Freight Studies

1

• O-D Truck Studies in California
• Presented by
• Joel Falter
• May 19, 2010

Freight Studies Joel Falter
2

• Southern California Origin-Destination Goods
  Movement Studies Presentation Agenda

• Introduction
• Study Objectives, Uses and Data Collected
• Data Collection Methodology
• Project Challenges
• Lessons Learned
• Some Findings

3

• Introduction

• Three Studies Have Been Performed by KOA
  Corporation to Date
• US-395/US-6/SR-14 (Caltrans)
• SR-58 (SANBAG/KernCOG/Caltrans)
• I-5/SR-99 (KernCOG)
• Kern County Rural Roads Study (KernCOG)
• 19,770 Drivers Have Been Surveyed
• Over 500 Firms Have Been Interviewed

4

• Funding

• Kern Council of Governments, a Medium Sized MPO,
  Funded 3 of the Truck Studies as Follows
• SR-58 was funded through a partnership between
  Kern COG and the San Bernardino Associated
  Governments
• I-5/SR-99 was funded through a partnership
  between Kern COG and the Tulare County
  Association of Governments
• Rural Routes within Kern County funded by Kern
  COG (in progress)
• US-395 was funded by the State of California

5
US 395/US-6/SR-14 Study Area
6

• SR-58 Study Area

7

• I-5/SR-99 Study Area

8
Rural Routes in Kern County
Photo
Photo
9

• Goods Movement Study Objectives

• The Data Collection Goals and Objectives were to
• Gain Statistical Information on Truck O D
• Better Understand the Types of Cargo Being
  Transported
• Understand Why the Route was Chosen
• Understand Travel Patterns Within Each of the
  Corridors
• Understand Travel Patterns Between California and
  Nevada
• Conduct a Literature Review of Prior Studies

10

• Goods Movement Study Objectives

• How the Information and Data Will be Used
• Assist Caltrans in Long Range Infrastructure and
  Operations/Safety Planning
• Assist the COGs in Goods Movement Forecasting
  and Long Range Planning
• Provide Trucking Information for Agencies in
  Their Local Planning Efforts
• Address Air Quality Issues
• Have a Resource That Can be Shared Throughout the
  Region and the State

11

• How The Data Was Collected

• Conducting These Studies Involved Significant
  Personnel Efforts and Resources Including
• 24-Hour Automatic Vehicle Classification Counts
• Peak Period Manual Vehicle Classification Counts
• 24-Hour Truck Driver Intercept Surveys
• Commercial Fleet Operator Surveys
• Counts and Surveys Were Also Done for Different
  Seasons
• The Current Rural Road Study will Employ Video
  Technology

12

• Project Challenges

• Collecting Data From a Moving Target
• Finding a Safe Location to Pull Heavy Duty Trucks
  Over
• Maintain a Safe Environment at All Times
• Minimize Disruption to Interstate Commerce
• Have No Impacts on Traffic Flow at Any Time
• Overcoming Agency Bureaucracy
• Hiring the Right People
• Collecting Meaningful Data
• What to Do When There is No Place to Pull Trucks
  Over

13

• Lessons Learned - General

• Even the Best Laid Planning Efforts Have Speed
  Bumps
• Projects of This Magnitude Require Over-Planning
  and Over-Communicating
• You Must Provide Adequate Resources to Ensure the
  Success of the Study
• It is a 3-C Process Continuous Communication and
  Coordination
• Here are the Details of What We Learned

14

• Lessons Learned Coordination/Communication

• Start as Early as Possible
• Bring All Players Together (DOT, Law Enforcement,
  Lead Agency, Sub-Consultants, Others)
• Stay in Contact With Agencies Daily
• Ensure Everyone Understands
• Have Contingency Plans

• What You Are Doing
• Why You Are Doing It
• When You Are Doing It
• What You Need/Expect From Them

15

• Lessons Learned Survey Planning

• Make Sure Survey Sites Will be Available for the
  Survey and are in Working Order
• When Using State Facilities Get As-Built Plans or
  Good Aerials
• Plan Far in Advance for Permits
• Study the Physical Environment
• Continue Applying the 3-C Process

