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Book Regulation of Weights Lengths and Widths of Commercial Motor Vehicles

Download or read book Regulation of Weights Lengths and Widths of Commercial Motor Vehicles written by Transportation Research Board and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2005-07-14 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: TRB Special Report 267 - Regulation of Weights, Lengths, and Widths of Commercial Motor Vehicles recommends the creation of an independent public organization to evaluate the effects of truck traffic, pilot studies of new truck designs, and a change in federal law authorizing states to issue permits for operation of larger trucks on the Interstates. In 1991, Congress placed a freeze on maximum truck weights and dimensions. Some safety groups were protesting against the safety implications of increased truck size and weight, and the railroads were objecting to the introduction of vehicles they deemed to have an unfair advantage. Railroads, unlike trucking firms, must pay for the capital costs of their infrastructure. The railroads contend that large trucks do not pay sufficient taxes to compensate for the highway damage they cause and the environmental costs they generate. Although Congress apparently hoped it had placed a cap on maximum truck dimensions in 1991, such has not proven to be the case. Carriers operating under specific conditions have been able to seek and obtain special exceptions from the federal freeze by appealing directly to Congress (without any formal review of the possible consequences), thereby encouraging additional firms to seek similar exceptions. In the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, Congress requested a TRB study to review federal policies on commercial vehicle dimensions. The committee that undertook the study that resulted in Special Report 267 found that regulatory analyses of the benefits and costs of changes in truck dimensions are hampered by a lack of information. Regulatory decisions on such matters will always entail a degree of risk and uncertainty, but the degree of uncertainty surrounding truck issues is uunusually high and unnecessary. The committee concluded that the uncertainty could be alleviated if procedures were established for carrying out a program oof basic and applied research, and if evaluation and monitoring were permanent components of the administration of trucking regulations. The committee recommended immediate changes in federal regulations that would allow for a federally supervised permit program. The program would permit the operation of vehicles heavier than would normally be allowed, provided that the changes applied only to vehicles with a maximum weight of 90,000 pounds, double trailer configurations with each trailer up to 33 feet, and an overall weight limit governed by the federal bridge formula. Moreover, enforcement of trucks operating under such a program should be strengthened, and the permits should require that users pay the costs they occasion. States should be free to choose whether to participate in the permit program. Those that elected to do so would be required to have in place a program of bridge management, safety monitoring, enforcement, and cost recovery, overseen by the federal government. The fundamental problem involved in evaluating proposals for changes in truck dimensions is that their effects can often only be estimated or modeled. The data available for estimating safety consequences in particular are inadequate and probably always will be. Thus, the committee that conducted this study concluded that the resulting analyses usually involve a high degree of uncertainty. What is needed is some way to evaluate potential changes through limited and carefully controlled trials, much as proposed new drugs are tested before being allowed in widespread use. The committee recommended that a new independent entity be created to work with private industry in evaluating new concepts and recommending changes to regulatory agencies. Limited pilot tests would be required, which would need to be carefully designed to avoid undue risks and ensure proper evaluation. Special vehicles could be allowed to operate under carefully controlled circumstances, just as oversize and overweight vehicles are allowed to operate under special permits in many states. Changes in federal laws and regulations would be required to allow states to issue such permits on an expanded network of highways, under the condition that a rigorous program of monitoring and evaluation be instituted.Special Report 269 Summary

Book DOT Truck Size and Weight Study

Download or read book DOT Truck Size and Weight Study written by and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 35 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Summary of a panel discussion held September 25-26, 1979, in Washington, D.C."--Supplementary notes.

Book The U S Department of Transportation s Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Study

Download or read book The U S Department of Transportation s Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Study written by United States. Department of Transportation and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 57 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Research to Support Evaluation of Truck Size and Weight Regulations

Download or read book Research to Support Evaluation of Truck Size and Weight Regulations written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (U.S.). Truck Size and Weight Limits Research Plan Committee and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: TRB's Special Report 328: TRB's Truck Size and Weight Limits Research Plan Committee has issued its second and final report, Research to Support Evaluation of Truck Size and Weight Regulations, to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The report presents a research plan to reduce the major sources of uncertainty in projections of the consequences of proposed changes in truck size and weight limits. The report defines a program of 27 coordinated research projects in six areas. The committee acknowledges that improvements in models for projecting impacts of changes in truck size and weight limits, while necessary, will not guarantee the success of future truck size and weight policy studies. Future studies will be useful as guides for decisions only if policy objectives and practical policy options are clearly defined, the analysis is logically structured to reveal the most promising policies, and uncertainties are properly characterized. The committee issued its first report in April 2018, which summarized the research recommendations of past truck size and weight limit studies and identified criteria for deciding the priority of topics for inclusion in the research plan.

