Knowledge Resources

This study provided an evaluation of the FleetForward operational test conducted by the American Trucking Association Foundation (ATAF) along the eastern transportation corridor of the United States. The objective was to provide commercial truckers with useful information in order to facilitate routing decisions and improve the operational efficiencies of motor carrier operations. Traveler information was provided by existing metropolitan traffic information services and consisted of real-time information on traffic congestion, incidents, highway construction, and maintenance activities on motor carrier transportation routes.

Twelve (12) motor carriers and 10 members of a public/private partnership volunteered for the project. At the conclusion of the FleetForward test, survey guide forms were provided to participants in order to evaluate system performance. Since the project had a limited number of program participants and little measurable data, final evaluations were based on the following qualitative information:

• Impact on operations.
• Access to useful and reliable real-time data.
• Effectiveness of the public/private partnership.

In general, the survey results indicated that motor carrier operational efficiencies were not significantly impacted in terms of on-time delivery, estimated times of arrivals, delivery penalties, fuel consumption, maintenance costs, employee turnover, transit time, equipment utilization, driver utilization, or number of accidents. Other survey data, however, indicated that 75 percent of motor carriers experienced an improved perception of traffic information systems and believed that FleetForward was a valuable tool for the identification of traffic congestion. The effectiveness of the public/private partnership was perceived as successful; however, it was notable that some traveler information was made available only at the management level when it may have been more helpful at the dispatcher level.