 billion in 2035
• Forecasted increase caused by
• Population growth from 300 million today to
  almost 380 million in 2035
• Roughly 3 percent per year expansion in GDP
• FHWAs Freight Facts and Figures, 2007

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Truck Volumes 2002-2035

• The tons of commodities moved by truck are
  forecast to increase from 11.5 billion in 2002 to
  22.8 billion in 2035.
• The number of trucks needed to move a given
  tonnage is increasing
• Growth in demand for higher value, lighter weight
  goods is greater than for lower value, heavier
  commodities.
• Just-in-time delivery requirements in many
  industries do not wait for trucks to be filled.
• Supply chains are decentralizing.
• FHWAs Freight Facts and Figures, 2007

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Truck Volumes 2002
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Truck Volumes 2035
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Federal Commercial Vehicle Size Weight
Enforcement

• Efforts to Automate Truck Enforcement Activities
  Underway at FHWA and FMCSA
• FMCSA Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and
  Networks (CVISN) Program
• Automated Safety Inspection Data
• Automated Driver Credentialing Systems
• Conduct Truck Inspections at Highway Speeds
• FHWA e-Permitting and Virtual Weigh Stations
• Automated weight enforcement using High Speed
  Weigh-in-Motion (HSWIM)
• Automated Length and Width Measurements using
  Remote Sensing Technologies
• Together, these Efforts are being Integrated
  under the Smart Roadside Initiative.

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Virtual Weigh Stations

• What are Virtual Weigh Stations ?
• Performing full menu of vehicle and driver
  inspection activities conducted at traditional
  weigh station at highway speeds using advanced
  roadside automation tools.
• High Speed Weigh-in-Motion (HSWIM) technologies
• Vehicle dimension scanners
• Transponder enabled driver and company
  registration and credentialing and vehicle safety
  inspection FMCSA.

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e - Permitting

• What is e-Permitting?
• delivery of advanced roadside technologies
  designed to deliver FMSCAs CVISN/CVO oversight
  activities and State Oversize/Overweight Permit
  Program Compliance at highway speeds.
• technologies include in-vehicle on-board units
  carrying driver and vehicle information talking
  to roadside receivers that interface with
  appropriate safety and registration data base
  systems
• advanced technologies enable driver credential
  checks, load credential verification, transport
  company safety record check, vehicle safety
  inspection verification and state issued permit
  verification and compliance checks.
• Important consideration toward e-permitting is to
  enable maintenance of safe highway operations
  while accomplishing stewardship goals of truck
  safety and enforcement programs!

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Virtual Weigh Station

• Wireless Access to the data and images allows
  mobile officers to access and use the system

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Virtual Weigh Station
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Screen Capture courtesy of Kentucky
Transportation Center
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Why pursue this ?

• Traditional fixed weigh stations are antiquated.
• Resources are becoming increasingly more scarce
• Infrastructure preservation cost increases
• International Scan recommendations
• Lessons learned from FFY06 European Scan Tour on
  Commercial Motor Vehicle Size and Weight
  Enforcement in Europe with an eye toward
  implementation of advanced procedures and
  approaches
• Assessment of U.S. Best Practices in advancing
  Virtual Weigh Stations coupled with a comparative
  analysis of European Best Practices identified
  as part of the FFY06 Scan Tour
• Technology enables us to do things better

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Goals

• Deliver FHWA truck size and weight program
  measurements more efficiently and effectively
  using advanced technologies.
• Contribute to USDOTs Congestion Initiative by
  minimizing disruptions to the travel stream while
  conducting truck program oversight and
  enforcement actions.
• Reduce the burden on the States regarding
  resources required to conduct truck/driver safety
  oversight and truck size and weight enforcement
  activities.
• Improve enforcement of truck size and weight
  program by more efficiently targeting resources.

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Whos advancing the ball?

• Currently, several states have undertaken rather
  advanced initiatives designed to enhance
  deployment of e-permitting/vws
• Washington State HSWIM capability at each CVISN
  site
• California HSWIM for weight measures at highway
  speeds and vehicle dimension scanning
• Florida
• Punta Gorda Virtual Weight Station
• Sneads Remotely Operated Control Station
• JaxPort Advanced Technology Site/Data Sharing
  Capable
• New York integrated e-permitting/vws
  initiative as part of CVII project (Commercial
  Vehicle Information Infrastructure). CVISN, size
  weight enforcement and state issued permit
  compliance are included as elements.

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How do we continue to advance?

• I-95 Coalition OS/OW Permitting Case Study
  Analysis Report funded by FHWA-HOP scheduled for
  completion very soon.
• Truck Size Weight Team working with Cambridge
  Systematics to complete a Truck Enforcement
  Technologies Study --
• Survey of Best Practice States included
• US Version of REMOVE Project Lego Diagram
  included.
• Working with Nine (DC, FL, KS, MD, ME, MN, ND,
  NY, TX) Division Offices promoting further
  implementation of e-Permitting/Virtual Weigh
  Station approaches to size and weight
  enforcement.
• Actively supporting integration of SW
  Enforcement technologies into FMCSAs CVISN/CVO
  technologies for Smart Roadside
• Participating in Smart Roadside Ad Hoc Team
• Partnering on late April Smart Roadside
  Workshop in Florida

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Next Steps

• Engage 9 FHWA Field Offices/States in
  identification of needs and improvement
  opportunities to facilitate enhanced
  e-Permitting/Virtual Weigh Station operations in
  those states through the course of FY08.
• Continue to partner with FMCSA making available
  knowledge and expertise to assist in delivery of
  enhanced e-Permitting/Virtual Weigh Station
  operations.
• Work with I-95 Coalition to complete OS/OW
  Permitting Case Studies Analysis Report.
• Work with Cambridge Systematics to complete
  Truck Enforcement Technologies Research
  Project.
• Objective is to document Best Practices,
  distribute information to State partners, and
  assist in the delivery of additional
  e-Permitting/Virtual Weigh Station sites.