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Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies (2006)

Chapter: Appendix C - Survey Results

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2006. Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13939.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2006. Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13939.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2006. Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13939.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2006. Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13939.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2006. Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13939.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2006. Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13939.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2006. Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13939.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2006. Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13939.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2006. Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13939.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2006. Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13939.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2006. Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13939.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2006. Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13939.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2006. Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13939.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2006. Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13939.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2006. Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13939.
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C-1 APPENDIX C SURVEY RESULTS ALTERNATIVE TRUCK AND BUS INSPECTION STRATEGIES QUESTIONNAIRE 1. What trends are placing the most significant burden on your jurisdiction’s commercial vehicle inspection program (please select two)? a) Increases in commercial truck/bus traffic __ b) Availability of Federal enforcement resources __ c) Availability of jurisdiction enforcement resources __ d) New entrant program __ e) More emphasis on security __ f) Other (please specify) _____________________________ 2. Which of the following are the top two priorities for your jurisdiction’s commercial vehicle inspection program? a) Reducing crashes/incidents __ b) Identifying and focusing resources on high-risk carriers, drivers, or vehicles __ c) Security (e.g., focusing on high-risk drivers) __ d) Data quality and uniformity of inspections/sanctions __ e) Other (please specify) _____________________________ 3. What percentage of commercial vehicle inspections in your jurisdiction are conducted (please indicate corresponding percentages)? a) At fixed weigh stations __ b) At temporary roadside facilities (e.g., a designated pull-in area) __ c) By mobile enforcement units/teams __ d) Other (please specify) _____________________________ 4. What authorities do inspectors in your jurisdiction possess (please select all that apply)? a) They have the ability to stop ANY vehicle (commercial vehicle or passenger vehicle) __ b) They are fully sworn police officers and carry firearms __ c) They have the ability to stop any commercial vehicle for any reason, without probable cause __ d) They have the ability to stop any commercial vehicle, but require probable cause __ e) Law enforcement officers must be present in order to stop a commercial vehicle __ f) A law enforcement officer must assist in conducting/completing the inspection __ g) Inspectors are civilians with limited enforcement authority __ 5. Is your jurisdiction’s commercial vehicle inspection program aimed at identifying (please rank in priority order where 1 is the highest priority and 4 is the lowest priority)? a) Problem drivers __ b) Problem vehicles __ c) Problem carriers __ d) Problem cargo __ 6. Does your jurisdiction screen vehicles electronically at fixed or mobile inspection sites (e.g., using automatic vehicle identification, classification and/or weigh-in-motion technology)? a) Yes __ b) No __ 7. If you answered “yes” on question 6 please indicate which electronic screening program your jurisdiction participates in (please select all that apply)? a) A program developed and operated by a third party (e.g., PrePass) __ b) A program developed and operated by the jurisdiction __ c) Other (please specify) _____________________________

C-2 8. If you are screening commercial vehicles electronically, what technology are you using to support these screening activities (please select all that apply)? a) Automatic vehicle identification (AVI) readers __ b) Automatic vehicle classification (AVC) technology __ c) Weigh-in-motion (WIM) sensors __ d) Remote monitoring technology (e.g., video surveillance cameras) __ e) License plate readers __ f) Overdimensional technologies __ g) Radiological/biological/chemical sensors __ h) Other (please specify) _____________________________ 9. Which factors are considered when selecting/screening a vehicle for inspection (Please rank in priority order where 1 is the highest priority and 10 is the lowest priority)? a) Safety history of carrier, driver, vehicle __ b) Previous inspection results __ c) Obvious vehicle defect __ d) CVSA decal __ e) Traffic enforcement __ f) Probable cause __ g) Weight of vehicle __ h) Status of operating credentials __ i) Familiarity with carrier, vehicle, and/or driver __ j) Other (please specify) _____________________________ 10. Is your jurisdiction using an automated safety algorithm(s) to support vehicle screening/inspection selection activities? a) Yes __ b) No __ 11. If you answered “yes” to question 10 please identify the automated safety algorithm(s) that are being used by the enforcement community in your Jurisdiction (check all that apply)? a) SafeStat __ b) PRISM (PRISM target file) __ c) ISS/ISS-2 __ d) Jurisdiction-developed safety algorithm __ e) Other (please specify) _____________________________ 12. Does your jurisdiction have a Commercial Vehicle Information Exchange Window (CVIEW) or equivalent system that provides operating credential and safety-related information in one location (please select one)? a) Yes __ b) No __ c) No, but we are planning to deploy one in the future __ 13. Are the inspection selection tools you are using today most effective at identifying (please select one)? a) High-risk drivers __ b) High-risk vehicles __ c) High-risk cargo __ d) High-risk carriers/motorcoach operators __ 14. What are the inspection selection tools you are using today least effective at identifying (please select one)? a) High-risk drivers __ b) High-risk vehicles __ c) High-risk cargo __ d) High-risk carriers/motorcoach operators __ 15. Have the inspection selection tools that you use changed over the last few years? If yes, how have they changed and why did you change?

C-3 16. Do inspection selection tools that are available today meet the needs of the enforcement community? a) Yes __ b) No __ 17. What tools are being used to conduct and record inspections results (please select all that apply)? a) Laptop computers with ASPEN or other inspection software __ b) PDAs with ASPEN or other inspection software __ c) Vehicle diagnostic tools (e.g., brake testing equipment) __ d) Inspections are conducted and recorded manually __ e) Other (please specify) _____________________________ 18. Do the inspection tools that are available today meet the needs of the enforcement community? a) Yes __ b) No __ 19. If you answered “No” to question 18, what are the weaknesses of the inspection tools that are available today (please select one)? a) They are not user friendly __ b) They do not improve officer productivity __ c) They are not effective for purposes of identifying noncompliance issues __ d) They do not improve the accuracy of the inspection results (e.g., data quality)__ e) Other (please specify) _____________________________ 20. What strategies are emphasized in your enforcement program (please rank in priority order where 1 is the highest priority and 6 is the lowest priority)? a) Warnings __ b) Citations __ c) Out of service orders __ d) Fines __ e) Education __ f) Other (please specify) _____________________________ 21. Are the enforcement strategies that are in place in your Jurisdiction an effective deterrent to oper- ating a commercial vehicle illegally? a) Yes __ b) No __ 22. How do the inspection selection tools and inspection tools impact carrier/motorcoach operator productivity (please select one)? a) They have no impact __ b) They have some impact __ c) They have significant impact __ d) Unable to assess __ 23. Are the tools that are being used by the enforcement community creating a level playing field (i.e., are enforcement resources being focused on noncompliant carriers/motorcoach operators)? a) Yes __ b) No __ 24. What are the most frequent complaints from industry regarding vehicle inspections (check all that apply)? a) Time delays caused by inspections __ b) Inspected too many times __ c) Not enough “good” inspections __ d) Resources not targeted at problem carriers __ e) Selection criteria not applied in a consistent manner __ f) Inspection tools/practices vary from Jurisdiction-to-Jurisdiction __ g) Not issuing a CVSA decal for a passing inspection __ h) Other (please specify) _____________________________

C-4 25. Which area(s) should be targeted most heavily for improvement in your Jurisdiction (please rank in priority order where 1 is the highest priority and 7 is the lowest priority)? a) Electronic screening tools/approaches __ b) Vehicle inspection tools/approaches __ c) Enforcement of violations __ d) Tools must be more user friendly for officers __ e) Tools for management to identify, track and manage enforcement activities __ f) Upgrade communications infrastructure __ g) Other (please specify) _____________________________ 26. What specific tools/approaches would support these improvements? Examples include: a) “Virtual,” electronic or photographic enforcement __ b) New strategies for deploying enforcement resources __ c) “Preferred” carrier programs (positive) for carriers meeting certain predefined safety criteria __ d) “Targeted” carrier programs (negative) for carriers not meeting predefined safety criteria __ e) New approaches unique to drivers, vehicles, and/or cargo __ f) Being able to gather critical safety information directly from vehicles, similar to what is being done with diagnostic tools __ g) Other (please specify) _____________________________ 27. Please provide any general comments you may have regarding strategies or tools that would improve the effectiveness of vehicle selection or inspection practices. 28. What technical or institutional barriers may impact advances in the areas of inspection tools/ approaches and enforcement? How can these be overcome? ALTERNATIVE TRUCK AND BUS INSPECTION STRATEGIES QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS Results from the “Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies” Questionnaire Question Percent 1) What trends are placing the most significant burden on your jurisdiction’s commercial vehicle inspection program (please select two)? a) Increases in commercial truck/bus traffic 60.9% b) Availability of Federal enforcement resources 8.7% c) Availability of jurisdiction enforcement resource 56.5% d) New entrant program 26.1% e) More emphasis on security 13.0% f) Other (please specify) 30.4% 2) Which of the following are the top two priorities for your jurisdiction’s commercial vehicle inspection program? a) Reducing crashes/incidents 87.5% b) Identifying and focusing resources on high-risk carriers, drivers or vehicles 45.8% c) Security (e.g., focusing on high-risk drivers) 4.2% d) Data quality and uniformity of inspections/sanctions 66.7% e) Other (please specify) 0.0% 3) What percentage of commercial vehicle inspections in your jurisdiction are conducted (please indicate corresponding percentages)?a a) At fixed weigh stations 65.2% b) At temporary roadside facilities (e.g., a designated pull-in area) 4.3% c) By mobile enforcement units/teams 30.4% d) Other (please specify) 0.0% a Only responses with the highest percentage have been counted.