16

• Lessons Learned Staffing

• Hire the Right People
• Specify the Skills Your Surveyors Must Have
• Good Verbal and Written Communication Skills
  Critical
• Bilingual Skills a Plus
• If Using Temporary Labor Screen the Surveyors
  Personally
• Conduct Training With All Surveyors in Advance
• Make Sure the Same Crew Will be With You
  Throughout
• Plan Staffing Levels Carefully

17

• Lessons Learned Survey Operations

• Check-In With Law Enforcement and DOT
• Make Sure Survey Sites Are in Working Order
• QC the Work Throughout the Survey Period
• Have Strong Supervisorial Presence
• Be Respectful of Peoples Time (Drivers and Fleet
  Managers)
• Questioners Should Understand The Issues
• Ask Relevant/Reasonable Questions
• Let People Know What the Study is About and
  Whats in it For Them
• Listen and Let People Vent
• Lollipops Dont Work

18

• Lessons Learned Data Collection/Interpretation

• ID All Survey Sheets by Location
• Make Sure Surveyors Complete the Entire Survey
• Code the Survey Instrument Questions to Minimize
  Writing/Interpretation
• Provide Check Boxes with Routes and STCC Codes
  for Example
• Standardize Coding to Minimize Interpretation
• Make Questions as Direct as Possible
• Test the Survey For Ease of Data Collection and
  Data Entry
• QC the Data Entry Frequently to Catch Mistakes
  and Problems

19

• What Did We Get From All of This?

20

• I-5 and SR-99

Truck Driver Survey
21
Truck Intercept Survey

• Survey at Six Locations
• Tipton (Tulare) Northbound Southbound Rest
  Stops
• Kettleman City Northbound Southbound Rest Stops
• Lebec/Grapevine Northbound Southbound Rest
  Stops
• Survey was Conducted Continuously for 24 Hours at
  Each Location
• Conducted in both Seasons
• Fall November 2008
• Spring June 2009
• Surveyed 7,372 Trucks (Average almost 1 Survey
  Per Minute)

22
Truck Intercept Survey
23
Commodity Survey Results
24
Survey Results
Southbound Truck Trip Distribution

• Northbound Truck Trip Distribution

25
Survey Results Northbound Routes
26
Survey Results Southbound Routes
27
Commodity Survey Results Food and Kindred
Products
28
Commodity Survey Results - Empties
29
Commodity Survey Results Farm Products
30
Overview of Fleet Operator Survey

• Trucks Use SR-99 Much More often Than I-5 Because
  Origins and Destinations are Clustered Along
  SR-99 Every Private Fleet Operator Interviewed
  was Located East of I-5
• Trucks Tend to use I-5 to Connect Kern County
  Points with Regions Outside (i.e. Los Angeles and
  Bay Area)
• Most Through Trips Use I-5
• Regional Trips Tend to Place More Burden on
  East-West Connectors. Local Trips Prefer to Use
  Arterials/Frontage Roads Instead of Freeways

31
National Activities

• Most National Activities Use SR-58 To Haul Goods
  To Points East Using I-15 Through Las Vegas
• Produce Was The Most Common Commodity Reported On
  Eastbound Shipment
• General Merchandise Was The Most Common Commodity
  Reported On Westbound Shipment
• Other Than Bakersfield No Carrier With National
  Operations Reported Any Base, Terminal Or Layover
  Location Along SR-58

32
Local Users

• Haulers of Sand, Gravel, Rock Asphalt Reported
  the Heaviest Use of SR-58 (Hundreds of Trips Per
  Day)
• Interview With One Petroleum Hauler (Eastern
  Bakersfield) Reported Heavy Usage of SR-58 (2000
  to 3000 Trips Per Week)
• Other Local Carriers Include Gasoline, Propane,
  Food Products, Auto Products Deliveries to Local
  Retailers
• Most Local Activities Centered Within Bakersfield
  With Some Local Delivery Routes Within Tehachapi,
  Mojave Barstow

33
Driver Suggestions

• Driver and Fleet Operator Suggestions

• Raise Speed Limit
• Add/Widen Lanes
• More Rest Stops
• Better Roadway Maintenance

34
For Further Information Contact Joel Falter
Jfalter_at_koacorporation.com323-260-4703
http//www.kerncog.org/cms/publications/publicatio
ns