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January 2011
COMMERCIAL TRUCK AND BUS SAFETY SYNTHESIS PROGRAM
Sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
CTBSSP Manager: Donna Vlasak
Research Results Digest 8
COMMERCIAL TRUCK AND BUS SAFETY SYNTHESIS PROGRAM:
A STATUS REPORT
This is a staff digest of the progress and status of the Commercial Truck
and Bus Safety Synthesis Program, which is administered by the
Transportation Research Board. Individual studies for the program are
managed by Donna Vlasak, Manager, Commercial Truck and Bus Safety
Synthesis Program.
BACKGROUND responsibilities of the panel are to (1) pro-
vide general oversight of the CTBSSP and
The Commercial Truck and Bus Safety its procedures, (2) annually select syn-
Synthesis Program (CTBSSP) is a cooper- thesis topics based on an industrywide
ative research program sponsored by the solicitation, (3) refine synthesis scopes,
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Adminis- (4) select researchers to prepare each syn-
tration (FMCSA) and administered by thesis, (5) review products, and (6) make
the Transportation Research Board. The publication recommendations.
program began in 2002 in support of the
FMCSA's safety research programs.
The program initiates several synthesis INTRODUCTION
studies annually that address concerns in the
Administrators, commercial truck and
area of commercial truck and bus safety. A
bus carriers, government regulators, and
synthesis report summarizes existing prac-
tice in a specific technical area based typi- researchers continually face problems on
cally on a literature search and a survey of
relevant organizations (e.g., state DOTs,
enforcement agencies, commercial truck Suggestions for synthesis topics may be
and bus companies, or other organizations submitted at any time at the TRB website.
appropriate for the specific topic). The Navigate to www.trb.org, click on "pro-
program is modeled after the successful grams," and "synthesis truck and bus
synthesis programs currently operated as safety," and find the link for "suggest a
part of the National Cooperative Highway topic."
Research Program (NCHRP) and the Tran-
Topics suggested must be accompanied by
sit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). a brief scope statement, including a discus-
The primary users of the syntheses are prac- sion of the problem (a paragraph or two).
titioners who work on issues or problems A title (preferably 10 words or fewer) and
using diverse approaches in their individual the name and affiliation of the submitter
settings. are also necessary. The CTBSSP Program
The program is overseen by a commit- Oversight Panel meets periodically to select
tee representing the truck and bus safety, new topics based on funding available.
labor, and insurance communities. Major
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which much information already exists, either in viating problems; (3) to identify all ongoing research;
documented form or in terms of undocumented (4) to learn what problems remain largely unsolved;
experience and practice. Unfortunately, this infor- and (5) to organize, evaluate, and document the use-
mation is frequently fragmented, scattered, and ful information that is acquired.
underevaluated. Often it is unknown to the person Each synthesis is an immediately useful docu-
normally responsible for making decisions related ment that records practices that were acceptable
to the topic. As a consequence, full knowledge of within the limitations of the knowledge available at
what has been learned about a problem is frequently the time of its preparation. As advancement contin-
not brought to bear on its solution. Costly research ues, new knowledge can be expected to be added to
findings may go unused, valuable experience may be that now on hand; eventually the synthesis may need
overlooked, and due consideration may not be given to be updated or redone.
to recommended practices for solving or alleviating
the problem.
There is a storehouse of information that exists Selection of Topics
on nearly every subject of concern to commercial The CTBSSP Program Oversight Committee
truck and bus safety. Much of this information has meets periodically to select topics for study as funds
resulted from both research and the successful appli- are made available. The membership of this panel
cation of solutions to the challenging issues faced by is given in Table 1. Current funding allows for initi-
practitioners in their daily work. Because there has ation of approximately two syntheses per year.
been no systematic means for compiling such useful The following factors are considered in the selec-
information and making it available to the entire tion process for synthesis topics:
commercial truck and bus safety community, the
CTBSSP was established to undertake a series of · The problem should be widespread enough to
studies to search out and synthesize useful knowl- generate broad interest in the synthesis.
edge from all available sources and to prepare doc- · The problem should be timely and critical.
umented reports on current practices in the subject · The problem is appropriate if current practice
areas of concern. Reports from this endeavor con- is non-uniform or inconsistent from agency
stitute the CTBSSP synthesis series, which collects to agency or if the validity of some practices
and assembles the various forms of information into appears to be questionable.
single concise documents pertaining to specific · The quality and quantity of useful available
commercial truck and bus safety problems or sets of information should indicate a need to organize
closely related problems. and compress that which has already been
learned and written on the topic.
· The topic should not be one for which ongoing
THE CTBSSP research or other activities in progress might
be expected to render the synthesis obsolete
This synthesis series reports on various practices
shortly after completion.
in specific technical areas. Each document is a com-
pendium of the best knowledge available on mea- The continued success of this program depends
sures found to be successful in resolving specific on a constant supply of worthy synthesis topics.
problems. To develop these syntheses in a compre- Candidate topics are suggested by members of the
hensive manner and to ensure inclusion of signifi- program oversight panel and various other sources,
cant knowledge, available information assembled including commercial truck and bus carriers; reg-
from numerous sources, including a large number of ulatory enforcement agencies; state DOTs; equip-
relevant organizations, is analyzed. The program over- ment and service suppliers; research organiza-
sight panel guides the researchers in organizing and tions; FMCSA; relevant associations such as the
evaluating data collected on each topic and reviews Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, American Bus
each synthesis report. Association, American Trucking Associations, and
For each topic, the project objectives are (1) to Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association;
locate and assemble documented information; (2) to organized labor; and TRB committees. The interest
learn what practice has been used for solving or alle- of those who have recommended topics is sincerely
2
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Table 1 CTBSSP PROGRAM OVERSIGHT PANEL
Name Affiliation
Chair Norm Littler American Bus Association, Washington, DC
Member Lamont Byrd International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Washington DC
Member B. Scott Claffey Great West Casualty Company, Bloomington, ID
Member Christopher Crean Peter Pan Bus Lines, Inc., Springfield, MA
Member Alessandro "Alex" Guariento MV Transportation, Inc., Plano, TX
Member Stephen A. Keppler Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, Washington, DC
Member Brenda Lantz North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND
Member Dean Newell Maverick Transportation LLC, N. Little Rock, AR
Member David Osiecki American Trucking Associations, Alexandria, VA
Member E. Jan Skouby Missouri Department of Transportation, Jefferson City, MO
Member Cari Sullivan Two Men and a Truck International, Inc., Lansing, MI
Member Tom Weakley Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, Grain Valley, MO
Member Greer Woodruff J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., Lowell, AR
Member Christopher Zeilinger Community Transport Association of America, Washington, DC
Liaison Albert Alvarez Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Washington, DC
Liaison Martin Walker Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Washington, DC
Liaison Michael S. "Mike" Griffith Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC
Liaison John C. Nicholas Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC
Liaison Greg Hull American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
Liaison Leo Penne American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials,
Washington, DC
Liaison Charles W. "Chuck" Niessner Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC
Liaison Richard Pain Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC
appreciated, and they are urged to continue to sug- be addressed to Donna Vlasak, CTBSSP Manager
gest topics. (e-mail: dvlasak@nas.edu and 202/334-2974).
Conduct of the Studies Available Publications
Throughout the year, following the program The syntheses completed under this project are
oversight panel's selection of topics, studies are listed in Table 3. Electronic copies of these syntheses
initiated in the order of priority assigned by the can be found at http://www.trb.org/Publications/
panel. Public/PubsCTBSSPSynthesisReports.aspx. Hard
An agreement is negotiated with a consultant
to gather information on the topic, synthesize it, Table 2 SYNTHESIS STUDIES--In Progress as of
and draft a report. Typically, the agreement covers December 2010
a period of 10 months. Information gathering and
preparation of the first draft of the synthesis report No. Title
usually takes 8 months. This draft is then reviewed MC-19 Chemical Substance Effects on Driving
by the program oversight panel. A revised final syn- on Performance: Stimulants, Hypnotics,
thesis report is subsequently submitted. This revised and Nutritional Aids
final report is then published in the CTBSSP syn- MC-20 Operator Drug and Alcohol Testing
thesis series. Across Modes
MC-22 Safety Effects of Carrier Efficiencies
MC-23 Driver Selection Tests and Measurement
Studies in Progress as of December 2010 MC-24 Distracted Driving--Successful Practices
Work is currently under way on the topics for Commercial Vehicle Drivers
MC-25 Safety Management in Small Companies
listed in Table 2. Questions on these topics should
3
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Table 3 PUBLISHED CTBSSP SYNTHESES
No. Title/Pages/Price
1 Effective Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Management Techniques (2003) 100 pp., $17
2 Security Measures in the Commercial Trucking and Bus Industries (2003) 50 pp., $15
3 Highway/Heavy Vehicle Interaction (2003) 96 pp., $21
4 Individual Differences and the "High-Risk" Commercial Driver (2004) 88 pp., $22
5 Training of Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers (2004) 46 pp., $19
6 Operational Differences and Similarities Among the Motorcoach, School Bus, and Trucking Industries
(2005) 47 pp., $15
7 Motorcoach Industry Hours of Service and Fatigue Management Techniques (2005) 46 pp., $15
8 Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Safety Belt Usage (2005) 52 pp., $16
9 Literature Review on Health and Fatigue Issues Associated with Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Hours
of Work (2005) 196 pp., $29
10 Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies (2006) 43 pp., $31
11 Impact of Behavior-Based Safety Techniques on Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers (2007) 67 pp., $48
12 Commercial Motor Vehicle Carrier Safety Management Certification (2007) 52 pp., $45
13 Effectiveness of Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Training Curricula and Delivery Methods (2007)
33 pp., $34
14 The Role of Safety Culture in Preventing Commercial Motor Vehicle Crashes (2007) 49 pp., $36
15 Health and Wellness Programs for Commercial Drivers (2007) 80 pp., $43
16 Safety Impacts of Speed Limiter Device Installations on Commercial Trucks and Buses (2008) 43 pp., $37
17 Special Safety Concerns of School Bus Drivers (2009) 43 pp., $38
18 Older Drivers: Do They Pose a Safety Risk? (2010) 28 pp., $37
copies of these syntheses can be obtained from 5:00 p.m. EST Monday-Friday; and through the
the Publications Office, Transportation Research Internet at www.trb.org/bookstore. Please send
Board, 500 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., check orders to TRB, Lockbox 289, Washington,
20001; by calling 202/334-3213, from 8:30 a.m. to D.C., 20055 or fax to 202/334-2519.
4
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Transportation Research Board
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
ISBN 978-0-309-14327-1
90000
Subscriber Categories: Motor Carriers · Public Transportation · Safety and Human Factors 9 780309 143271
These digests are issued in order to increase awareness of research results emanating from projects in the Cooperative Research Programs (CRP). Persons
wanting to pursue the project subject matter in greater depth should contact the CRP Staff, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, 500
Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001.
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright
to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein.
Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is
given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA, FMCSA, FTA, or Transit Development Corporation
endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit
uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP.