4) What authorities do inspectors in your jurisdiction possess (please select all that apply)? a) They have the ability to stop ANY vehicle (commercial vehicle or passenger vehicle) 66.7% b) They are fully sworn police officers and carry firearms 66.7% c) They have the ability to stop any commercial vehicle for any reason, without probable cause 62.5% d) They have the ability to stop any commercial vehicle, but require probable cause 33.3% e) Law enforcement officers must be present in order to stop a commercial vehicle 25.0% f) A law enforcement officer must assist in conducting/completing the inspection 12.5% g) Inspectors are civilians with limited enforcement authority 16.7% 5) Is your jurisdiction’s commercial vehicle inspection program aimed at identifying (please rank in priority order where 1 is the highest priority and 4 is the lowest priority)?b a) Problem drivers 60.0% b) Problem vehicles 24.0% c) Problem carriers 28.0% d) Problem cargo 8.0% 6) Does your jurisdiction screen vehicles electronically at fixed or mobile inspection sites (e.g., using automatic vehicle identification, classification and/or weigh-in-motion technology)? a) Yes 64.0% b) No 36.0% 7) If you answered ‘yes’ on question 6 please indicate which electronic screening program your jurisdiction participates in (please select all that apply)? a) A program developed and operated by a third party (e.g., PrePass) 62.5% b) A program developed and operated by the jurisdiction 50.0% c) Other (please specify) 12.5% 8) If you are screening commercial vehicles electronically, what technology are you using to support these screening activities (please select all that apply)? a) Automatic vehicle identification (AVI) readers 41.2% b) Automatic vehicle classification (AVC) technology 11.8% c) Weigh-in-motion (WIM) sensors 94.1% d) Remote monitoring technology (e.g., video surveillance cameras) 23.5% e) License plate readers 0.0% f) Overdimensional technologies 41.2% g) Radiological/biological/chemical sensors 11.8% h) Other (please specify) 5.9% 9) Which factors are considered when selecting/screening a vehicle for inspection (please rank in priority order where 1 is the highest priority and 9 is the lowest priority)?c a) Safety history of carrier, driver, vehicle 34.8% b) Previous inspection results 13.0% c) Obvious vehicle defect 73.9% d) CVSA decal 26.1% e) Traffic enforcement 21.7% f) Probable cause 17.4% g) Weight of vehicle 8.7% h) Status of operating credentials 4.3% i) Familiarity with carrier, vehicle and/or driver 0.0% j) Other (please specify) 0.0% C-5 Results from the “Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies” Questionnaire (continued) Question Percent b Only responses marked with a 1 have been counted. c Only responses marked with a 1 or 2 have been counted.

C-6 10) Is your jurisdiction using an automated safety algorithm(s) to support vehicle screening/inspection selection activities? a) Yes 58.3% b) No 41.7% 11) If you answered ‘yes’ to question 10 please identify the automated safety algorithm(s) that are being used by the enforcement community in your Jurisdiction (check all that apply)? a) SafeStat 42.9% b) PRISM (PRISM target file) 0.0% c) ISS/ISS-2 71.4% d) Jurisdiction-developed safety algorithm 35.7% e) Other (please specify) 0.0% 12) Does your jurisdiction have a Commercial Vehicle Information Exchange Window (CVIEW) or equivalent system that provides operating credential and safety-related information in one location (please select one)? a) Yes 32.0% b) No 28.0% c) No, but we are planning to deploy one in the future 40.0% 13) Are the inspection selection tools you are using today most effective at identifying (please select one)? a) High-risk drivers 8.0% b) High-risk vehicles 40.0% c) High-risk cargo 4.0% d) High-risk carriers/motorcoach operators 48.0% 14) What are the inspection selection tools you are using today least effective at identifying (please select one)? a) High-risk drivers 20.8% b) High-risk vehicles 4.2% c) High-risk cargo 58.3% d) High-risk carriers/motorcoach operators 16.7% 15) Have the inspection selection tools that you use changed over the last few years? If yes, how have they changed and why did you change? a) Yes 16.7% b) No 83.3% 16) Do inspection selection tools that are available today meet the needs of the enforcement community? a) Yes 45.8% b) No 54.2% 17) What tools are being used to conduct and record inspections results (please select all that apply)? a) Laptop computers with ASPEN or other inspection software 91.7% b) PDAs with ASPEN or other inspection software 4.2% c) Vehicle diagnostic tools (e.g., brake testing equipment) 20.8% d) Inspections are conducted and recorded manually 29.2% e) Other (please specify) 4.2% 18) Do the inspection tools that are available today meet the needs of the enforcement community? a) Yes 62.5% b) No 37.5% Results from the “Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies” Questionnaire (continued) Question Percent

C-7 19) If you answered ‘No’ to question 18, what are the weaknesses of the inspection tools that are available today (please select one)? a) They are not user friendly 20.0% b) They do not improve officer productivity 0.0% c) They are not effective for purposes of identifying noncompliance issues 20.0% d) They do not improve the accuracy of the inspection results (e.g., data quality) 20.0% e) Other (please specify) 40.0% 20) What strategies are emphasized in your enforcement program (please rank in priority order where 1 is the highest priority and 5 is the lowest priority)? d a) Warnings 0.0% b) Citations 20.8% c) Out of service orders 54.2% d) Fines 0.0% e) Education 25.0% f) Other (please specify) 0.0% 21) Are the enforcement strategies that are in place in your jurisdiction an effective deterrent to operating a commercial vehicle illegally? a) Yes 91.7% b) No 8.3% 22) How do the inspection selection tools and inspection tools impact carrier/motorcoach operator productivity (please select one)? a) They have no impact 0.0% b) They have some impact 54.2% c) They have significant impact 12.5% d) Unable to assess 33.3% 23) Are the tools that are being used by the enforcement community creating a level playing field (i.e., are enforcement resources being focused on noncompliant carriers/motorcoach operators)? a) Yes 75.0% b) No 25.0% 24) What are the most frequent complaints from industry regarding vehicle inspections (check all that apply)? a) Time delays caused by inspections 58.3% b) Inspected too many times 54.2% c) Not enough ‘good’ inspections 12.5% d) Resources not targeted at problem carriers 25.0% e) Selection criteria not applied in a consistent manner 4.2% f) Inspection tools/practices vary from Jurisdiction-to-Jurisdiction 41.7% g) Not issuing a CVSA decal for a passing inspection 25.0% h) Other (please specify) 8.3% 25) Which area(s) should be targeted most heavily for improvement in your Jurisdiction (please rank in priority order where 1 is the highest priority and 6 is the lowest priority)? e a) Electronic screening tools/approaches 19.0% b) Vehicle inspection tools/approaches 9.5% c) Enforcement of violations 33.3% d) Tools must be more user friendly for officers 19.0% e) Tools for management to identify, track and manage enforcement activities 4.8% f) Upgrade communications infrastructure 28.6% g) Other (please specify) 0.0% Results from the “Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies” Questionnaire (continued) Question Percent d Only responses marked with a 1 have been counted. e Only responses marked with a 1 have been counted.

C-8 26) What specific tools/approaches would support these improvements? Examples include: a) ‘Virtual,’ electronic or photographic enforcement 43.5% b) New strategies for deploying enforcement resources 47.8% c) ‘Preferred’ carrier programs (positive) for carriers meeting certain predefined safety criteria 30.4% d) ‘Targeted’ carrier programs (negative) for carriers not meeting predefined safety criteria 43.5% e) New approaches unique to drivers, vehicles and/or cargo 26.1% f) Being able to gather critical safety information directly from vehicles, similar to what is being done with diagnostic tools 52.2% g) Other (please specify) 4.3% 27) Please provide any general comments you may have regarding strategies or tools that would improve the effectiveness of vehicle selection or inspection practices. 28) What technical or institutional barriers may impact advances in the areas of inspection tools/approaches and enforcement? How can these be overcome? ADVANCED INSPECTION TECHNOLOGIES QUESTIONNAIRE 1. In your opinion, considering both vehicle and driver-related inspection items, which systems or parameters might lend themselves to being accurately monitored by on board sensors? (please write down all that apply) 2. If on-board technology could be implemented to monitor vehicle “health” (and/or electronically maintain driver history), and then wirelessly transmit the data to the inspection site, please rank order the following in terms of usefulness for selecting (screening) vehicles for further (manual) inspection (1 being most important): __Tire Condition __Brake Condition __Vehicle Weight __Driver HOS __Driver Qualifications __Carrier Performance __Lighting System __Suspension __Exhaust System __Steering __Vehicle Inspection History 3. If on board technology as described above were implemented for screening trucks, how would you prefer the information presented? (select one) a) A simple fault/no-fault for each system; (based on predetermined “rules” or algorithms that define “fault” using system-specific performance or operational conditions). For example, a listing of those systems or items for which a “failure” was detected would be transmitted to the inspection site. b) A “snapshot” of recently recorded performance or operational values being measured for each system (for example, data stored within the last 30 minutes of operation). The exact format and methodology for recording the “snapshot” data would again be developed as an industry standard much like standardized emissions data. c) Actual real-time feeds of parameters being measured by the on-board diagnostic equipment; e.g., “live” feed of tire pressures, brake condition sensing, etc.). d) Other_________________________ 4. If a fault/no fault light is used, when should the ‘fault’ light be illuminated? (select one) a) Any time a system is out of spec, but not necessarily in violation b) When there is a violation c) When there is an OOS violation condition d) When there is a safety critical violation Results from the “Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies” Questionnaire (continued) Question Percent

C-9 5. When/how should this information be available to the inspections site? (select one) a) Well before the inspection station (perhaps two miles) so that a decision to inspect/not inspect can be made and a return signal sent within sufficient time to allow the truck to enter or bypass the station b) Upon entering the exit ramp for inspection, but before scales/scalehouse (about the same point where WIM equipment is often positioned) c) In front of scalehouse to allow visual inspection d) Anytime/anywhere while vehicle is on the highway, upon request from any computer terminal (including mobile) 6. What diagnostic or status information should be available to the driver? (select one) a) All diagnostic information should be available to the driver upon manual query of an inter- face screen or terminal b) Fault/No fault lights for each system (but not performance or operational values) c) Graduated warning signals for various systems with an indication of when a “violation-level” situation has been reached 7. If only a safety critical subset of information could be transmitted to the inspection site (due to limitations of the wireless communications media and the speed of the vehicle), please select the top three items that should be included in this “safety critical” message (select all that apply) __Brake Condition __Tire Condition __Suspension __Driver HOS __CDL Information __Vehicle Inspection History __Fuel System __Exhaust System __Lights __Frame __Other (please specify) _____________________________ 8. If the on board sensors report all vehicle systems are functioning properly, what other conditions/ information would be needed in order for the truck to be permitted to bypass the inspection station, even if it were randomly sample for inspection? (select one) a) None—Anytime all sensors report no fault, the truck may bypass station b) Would still need/want U.S. DOT registration number to check carrier history c) Would still need/want CDL information to check driver history d) For trucks randomly sampled for inspection, no matter what information about the carrier, driver or truck was transmitted; the truck would still need to pass in front of inspectors at slow speed to allow for quick visual inspection e) Other_____________________________ 9. What is your main concern with implementing an “automated” wireless type of safety diagnos- tic system? (select one) a) Electronic falsification of data b) Accuracy of measured data c) Operator resistance to implementation d) Added operational and maintenance requirements e) Other (please specify) _____________________________ 10. Which portions of a level 1 inspection could be eliminated if on board diagnostics were imple- mented? (select all that apply) __Driver HOS __Driver Qualifications __Tire condition __Brake Condition __Lights __Suspension __Frame __Cargo Securement __Exhaust System __Fuel System __None, visual inspection is always required 11. If a driver knows the truck they are driving is underweight, but also knows one or more items would fail inspection based on the automated on-board diagnostic system, do you feel drivers would disable the system in order to “take their chances” with random selection? a) Yes, most drivers b) Yes, but very few drivers

