National Academies Press: OpenBook
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Suggested Citation:"Research Results Digest 9." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program: A Status Report 2012. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14629.
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Page 1
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Suggested Citation:"Research Results Digest 9." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program: A Status Report 2012. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14629.
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Page 2
Page 3
Suggested Citation:"Research Results Digest 9." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program: A Status Report 2012. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14629.
×
Page 3
Page 4
Suggested Citation:"Research Results Digest 9." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program: A Status Report 2012. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14629.
×
Page 4
Page 5
Suggested Citation:"Research Results Digest 9." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program: A Status Report 2012. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14629.
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Page 5

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Research Results Digest 9 CTBSSP Manager: Donna L. Vlasak January 2012 COMMERCIAL TRUCK AND BUS SAFETY SYNTHESIS PROGRAM Sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration 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 The Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program (CTBSSP) is a cooper- ative research program sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Adminis- tration (FMCSA) and administered by the Transportation Research Board. The program began in 2002 in support of the FMCSA’s safety research programs. The program initiates several synthesis studies annually that address concerns in the area of commercial truck and bus safety. A synthesis report summarizes existing prac- tice in a specific technical area based typi- cally on a literature search and a survey of relevant organizations (e.g., state DOTs, enforcement agencies, commercial truck and bus companies, or other organizations appropriate for the specific topic). The program is modeled after the successful synthesis programs currently operated as part of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) and the Tran- sit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). The primary users of the syntheses are prac- titioners who work on issues or problems using diverse approaches in their individual settings. The program is overseen by an expert topic panel and committee representing the truck and bus safety, labor, and insurance Suggestions for synthesis topics may be submitted at any time at the TRB website. Navigate to www.trb.org, click on “pro- grams,” and “synthesis truck and bus safety,” and find the link for “suggest a topic.” Topics suggested must be accompanied by a brief scope statement, including a discus- sion of the problem (a paragraph or two). A title (preferably 10 words or fewer) and the name and affiliation of the submitter are also necessary. The CTBSSP Program Oversight Panel meets periodically to select new topics based on funding available. communities. Major responsibilities of the expert panel are to provide technical guid- ance. The CTBSSP committee’s responsi- bilities are: (1) provide general oversight of the CTBSSP and its procedures, (2) annually select synthesis topics based on an industry- wide solicitation, (3) refine synthesis scopes, (4) select researchers to prepare each syn- thesis, (5) review products, and (6) make publication recommendations. INTRODUCTION Administrators, commercial truck and bus carriers, government regulators, and researchers continually face problems on

which much information already exists, either in documented form or in terms of undocumented experience and practice. Unfortunately, this infor- mation is frequently fragmented, scattered, and underevaluated. Often it is unknown to the person normally responsible for making decisions related to the topic. As a consequence, full knowledge of what has been learned about a problem is frequently not brought to bear on its solution. Costly research findings may go unused, valuable experience may be overlooked, and due consideration may not be given to recommended practices for solving or alleviating the problem. There is information on nearly every subject of concern to commercial truck and bus safety. Much of this information has resulted from both research and the successful application of solutions to the challenging issues faced by practitioners in their daily work. Because there has been no systematic means for compiling such useful information and making it available to the entire commercial truck and bus safety community, the CTBSSP was established to undertake a series of studies to search out and synthesize useful knowledge from all available sources and to prepare documented reports on current practices in the subject areas of concern. Reports from this endeavor constitute the CTBSSP synthesis series, which collects and assembles the various forms of information into single concise documents pertaining to specific commercial truck and bus safety problems or sets of closely related problems. THE CTBSSP This synthesis series reports on various practices in specific technical areas. Each document is a com- pendium of the best knowledge available on mea- sures found to be successful in resolving specific problems. To develop these syntheses in a compre- hensive manner and to ensure inclusion of signifi- cant knowledge, available information assembled from numerous sources, including a large number of relevant organizations, is analyzed. The program over- sight panel guides the researchers in organizing and evaluating data collected on each topic and reviews each synthesis report. For each topic, the project objectives are (1) to locate and assemble documented information; (2) to learn what practice has been used for solving or alle- viating problems; (3) to identify all ongoing research; (4) to learn what problems remain largely unsolved; and (5) to organize, evaluate, and document the use- ful information that is acquired. Each synthesis is an immediately useful docu- ment that records practices that were acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge available at the time of its preparation. As advancement contin- ues, new knowledge can be expected to be added to that now on hand; eventually the synthesis may need to be updated or redone. Selection of Topics The CTBSSP Program Oversight Committee meets periodically to select topics for study as funds are made available. The membership of this panel is given in Table 1. Current funding allows for initi- ation of approximately two syntheses per year. The following factors are considered in the selec- tion process for synthesis topics: • The problem should be widespread enough to generate broad interest in the synthesis. • The problem should be timely and critical. • The problem is appropriate if current practice is non-uniform or inconsistent from agency to agency or if the validity of some practices appears to be questionable. • The quality and quantity of useful available information should indicate a need to organize and compress that which has already been learned and written on the topic. • The topic should not be one for which ongoing research or other activities in progress might be expected to render the synthesis obsolete shortly after completion. The continued success of this program depends on a constant supply of worthy synthesis topics. Candidate topics are suggested by members of the program oversight panel and various other sources, including commercial truck and bus carriers; reg- ulatory enforcement agencies; state DOTs; equip- ment and service suppliers; research organiza- tions; FMCSA; relevant associations such as the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, American Bus Association, American Trucking Associations, and Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association; organized labor; and TRB committees. The interest of those who have recommended topics is sincerely appreciated, and they are urged to continue to sug- gest topics. 2

Table 2 SYNTHESIS STUDIES—In Progress as of December 2011 No. Title MC-20 Operator Drug- and Alcohol-Testing Across Modes MC-22 Potential Safety Benefits of Motor Carrier Operational Efficiencies MC-23 Driver Selection Tests and Measurement MC-24 Distracted Driving—Successful Practices for Commercial Vehicle Drivers MC-25 Safety Management in Small Companies Conduct of the Studies Throughout the year, following the program oversight panel’s selection of topics, studies are initiated in the order of priority assigned by the panel. For each topic, a panel of 4 to 6 topic experts is appointed, including at least one oversight com- mittee member. The expert panel approves the contractor or subcontractor who will perform the work. The expert panel reviews the scope, work plan, report outline, and questionnaire, and first and second draft reports. Teleconferences are held as needed; face-to-face meetings are not normally required. The first draft of the report is reviewed by the program oversight panel. A revised final synthesis report is subsequently submitted. This revised final report is then published in the CTBSSP synthesis series. Studies in Progress as of December 2011 Work is currently under way on the topics listed in Table 2. Questions on these topics should be addressed to Donna Vlasak, CTBSSP Manager (e-mail: dvlasak@nas.edu and 202/334-2974). Available Publications The syntheses completed under this project are listed in Table 3. Electronic copies of these syntheses can be found at http://www.trb.org/Publications/ PubsCTBSSPSynthesisReports.aspx. Hard copies 3 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, Greenbelt, MD 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 Tom Weakley Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association Foundation, 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 Ewa Flom 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

4Table 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 Commercial Drivers: Do They Pose a Safety Risk? (2010) 28 pp., $37 19 Effects of Psychoactive Chemicals on Commercial Driver Health and Performance: Stimulants, Hypnotics, Nutritional Aids, and Other Supplements (2011) 123 pp., $54 of these syntheses can be obtained from the Publications Office, Transportation Research Board, 500 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20001; by calling 202/334-3213, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST Monday–Friday; and through the Internet at www.trb.org/bookstore. Please send check orders to TRB, Dept. 289, Washington, D.C., 20055 or fax to 202/334-2519.

Transportation Research Board 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 ISBN 978-0-309-22352-2 90000 Subscriber Categories: Motor Carriers · Public Transportation · Safety and Human Factors 9 780309 223522 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.

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TRB’s Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program (CTBSSP) Research Results Digest 9: A Status Report describes the progress and status of the Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program (CTBSSP). CTBSSP is a cooperative research program sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and administered by the Transportation Research Board. The program was authorized in late 2001 and began in 2002 in support of the FMCSA’s safety research programs.

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