Research to Support Evaluation of Truck Size and Weight Regulations (2019)

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Truck Size and Weight Limits Research Plan Committee A Consensus Study Report of Research to Support Evaluation of Truck Size and Weight Regulations TRanSpoRTaTion RESEaRch boaRd SpEcial REpoRT 328

Transportation Research Board Special Report 328 Subscriber Categories Freight transportation; motor carriers; planning and forecasting; policy; research Transportation Research Board (TRB) publications are available by ordering indi­ vidual publications directly from the TRB Business Office, through the Internet at www.TRB.org or nationalacademies.org/trb, or by annual subscription through organizational or individual affiliation with TRB. Affiliates and library subscribers are eligible for substantial discounts. For further information, contact the Trans­ portation Research Board Business Office, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 (telephone 202­334­3213; fax 202­334­2519; or e­mail TRBsales@nas.edu). Copyright 2019 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America This publication was reviewed by a group other than the authors according to the procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine. This study was sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration of the U.S. De­ partment of Transportation. International Standard Book Number­13: 978­0­309­48704­7 International Standard Book Number­10: 0­309­48704­8 Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/25321 Library of Congress Control Number: 2019933453

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v TRUCK SIZE AND WEIGHT LIMITS RESEARCH PLAN COMMITTEE James Winebrake, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York, Chair Imad L. Al-Qadi, University of Illinois at Urbana­Champaign Gongkang Fu, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago David L. Harkey, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Arlington, Virginia Douglas W. Harwood, MRI Global, Kansas City, Missouri Susan E. Hida, California Department of Transportation, Sacramento José Holguín-Veras, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York Clinton V. Oster, Jr., Indiana University, Troy, Montana Michael Tooley, Montana Department of Transportation, Helena Dennis F. Wilkie (NAE), Birmingham, Michigan Sharon L. Wood (NAE), The University of Texas at Austin Transportation Research Board Staff Joseph R. Morris, Study Director Thomas R. Menzies, Jr., Director of Consensus and Advisory Studies Anusha Jayasinghe, Senior Program Assistant

vii Preface The Transportation Research Board formed the Truck Size and Weight Limits Research Plan Committee to specify a program of research to reduce uncertainties in estimates of the effects of changes in the regulations that limit the sizes and weights of trucks. The study was sponsored by the Fed­ eral Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. Department of Transportation. The committee included members with expertise in highway safety research, bridge and pavement engineering, automotive engineering, high­ way administration, law enforcement, and transportation economics. As part of its study, it organized a series of public webinars at which invited experts offered comments on research priorities and methods in the areas of pavement and bridge engineering, highway safety, highway regulatory enforcement, and freight transportation modeling. The webinar participants are listed in Appendix B. In addition, the committee heard presentations at its meetings from Chandra Bondzie, Gene McHale, Thomas Saad, and Robert Zobel, FHWA; John Gray, Association of American Railroads; and Mark Burton, University of Tennessee. This report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this indepen­ dent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objec­ tivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review com­ ments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. The committee thanks the following individuals

viii PREFACE for their review of this report: Michael Belzer, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan; Judith Corley­Lay, Michigan State University, Lansing; Lidia Kostyniuk, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Gerald McCullough, University of Minnesota, St. Paul; Hani Nassif, Rutgers, The State Univer­ sity of New Jersey, Piscataway; Jonathan Regehr, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg; and Bernard Robertson, BIR1, LLC, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive com­ ments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report, nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Chris T. Hendrickson (National Academy of Engineering), Carnegie Mellon University (emeri­ tus), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Susan Hanson (National Academy of Sciences), Clark University (emerita), Worcester, Massachusetts. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring com­ mittee and the National Academies. Joseph R. Morris managed the study, edited the report, and drafted sections of the report under the guidance of the committee and the supervision of Thomas R. Menzies, Jr., Director, Consensus and Advisory Studies Division. Stephanie Seki prepared litera­ ture reviews in support of the committee. Karen Febey managed the report review process. Anusha Jayasinghe and Amelia Mathis assisted with meet­ ing arrangements and communications with committee members.

ix Contents Summary 1 1 Introduction 5 Sources for the Roadmap, 8 Structure of Truck Size and Weight Limit Studies, 9 Outline of the Report, 13 2 Summary of the Roadmap 15 Problem Statements, 15 Research Cost, Duration, and Sequencing, 17 Priorities, 18 Core Research Tracks, 18 3 Conclusions 31 Value of Research on Truck Size and Weight Regulations, 31 Limitations of Impact Projections, 32 Value of Broadly Applicable Research, 32 Importance of General Purpose Data Programs, 33 Need to Match Research to Policy Objectives, 34 Value of Tests and Trials in Evaluations of Truck Size and Weight Limits, 34 Emerging Technologies and Truck Size and Weight Regulations, 35 Organizational Needs and Options, 36

x CONTENTS References 39 Appendixes A Research Problem Statements 47 Pavement Research, 47 Bridge Research, 58 Safety Research, 85 Enforcement Research, 107 Mode and Vehicle Choice and Freight Market Research, 120 Cross­Cutting Topics; Evaluation of Regulatory Options, 133 B Webinar Participants 147 Study Committee Biographical Information 149