C-10 c) No, most drivers would be more concerned about disciplinary actions by their employer (or con- cerned about threat of severe fines by the State) if such a system were purposely tampered with. d) Other (please comment) _____________________________ 12. On the opposite side, if a ‘no fault’ signal allows the truck to bypass the stations, how prevalent will ‘black boxes’ that emit this signal become? (select one) a) It will be a significant problem b) Minor problem, stiff penalties would discourage the use of such devices c) Minor problem, data encryption is advanced enough to prevent it d) Cannot predict 13. Considering possible falsified signals or privacy concerns, what system would be most appro- priate to use for communications between vehicle and inspector? (select one) a) Encrypted, off the shelf WiFi b) Private cellular communications c) Private satellite communications d) Other proprietary system not available to the public 14. Regarding driver HOS violations, what would be sufficient to transmit to the inspection station? (select one) a) A simple “in-violation” versus “no-violation” signal b) Transmit coded information that shows if an operator is approaching a violation threshold c) Show actual HOS for each rule (10/15, 70 hr, etc.) d) Must show complete logbook regardless of status of violation 15. Considering tire condition monitoring, what information should be transmitted to inspectors to determine the condition of the tire? (select one) a) Pressure only for all tires b) Pressure and temperature for all tires c) Fault/no fault flag only (green/red/amber light) d) Pressure or temperature, only for the tires flagged as faulty 16. Regarding tire pressures, what is the threshold for which you would like to see the tire pressure flagged as a problem? (select one) a) 30 psi b) 60 psi c) 70 psi d) 80 psi e) 90 psi 17. What should the threshold be if two or more tires are underinflated? (select one) a) 30 psi b) 60 psi c) 70 psi d) 80 psi e) 90 psi f) Other (please comment) _____________________________ 18. Considering brake condition monitoring, rank the following items in importance to determine the overall condition of the brakes (1 being most important) __Air Leaks __Brake Stroke __Thickness of lining __ABS functionality 19. Regarding the condition of the brakes, please select what single piece of information should be transmitted wirelessly to the inspector __ABS status __Brake stroke in/out of spec __Brake lining thickness __Air leak rate __Overall fault/no fault

C-11 20. What threshold would you place on the brake stroke indicator to warn of a problem with the sys- tem? (select one for each type of actuator) 21. If given one of the three options described below, which would you deem more helpful in improv- ing the overall screening, inspection process, and safety of commercial vehicles: Option 1: Implement a screening procedure whereby vehicle, carrier, and driver identifier infor- mation could be downloaded wirelessly for each vehicle (well in advance of the weigh/inspection station) such that the information could be used to query databases containing driver history and credentialing data, past vehicle inspection history, and carrier safety rating data. Option 2: Introduce vehicle sensors that wirelessly transmit vehicle data, such as brake wear, tire pressure, total weight, etc., to the inspection station or the mobile crew. This data could be used to eliminate portions of the vehicle inspection, reduce the amount of time spent inspecting each truck, and assist in identifying which trucks to inspect. Option 3: Maintain the same procedures currently used, but double the number of trucks inspected through use of additional manpower and facilities. Please Select One: ___Option 1 ___Option 2 __Option 3 ADVANCED INSPECTION TECHNOLOGIES QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS Results from the “Advanced Technologies” Questionnaire Question Percent 1) In your opinion, considering both vehicle and driver-related inspection items, which systems or parameters might lend themselves to being accurately monitored by on board sensors? (please write down all that apply) 2) If on-board technology could be implemented to monitor vehicle ‘health’ (and/or electronically maintain driver history), and then wirelessly transmit the data to the inspection site, please rank order the following in terms of usefulness for selecting (screening) vehicles for further (manual) inspections (1 being the most important)a Tire Condition 15.0% Brake Condition 85.0% Vehicle Weight 15.0% Driver HOS 60.0% Driver Qualifications 15.0% Carrier Performance 5.0% Lighting system 5.0% Suspension 0.0% Exhaust System 0.0% Steering 0.0% Vehicle Inspection History 0.0% 3) If on board technology as described above were implemented for screening trucks, how would you prefer the information presented? (select one) a) A simple fault/no-fault for each system; (based on predetermined ‘rules’ or 45.0% algorithms that define ‘fault’ using system-specific performance or operational conditions). For example, a listing of those systems or items for which a ‘failure’ was detected would be transmitted to the inspection site. b) A ‘snapshot’ of recently recorded performance or operational values being 10.0% measured for each system (for example, data stored within the last 30 minutes of operation). The exact format and methodology for recording the ‘snapshot’ data would again be developed as an industry standard much like standardized emissions data. a Only responses marked with a 1 or 2 have been counted.