Book Regulation of Weights Lengths and Widths of Commercial Motor Vehicles

Download or read book Regulation of Weights Lengths and Widths of Commercial Motor Vehicles written by Transportation Research Board and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2005-07-14 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: TRB Special Report 267 - Regulation of Weights, Lengths, and Widths of Commercial Motor Vehicles recommends the creation of an independent public organization to evaluate the effects of truck traffic, pilot studies of new truck designs, and a change in federal law authorizing states to issue permits for operation of larger trucks on the Interstates. In 1991, Congress placed a freeze on maximum truck weights and dimensions. Some safety groups were protesting against the safety implications of increased truck size and weight, and the railroads were objecting to the introduction of vehicles they deemed to have an unfair advantage. Railroads, unlike trucking firms, must pay for the capital costs of their infrastructure. The railroads contend that large trucks do not pay sufficient taxes to compensate for the highway damage they cause and the environmental costs they generate. Although Congress apparently hoped it had placed a cap on maximum truck dimensions in 1991, such has not proven to be the case. Carriers operating under specific conditions have been able to seek and obtain special exceptions from the federal freeze by appealing directly to Congress (without any formal review of the possible consequences), thereby encouraging additional firms to seek similar exceptions. In the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, Congress requested a TRB study to review federal policies on commercial vehicle dimensions. The committee that undertook the study that resulted in Special Report 267 found that regulatory analyses of the benefits and costs of changes in truck dimensions are hampered by a lack of information. Regulatory decisions on such matters will always entail a degree of risk and uncertainty, but the degree of uncertainty surrounding truck issues is uunusually high and unnecessary. The committee concluded that the uncertainty could be alleviated if procedures were established for carrying out a program oof basic and applied research, and if evaluation and monitoring were permanent components of the administration of trucking regulations. The committee recommended immediate changes in federal regulations that would allow for a federally supervised permit program. The program would permit the operation of vehicles heavier than would normally be allowed, provided that the changes applied only to vehicles with a maximum weight of 90,000 pounds, double trailer configurations with each trailer up to 33 feet, and an overall weight limit governed by the federal bridge formula. Moreover, enforcement of trucks operating under such a program should be strengthened, and the permits should require that users pay the costs they occasion. States should be free to choose whether to participate in the permit program. Those that elected to do so would be required to have in place a program of bridge management, safety monitoring, enforcement, and cost recovery, overseen by the federal government. The fundamental problem involved in evaluating proposals for changes in truck dimensions is that their effects can often only be estimated or modeled. The data available for estimating safety consequences in particular are inadequate and probably always will be. Thus, the committee that conducted this study concluded that the resulting analyses usually involve a high degree of uncertainty. What is needed is some way to evaluate potential changes through limited and carefully controlled trials, much as proposed new drugs are tested before being allowed in widespread use. The committee recommended that a new independent entity be created to work with private industry in evaluating new concepts and recommending changes to regulatory agencies. Limited pilot tests would be required, which would need to be carefully designed to avoid undue risks and ensure proper evaluation. Special vehicles could be allowed to operate under carefully controlled circumstances, just as oversize and overweight vehicles are allowed to operate under special permits in many states. Changes in federal laws and regulations would be required to allow states to issue such permits on an expanded network of highways, under the condition that a rigorous program of monitoring and evaluation be instituted.Special Report 269 Summary

Book Federal Truck Size and Weight Policy Looking Beyond the Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Study Workshop Proceedings Irvine California May 10 11 2000

Download or read book Federal Truck Size and Weight Policy Looking Beyond the Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Study Workshop Proceedings Irvine California May 10 11 2000 written by Edward Fekpe and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book The U S Department of Transportation s Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Study

Download or read book The U S Department of Transportation s Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Study written by United States. Department of Transportation and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book The U S Department Of Transportation s Comprehensive Truck Size And Weight Study Volume III Senario Analysis U S Department Of Transportation

Download or read book The U S Department Of Transportation s Comprehensive Truck Size And Weight Study Volume III Senario Analysis U S Department Of Transportation written by United States. Federal Highway Administration and published by . This book was released on 2001* with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book The U S Department Of Transportation s Comprehensive Truck Size And Weight Study Volume IV Guide Documentation U S Department Of Transportation

Download or read book The U S Department Of Transportation s Comprehensive Truck Size And Weight Study Volume IV Guide Documentation U S Department Of Transportation written by United States. Federal Highway Administration and published by . This book was released on 2001* with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: