Commercial vehicles are vital to the economy of the Northeast Corridor and account for a significant portion of intercity traffic. Project 4, Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO), dealt with truck and bus operations along the Northeast Corridor. Project 4 had two parts:

The first part dealt with fleet & congestion management. The objective was to research & propose a field operational test of an automated traveler information system (ATIS) for commercial vehicle dispatchers & drivers that would provide them with the information on congestion, incidents, weather, & routing necessary for safe, effective routing & dispatching. The project defined market segments within the truck and bus industries; interviewed managers, dispatchers, and drivers; described their routing and dispatching procedures; & determined the information carriers need about Corridor travel conditions. Using the findings from this research, the project proposed a field operational test to determine the cost-effectiveness of different technologies (i.e., pagers, radio, two-way text communications, I-95 IEN,) & public-private partnership arrangements to deliver traveler information to commercial vehicle operators. This field test was implemented and is known as Fleet Forward.

The second part of Project 4 dealt with coordination of CVO activities in the Corridor. The objective was to develop and launch a CVO Program that coordinates state, federal, motor carrier, and private sector CVO initiatives in the areas of credentials administration; safety enforcement; and fleet and congestion management. The project reviewed CVO initiatives, including the New England and Eastern States institutional issues studies, and propose goals, projects, and organization, management, and funding strategies to create a broad-based and effective CVO program in the I-95 Corridor. The program included recommendations for liaison with the U. S. DOT ITS CVO Program, ITS America, the Advantage CVO Program, and the HELP/Pre-Pass Program. An ongoing program has been established.

Procurement Agency: Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission / PennDOT
Project Contact: Chris Cox
Marygrace Parker, I-95 Corridor Coalition
Operations Program Coordinator

Improve the safety & cost-effectiveness of truck/bus travel in the Northeast Corridor.

 No data.

A total of six reports were issued as part of this significant early project of the Coalition, beginning with three reports released in 1995 that described various aspects of the commercial vehicle industry at that time. These reviews included surveys and analyses of the overall market for large trucks and the major industry segments in the Corridor; how/where commercial vehicle traffic was generated within the Corridor; and what technology was being used by carriers to assist and improve their travel.

The final report recommended an organizational structure for implementation within the Coalition to steer the program and to provide a forum for motor carrier policy and program coordination to occur throughout the Coalition states. Operational tests were defined for the areas of Carrier Operations, Roadside Safety, Electronic Registration, Electronic Clearance and Safety Management, and a funding strategy was outlined to provide the initial resources for implementing the tests.

A number of actions were taken by the Coalition as a result of the Commercial Vehicle Operations project efforts. The Executive Board endorsed the proposed CVO program and organizational structure. Significant Coalition resources were allocated to implementing the recommendations and the Executive Board stated that improving commercial vehicle operations through technology and coordination was a very high priority. The ongoing support of the CVO program was assigned a budget and separate project designation as Project #4a.

Specific program actions included:

• A CVO Working Group was established in 1996; in 1998 it became the CVO Program Track Committee. Membership includes representatives from law enforcement; federal, state and regional transportation agencies; motor vehicle agencies; trucking industry organizations; motor carriers; and other interested parties. Three subcommittees oversee operational tests and focus on different functional aspects of ITS/CVO: safety, credentialing, and carrier operations.
• In 1998, an operational test called Fleet Forward was launched, to test the use of existing metropolitan-area information services to assist carriers with their operations, and later to test the technologies that are currently being used to collect, collate, and disseminate information. (See Field Operational Test #6 for details.)

Based on the definitions in the reports, other operational tests were initiated in clusters of states, with partial funding provided by the Coalition. Groups of states/agencies collaborated to submit expressions of interest in conducting certain tests that could be of greatest benefit to their operations. Selections of participants and funding allocations were based upon these submissions. (See Field Operational Tests # 7, 8, 9, and 10.)

Allocated budget: $824,400
Final expenditures: $787,243
Reallocated: (&74,400)
Amount Spent: $800,152
Balance: $24,248

Allocated budget includes $24,400 from Project 7A and $50,000 from Project 8.

Funds were added to the original project budget for he initial phase of support for the newly launched CVO working groups/activities to provide continuity while the formal bidding process for the continuing support of the CVO program was underway. As soon as the new contractor was in place, the support portion of this contract ended.