C-12 c) Actual real-time feeds of parameters being measured by the on-board 45.0% diagnostic equipment; e.g., ‘live’ feed of tire pressures, brake condition sensing, etc. d) Other 0.0% 4) If a fault/no fault light is used, when should the ‘fault’ light be illuminated? (select one) a) Any time a system is out of spec, but not necessarily in violation 29.4% b) When there is a violation 41.2% c) When there is an OOS violation condition 5.9% d) When there is a safety critical violation 23.5% 5) When/how should this information be available to the inspections site? (select one) a) Well before the inspection station (perhaps two miles) so that a decision to inspect/not inspect can be made and a return signal sent within sufficient time to allow the truck to enter or bypass the station 25.0% b) Upon entering the exit ramp for inspection, but before scales/scalehouse (about the same point where WIM equipment is often positioned) 10.0% c) In front of scalehouse to allow visual inspection 5.0% d) Anytime/anywhere while vehicle is on the highway, upon request from any computer terminal (including mobile). 60.0% 6) What diagnostic or status information should be available to the driver? (select one) a) All diagnostic information should be available to the driver upon manual query of an interface screen or terminal. 55.0% b) Fault/No fault lights for each system (but not performance or operational values) 20.0% c) Graduated warning signals for various systems with an indication of when a ‘violation-level’ situation has been reached 25.0% 7) If only a safety critical subset of information could be transmitted to the inspection site (due to limitations of the wireless communications media and the speed of the vehicle), please select the top three items that should be included in this “safety critical” message (select all that apply) Brake Condition 95.0% Tire Condition 40.0% Suspension 0.0% Driver HOS 100.0% CDL Information 35.0% Vehicle Inspection History 30.0% Fuel System 0.0% Exhaust System 5.0% Lights 5.0% Frame 0.0% Other (please specify) 0.0% 8) If the on board sensors report all vehicle systems are functioning properly, what other conditions/information would be needed in order for the truck to be permitted to bypass the inspection station, even if it were randomly sample for inspection? (select one) a) None—Anytime all sensors report no fault, the truck may bypass station 5.0% b) Would still need/want U.S. DOT registration number to check carrier history 20.0% c) Would still need/want CDL information to check driver history 30.0% d) For trucks randomly sampled for inspection, no matter what information about the carrier, driver or truck was transmitted; the truck would still need to pass in front of inspectors at slow speed to allow for quick visual inspection 35.0% e) Other 10.0% Results from the “Advanced Technologies” Questionnaire (continued) Question Percent

9) What is your main concern with implementing an ‘automated’ wireless type of safety diagnostic system? (select one) a) Electronic falsification of data 28.6% b) Accuracy of measured data 33.3% c) Operator resistance to implementation 4.8% d) Added operational and maintenance requirements 28.6% e) Other (please specify) 4.8% 10) Which portions of a level 1 inspection could be eliminated if on board diagnostics were implemented? (select all that apply) Driver HOS 19.0% Driver Qualifications 9.5% Tire condition 9.5% Brake Condition 14.3% Lights 14.3% Suspension 4.8% Frame 4.8% Cargo Securement 0.0% Exhaust System 19.0% Fuel System 19.0% None, visual inspection is always required 61.9% 11) If a driver knows the truck they are driving is underweight, but also knows one or more items would fail inspection based on the automated on-board diagnostic system, do you feel drivers would disable the system in order to ‘take their chances’ with random selection? a) Yes, most drivers 23.8% b) Yes, but very few drivers 66.7% c) No, most drivers would be more concerned about disciplinary actions by their employer (or concerned about threat of severe fines by the State) if such a system were purposely tampered with. 4.8% d) Other (please comment) 4.8% 12) On the opposite side, if a ‘no fault’ signal allows the truck to bypass the stations, how prevalent will ‘black boxes’ that emit this signal become? (select one) a) It will be a significant problem 22.7% b) Minor problem, stiff penalties would discourage the use of such devices 22.7% c) Minor problem, data encryption is advanced enough to prevent it 0.0% d) Cannot predict 54.5% 13) Considering possible falsified signals or privacy concerns, what system would be most appropriate to use for communications between vehicle and inspector? (select one) a) Encrypted, off the shelf WiFi 23.5% b) Private cellular communications 5.9% c) Private satellite communications 5.9% d) Other proprietary system not available to the public 64.7% 14) Regarding driver HOS violations, what would be sufficient to transmit to the inspection station? (select one) a) a simple ‘in-violation’ versus ‘no-violation’ signal. 50.0% b) transmit coded information that shows if an operator is approaching a violation threshold 10.0% c) Show actual HOS for each rule (10/15, 70 hr, etc.) 15.0% d) Must show complete logbook regardless of status of violation 25.0% C-13 Results from the “Advanced Technologies” Questionnaire (continued) Question Percent

C-14 15) Considering tire condition monitoring, what information should be transmitted to inspectors to determine the condition of the tire? (select one) a) Pressure only for all tires 10.0% b) Pressure and temperature for all tires 30.0% c) Fault/no fault flag only (green/red/amber light) 40.0% d) Pressure or temperature, only for the tires flagged as faulty 20.0% 16) Regarding tire pressures, what is the threshold for which you would like to see the tire pressure flagged as a problem? (select one) a) 30 psi 33.3% b) 60 psi 6.7% c) 70 psi 46.7% d) 80 psi 6.7% e) 90 psi 6.7% 17) What should the threshold be if two or more tires are under inflated? (select one) a) 30 psi 20.0% b) 60 psi 13.3% c) 70 psi 40.0% d) 80 psi 13.3% e) 90 psi 6.7% f) Other (please comment) 6.7% 18) Considering brake condition monitoring, rank the following items in importance to determine the overall condition of the brakes (1 being most important)b Air Leaks 47.6% Brake Stroke 42.9% Thickness of lining 4.8% ABS functionality 4.8% 19) Regarding the condition of the brakes, please select what single piece of information should be transmitted wirelessly to the inspector: ABS Status 5.0% Brake stroke in or out of spec 30.0% Brake lining thickness 0.0% Air leak rate 15.0% Overall fault/no fault 50.0% 20) What threshold would you place on the brake stroke indicator to warn of a problem with the system? (For ‘short’ normal stroke actuators) a) 2 inches or greater 80.0% b) 21⁄8 inches or greater 5.0% c) 21⁄4 inches or greater 15.0% d) 23⁄8 inches or greater 0.0% 21) If given one of the three options described below, which would you deem more helpful in improving the overall screening, inspection process, and safety of commercial vehicles: Option 1: Implement a screening procedure whereby vehicle, carrier, and driver identifier information could be downloaded wirelessly for each vehicle (well in advance of the weigh/inspection station) such that the information could be used to query databases containing driver history and credentialing data, past vehicle inspection history, and carrier safety rating data. 45.0% b Only responses marked with a 1 have been counted. Results from the “Advanced Technologies” Questionnaire (continued) Question Percent

Option 2: Introduce vehicle sensors that wirelessly transmit vehicle data, such as brake wear, tire pressure, total weight, etc., to the inspection station or the mobile crew. This data could be used to eliminate portions of the vehicle inspection, reduce the amount of time spent inspecting each truck, and assist in identifying which truck to inspect. 40.0% Option 3: Maintain the same procedures currently used, but double the number of trucks inspected through use of additional manpower and facilities. 15.0% C-15 Results from the “Advanced Technologies” Questionnaire (continued) Question Percent

Next: Appendix D - Interview Guides »
Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies Get This Book
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TRB's Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program (CTBSSP) Synthesis 10: Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies explores the characteristics of the various types of alternative commercial truck and bus inspection strategies currently being used by law enforcement agencies. The synthesis examines how vehicles are selected for inspection; how, when, and where vehicles are inspected; and the consequences of violations. The synthesis also provides information on the effectiveness of the inspection strategies, documenting benefits such as reduced costs and improved resource allocation.

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